Bright Like the Sun
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Bright Like the Sun

San Antonio, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE

San Antonio, Texas, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2013
Band Rock Post-rock

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"VICE Exclusive: Listen to Bright Like the Sun's New Post-Rock Song"

It's still a little unclear what the term "post-rock" is supposed to actually mean, but most music deemed part of the genre is melancholic, dramatic, and heavily instrumental. Texas-based band Bright Like the Sun makes music that fits the bill—it's dense and emotive and builds to huge crescendos. But they also pull influences from such disparate sources as the Beach Boys and 90s alternative band Failure to create something wholly unique. - VICE


"Bright Like The Sun Create Post-Rock Fireworks on “White Lights”"

San Antonio’s Bright Like The Sun are sharing “White Lights,” the first single from the quintet’s massive new self-titled sophomore record. Due out on April 21st via Sun Sea Sky Productions, Bright Like The Sun create post-rock music with nuance from the crashing waves of guitars to the band’s haunting use of vocals as another instrumental layer and the inclusion of instruments not typically associated with the genre. Their music is epic, dissolving the lines between powerful and meditative, creating something that’s both brains and brawn.

Stereogum premiered “White Lights” noting the finer points and pitfalls of the post-rock genre before claiming “Thankfully, Bright Like The Sun make good post-rock music” before expanding on their thoughts on the single, “a remarkable dedication to form, all sparkling guitars and teetering drums and hopeful build-ups.”

Listen to “White Lights” here.

Bright Like The Sun’s Chris Etheredge shared some insight into the song’s writing process:

“A few years back on New Year’s we were all gathered at my place downtown and made our way to the roof of the 4 story loft complex to watch the fireworks. While it was great to have such a beautiful view of the main display, we quickly realized that, being in the center of the city, we were surrounded at all angles by the smaller “home-brew” displays. It was an absolutely magical moment, the frivolity and whimsy that accompanies New Year’s and being surrounded by the beautiful fireworks that so perfectly embody that joy. That’s what that whole song is about, the lyrics and instrumentation and mood are all meant to reflect those feelings.”

Bright Like The Sun carries a great deal of restraint, keeping with a mellow approach to the post-rock spectrum, a beautifully meditative sound that joins together the genre’s slow builds with unique flourishes of Rhodes keyboards, synths, and even the occasional horn accompaniment. Their cinematic sound retains a futuristic quality. Heavily instrumental, Bright Like The Sun are able to manipulate moods with extended passages of serene beauty and gargantuan moments of enveloping sound. With influences ranging from M83 and New Order to The Beach Boys and Cave In, it’s safe to say Bright Like The Sun have a definite diversity to their music.

Upcoming Shows:
03/18 – Austin, TX – Official SXSW Showcase @ The Hideout Theater (8 pm)
03/28 – El Paso, TX @ Monarch
04/25 – San Antonio, TX @ 502 Bar [Album Release Show]
04/30 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain

Texas has always had a profound effect on its musicians. Whether made evident through identity, personality, tradition or sound, it is apparent in all cases that bands from Texas are shaped from and heavily influenced by the Lone Star State – Bright Like The Sun is no exception. Born in early 2012 from the collective desire to make beautiful, thought provoking, and at times, chaotic music. Their songs build in waves, moving from barely audible echoes and haunting vocals to walls of guitars more closely compared to a symphony of noise than to a rock band.

They are known for their extensive use of effects pedals and their incorporation of non-traditional instrumentation (most notably the Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos, brass, and electronic synthesis).

The band’s debut album, Coda Fin, was released in April 2013 and received heavy praise in both local and foreign media. They have toured extensively throughout the US, and were an official artist for the 2014 SXSW Festival. The band’s eponymous follow up full length will be released in April 2015. - New Noise Magazine


"Bright Like the Sun -- "White Lights" (Stereogum Premiere)"

By James Rettig / March 5, 2015
When you’re in the right mood, there’s nothing better than a good post-rock song. The best of them make you feel like you’re a little speck on a great plain, but that the great distance is possible to traverse against all odds. It’s melodramatic music, the kind that moves mountains and evaporates oceans. And it’s also fragile music, stuff that can easily turn sour and drab if placed in the wrong hands. Thankfully, Bright Like The Sun make good post-rock music. As evidenced by “White Lights,” the lead-off to their upcoming self-titled sophomore album, the San Antonio-based group has a remarkable dedication to form, all sparkling guitars and teetering drums and hopeful build-ups. Listen and read some words from the band about the track below. - Stereogum


