Brass Against

Senbla presents Brass Against at Brudenell Social Club on 12 April 2027 at 6:30 pm.

Throughout history, music has provided the soundtrack to politically charged times. From Woodstock in the late 60s to people singing from their balconies during the COVID-19 pandemic, music expresses the things that people can’t put into words. Human existence depends on using music to make a statement and inspire change. These days, that call to change sounds like a collective of musicians called Brass Against, fusing the sounds of a brass band, heavy rock and vocals.

Led and curated by Brad Hammonds, Brass Against began as a meeting between friends. Brad and Andrew Gutauskas (Brass Against’s musical director and its baritone sax player) got together in 2017 to vent about the unsettling, divisive and isolationist tones of the moment. The only way to do that was rocking out to Rage Against the Machine.

After playing five tracks with Andrew on baritone sax, the effect was immediate. What Brad and Andrew ended up creating was a cacophony of sound. The brass band was more containable than an orchestra, but it simultaneously allowed them to make a big statement. They asked fellow musician friends to join, a violinist here, a vocalist there, and the band grew incrementally. They shot a video to gauge listeners’ potential appetite, and within six months, a handful of videos went viral. The collective soon had managers and booking agents, progressing to a European tour in 2018.

That effort has grown into a dynamic, evolving group of artists. Rather than having a set number of band members, Brass Against is a revolving kaleidoscope of like-minded souls. The collective is composed of mostly professional jazz musicians, allowing creativity, flexibility and inclusivity among the group and differentiating themselves from the usual all-male rock bands. With the band’s home base in New York, it allows participation from what Brad calls some of the best musicians in the world, allowing for something unique and constantly evolving.

The music has evolved, too. Originally starting out as covers of their favorite bands like Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath and more, the group has also recorded their own music, having released five recorded albums featuring Sophia Urista on vocals, as well as Liza Colby, Michael Cunio, Samuel Hope and others.

The mix of curated heavy rock songs plus original music is something that brings audiences together around the world. From Copenhagen to Cologne, Manchester to Milan, New York to LA, Brass Against is playing the songs that audiences grew up with and keeping fans engaged throughout the set. Fans often stick around after the show to bond about the songs, the music and the bands. Brass Against has curated its setlist over time to ensure everyone has something to look forward to on that journey, and it is engaging for them when they are on stage.

They enjoy playing their originals and they work well at their live shows. At their shows, they play Killing in the Name halfway through the set and people respond strongly. Tool is one of those bands that has diehard fans, too. They mix it up; the encore is usually Back in Black by AC/DC.

This energy has allowed Brass Against to play a variety of venues, share the stage with collaborators and explore their success in new ways. Their version of Wake Up was featured on the end scene and credits in Matrix: Resurrections and they finished scoring their first full length film. They have performed at the Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown, Pukkelpop, Download Madrid, Welcome to Rockville, Java Jazz Festival, Splore and Electric Avenue. They have done a five-week arena tour with Tool, opened for Lenny Kravitz, joined Living Colour for Cult of Personality and have shared the stage with Slipknot, Prophets of Rage, Royal Blood, Mike D of the Beastie Boys, Ben Harper and others.

Since its inception, Brass Against has had the goal of creating music that resonates with people’s emotions and encourages them to act. The music itself is edgy and empowering, but it is also about escapism from the chaos and turmoil of everyday life, especially as life imitates some of the same patterns that prompted the band’s founding.

Liza, one of their singers, usually gives a speech at the shows about love and understanding and peace and does not get into the weeds politically. They have a song called Umbra, where the chorus is “just breathe.” That song encapsulates what they talk a lot about within the band, which is that there is just this present moment now, and how you start to calm your chaotic mind.

Rage. Turmoil. Struggle. Energy. Motivation. Community. Acceptance. Brass Against is providing the sound of the times and a soundtrack to daily life.