"Bright Like The Sun brings sound from San Antonio to SXSW"

Among the select few San Antonio bands that have the opportunity to play this prestigious festival this year stands Bright Like The Sun. Bright like the Sun is a San Antonio born band formed in January of 2012. Their “genre” is best described as Ambient Post-Rock and can be compared to “Explosions in the Sky”. However, in my opinion, it’s hard to compare other sounds or bands to Bright Like The Sun. BLTS has a very distinct sound making it difficult to choose a direct genre. Therefore, BLTS makes it difficult to believe in simple genres. Their sound will completely take you into a whole other world. According to their Facebook fan page, “Their songs build in waves, moving from barely audible echos and haunting vocals to walls of guitars more closely compared to a symphony of noise than to a rock band.”
Bright Like the Sun has gone through a lineup change within this past year, with one of it’s original members Christian Miranda (Dayluta Means Kindness; El, Paso, TX) leaving the city to pursue other important endeavors. This has not stopped Bright Like the Sun from continuing on their amazing musical journey. They have since, added Josh Borchardt to the lineup and are currently working on a new album being recorded with record label, Sun Sea Sky Productions to be released on April 25th at 502 bar. Bright like the Sun members; Steven Barrera – Drums, Chase Bartlett – Bass, Josh Borchardt – Guitar/Horns, Chris Etheredge – Guitar/Keys/Vocals and Rob Mochen – Guitar have been consistently proving that hard work paired with creative ambition and drive can lead you to great things. Bright Like the Sun is set to showcase at SXSW for the second time in the past 2 years at this year’s SXSW music festival. BLTS is set to perform on Wednesday, March 18 from 8:00PM – 8:40PM at The Hideout (617 Congress Ave., ATX).

I was lucky enough to catch Bright Like The Sun’s latest show on Saturday, February 28th at Jack’s Patio in San Antonio, TX. Their live performances are substantial to say the least. I have uploaded the following video to give you just a small taste of what to expect at their amazing live shows. I will say, however, that this video does not do justice to the amazing sound you have to experience first hand. So, get out there for the sake of awesome music and check out BLTS at SXSW this year. You will not be disappointed and that’s a promise.

For more on Bright Like The Sun, visit their Facebook Page at:

Bright Like the Sun Facebook Page

For more of SXSW 2015, visit: SXSW 2015 - news4sanantonio.com


"The Atmospheric Sounds of Bright Like The Sun"

Shimmering, undulating electric sounds from five musicians swirl about the TPR studios one day in July. But there are no words sung. It’s the local post-rock band Bright Like The Sun, and while their upcoming album will feature limited vocals, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that even for the heretofore instrumental group, their voices will simply be one more instrument in the mix rather than a featured element.

Bright Like The Sun formed in 2012, and as guitarist Rob Mochen explained, he was looking to create music for his soon-to-be born child. “Womb Music” is an apt description of the band’s sound, which draws on indie rock, jazz, emo, and classical music influences.

“I wanted something that I could play where it’s still going to be enjoyable for a little kid, but then [could also] rock out, for dad,” Mochen said. “We were never against vocals. It’s just a matter of of ‘it doesn’t fit, don’t force it.’”

And on the other hand, keyboardist Chris Etheredge pointed out “nothing’s off limits” for the group’s sound. “If something’s going to work and sounds good [in a song, we’ll] use it.” Etheredge made good on the promise by breaking out a plastic melodica, heard in the song “Fathers,” which you can hear in the audio below.

I pointed out that instrumental rock seems to inspire images of the elements, of waves and wind, and asked what they hope the audience might be doing while listening. Painting, writing, and sleeping were all fine, but Mochen shared one particularly inspired answer from a fan at a recent gig, who said “I just saw my whole life flash before me during your set.”

You can catch Bright Like The Sun often at 502, The Mix, or The Korova in San Antonio. They have a gig on Tuesday, August 5, at Jack's Bar to raise money for recording a new album in Dallas, to be released this fall. - Texas Public Radio


"Bright Like The Sun Review/Interview"

Bright like the Sun‘s Coda Fin is like a wave, activated by the gentleness of these giants. Constantly in motion, the album will move alongside the listener and inspire sensible realizations for all that choose to engage with their own imagination. The pulse found in this album really chimes within a special place, and stimulates something within my Deep Limbic System. Post-rock paradisiacal journeys through ourselves; Intense, yet organic and unexaggerated.

The album starts with the soft ethereal droning track, Morse Coda, which really introduces the listener what to expect from this album as a whole. It leads to An Undying Breed of Anarchy , which personally, makes me contemplate love at its heaviest and most chaotic. The fear of totally losing all control over something significant that you must sustain. A loss that forces you to come to grip with reality. Whether this was the intended meaning or not, the freedom to mold the music and adapt it to your own interpretation is what I love most about Coda Fin. She Comes in Waves is just what the title suggests. It holds a special space on this album with its slower-moving progressions and currents. It leads us perfectly into Fathers, a more upbeat jam and probably one of the stand outs for me. The effected riffs have less swells but impress and resonate perfectly. This is one of the better post-rock outfits. Bright Like the Sun have handled dynamics masterfully. Across the Floors of Silent Seas is my favorite. The intro pulse is subtle. It slowly builds and leads the forward-paced momentum into the first verse. I love the melodies discovered here. They are uplifting and militantly flavored. This is music to walk to. It instills power-hungry happiness. The final wideness experienced at the end of this song leaves me wanting more! The perfect last song, Calm Coda, has melodies that really set a tone of enchanted folly. The song then breaks into a different tone and unleashes a series of intermittent hand claps and leads to subtly darker and heavier parts.

Overall, I suggest this album to any Post-rock fan out there. Trust me, it belongs in your collection. - Spread - Montreal Music Blog


"Bright Like the Sun Shines at South By Southwest"

I've been in Austin taking in South By Southwest (SXSW) and looking for San Antonio connections. One of those is Bright Like The Sun, a 5-man San Antonio band. You can tell by their sound (Hit "Listen" above to hear them) they’re not a standard dance band. I spoke to two of the guitarists, Rob Mochen, and Chris Etheridge. Here’s Chris, then Rob.

"As opposed to verse/chorus, verse chorus, we try to proceed in movements. And generally we like the movements to get bigger and bigger and bigger."

"Our songs are long, drawn-out, very theatrical. And the ending in most of our songs doesn’t sound like the beginning."

The twenty-something guys are focused, articulate and while they look at home on stage, they also look almost like they’d be comfortable in a corporate office. And their songs seem more like sound tracks than something you’d hear on the radio. If you’re familiar with Pink Floyd, they’re somewhat reminiscent of them. Here’s Chris again.

"We write music as if you’re watching a movie, as opposed to watching a short snippet or a commercial. We try to write with a beginning and middle and an end with different movements to carry a listener through the emotions we I were feeling at the time we wrote them."

I went to see them live at a SXSW event Wednesday night. The band features a drummer, bass player and three guitarists. Two of those guitarists also play keyboards. Each guitar is run through a dozen or more different effects pedals—echo, reverb, and other effects--giving their music a highly layered vibe that Chris likens to a wall of sound.

"I would say it’s definitely a modern take on Phil Spector. A lot of the stuff he did with the girl bands in the 60s is amazing. 90% of the time our guitars don’t even sound like guitars. And our pianos don’t sound like pianos and our vocals don’t sound like vocals. And I think that’s just looking for the right textures and developing the right sounds."

As to how they do what they do, here’s Rob Mochen.

"We start with a core idea and then we add to it, but we’ll add to it through like a jam session…we record some of our practices…we try to emulate what we recorded at practices just naturally."

They’ve got a third album coming out next month, and they’ve scheduled a record release at the 502 club in San Antonio. Then they have a month-long tour they’re heading out on. Here’s Rob.

"We’ll be hitting the road late July through August. We’re going to be going east coast this time…all the way up to Boston/New York extensively following the release of the album."

We’ve got more on Bright Like The Sun here. - Texas Public Radio by Jack Morgan


"Bright Like the Sun Coda Fin"

Formed in early 2012, Bright Like the Sun is a four piece outfit (mostly) from San Antonio. Coda Fin, their debut album, is an all instrumental affair that feels — appropriately enough — like a journey to the sun. You’re moving so fast that you would think you have ceased moving altogether but for the constant approach of that life-giving, glowing sphere. With only six songs, yet clocking in at 42 minutes, Coda Fin is a slow pastoral journey that drones, pounds, and noodles its way into your bones.

This music may seem initially like something you’d focus to rather than focus on, but if you have a shred of the patience that it must have taken to craft something this meticulous and texturally complex - you’ll find yourself noticing delightful new nuances with every listen. From the hushed opening of “Morse Coda,” through the escalating echoes and jumps of “Fathers,” and to the haunting screeches and cymbals that build up to the final fading guitar note of album closer (and personal favorite) “Calm Coda” — Bright Like the Sun have composed a luxuriously meditative statement of an album. There’s no need of a narrative where imagination crashes like waves and no need of a voice when remarking on the beautiful and subtle structures of chaos. - Puro Pinche


"15 Texas Bands You Should Know About"

The Lone Star State is popularly associated with great BBQ, summer heat, cowboys, oil and the Bush family. But for many avid alternative music listeners, there is much more to Texas. The state is home to some of the finest musicians and bands in the world spanning all musical genres and styles. Below, we’ve selected 15 experimental/instrumental bands from Texas you should know about. Take a look!
1. Explosions in the Sky (Austin, Tx)
2. This Will Destroy You (Austin/Dallas, Tx)
3. True Widow (Dallas, Tx)
4. Stars of the Lid (Austin, Tx)
5. Balmorhea (Austin, Tx)
6. Digital Antique (Austin, Tx)
7. The Dry Season (Austin, Tx)
8. Zechs Marquise (El Paso, Tx)
9. The Calm Blue Sea (Austin, Tx)
10. My Education (Austin, Tx)
11. Equals (Austin/San Marcos/Houston)
12. Zombie Western (Waco, Tx)
13. Bright like the Sun (San Antonio, Tx)
14. Vorcha (Austin, TX)
15. Slow Static (Lubbock, Tx) - Arctic Drones


"Bright like the Sun"

BRIGHT LIKE THE SUN

by Faith Duarte

One early October Saturday afternoon, I stand in line at Halcyon in Southtown before interviewing two members of post-rock quintet Bright Like the Sun. As I wait, I overhear two men standing behind me discuss details for tour dates next spring, and deduce they are Chris Etheredge and Rob Mochen, two guitarists from the band.

They head towards the far right side of the coffee shop as I expect a more serious and professional interview, much like their onstage personas. However, during the hour and a half that we sipped on iced coffee and they shared brunch, I was taken aback slightly to see a more playful side of them that fans get to see outside of their performances. I ask them if it’s a common reaction from fans who interact with them after their shows. (cont. print only) - SA Scene Magazine


Discography

Coda Fin, LP, 2013
Produced by Alex Bhore
Mastered by TW Walsh

Live at the White Rabbit, EP, 2013
Mixed/Mastered by Chris Etheredge

Self Titled, LP, 2015
Produced by Alex Bhore
Mastered by James Plotkin

Photos

Bio

Bright Like the Sun is a post-rock band from San Antonio, TX which has been active since 2012. Known for their affinity for dynamics, their songs often move in movements from barely audible whispers to all out cathartic washes of emotion. They are known for their extensive use of effects pedals and their incorporation of non-traditional instrumentation (most notably the Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos, brass, and electronic synthesis). Originally formed as a four piece instrumental act, they have since evolved to a five piece and make creative use of ethereal, often haunting, vocals.

The band's debut album, Coda Fin, was released in April 2013 and received heavy praise in both local and foreign media. Since their debut, Bright Like the Sun released their sophomore album April 2015, which received media attention from various media outlets, ie. VICE, Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum, etc...They have toured extensively throughout the US, and were an official artist for the 2014 and 2015 SXSW Festival.

2015 tour included a festival (Center of the Universe Festival in Tulsa, OK), a Texas run with The Velvet Teen and direct support for This Will Destroy You. 

For 2016, Bright Like the Sun toured regionally with Hikes (Austin, Tx) and Boyfrndz (Austin, TX) and headlined an international tour with a two week stint to Japan. 



Band Members