Falling In Love With TheBrunettes

Mon 19th Dec, 2005 in Features

The Brunettes are Jonathan Bree (songwriting genius, dabbling dictator), Heather Mansfield (multi-instrumentalist, sweet as sugar voice), and their band of varying size depending on the tour or the bedroom space they are recording in. They’re the well-established darlings of indie pop in New Zealand with their boy-girl melodrama, clever lyrical exchange, and the power of classic bubblegum cuteness on their side.

Even though he’s probably told it a million times, Jonathan kindly shares his boy meets girl story, “I first met Heather when a band that I was playing bass in played a show with her band. She was playing guitar in that band, she wasn’t playing keyboard maybe she thought that wasn’t cool at the time. That was a while ago. That was in ninety-eight and I guess I thought she was pretty cute. Yeah. That’s what I thought; that was my first impression of her.”

Our interview takes place two days after Jonathan arrives home to Auckland from Los Angeles. Prior to that he was living in New York and working on the band’s next album with Heather, but it is a little premature to be talking about the next recording when the band have yet to promote their last one in Australia. You see, The Brunettes were set to come over in early 2005 when The Shins, four evil American men or renowned alternative pop band depending on how you look them, swooped in and carried our Brunettes away to tour the States. Worry not; the world will be right again soon because The Brunettes are welcoming 2006 in Sydney’s Frigid New Years Eve party, followed by a national tour before they go home for the NZ Big Day Out, and eventually onto the coveted South By South West (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to Australia. Yeah. Last time we were there was in winter 2004. I’m hoping this time we have better relationships with venue owners,” Jonathan says, “I remember we tried to play a gig in Newcastle and we got totally stuffed around by the venue there. They said that they did a double booking, I don’t believe they did. I believe they decided that there was a much bigger band that was going to pull more people and they booted us off the bill. We had to play a girl’s living room to about ten people and it ended up being a real fun night.”

It’s hard to imagine The Brunettes even fitting into a living room for a performance. Live they are a full-fledged band with added banjo, glockenspiel, trumpet, clarinet, and more. Jonathan says they are known for “our multiple multi-instrumentalists with a lot of picking up and putting down of instruments in the duration of one song.” The Brunettes are also known for their professional and charismatic showmanship. They’ve got girls swooning in New Zealand, boys gushing in America, and now it is Australia’s turn to fall for their charms.

Mars Loves Venus is what The Brunettes are here to promote, it is the second LP of their career but the debut release in Australia. The album is 36 minutes and 12 songs of delicious retro-pop, think 50s and 60s orchestration with modern day wit. All of which was recorded in 2003 in Heather’s parents’ garage and a number of people’s bedrooms.

“That’s how The Brunettes record,” Jonathan explains, “We generally don’t go into professional studios; one, because we’re normally working with like a pretty tight budget; two, because we really don’t feel that comfortable with the time restraints and money restraints that come with studios. So Mars Loves Venus was just like our other releases, a labour of love for the band.”

When writing songs, how do you decide who sings?

“I usually know early on if I’m writing a song for Heather to sing, or for myself, or if it’s for a duet how to break up the line. Or sometimes I just won’t feel quite comfortable singing certain lines myself and being the person that presents the song. Even though it might be a personal song, I find it easier for Heather to sing,” he replies.

Mars Loves Venus is the ultimate ode to a dynamic range of vintage pop. We’re rolling in nostalgic innocence where quirky and perky aren’t necessarily tongue-in-cheek. Though it’s not all light and fluffy; Loopy Loopy Love is as cute as its title until a gentle voice chimes, “Gonna kill me a cupid ‘cause a cupid causes love” and brings up images of a baby doll cutie committing murder. Or in These Things Take Time where the new century sneaks in via “Doof doof generation, learn to dance again” reminding us that The Brunettes don’t live in a time warp after all. Jonathan sums up the listening experience quite nicely, if Mars Loves Venus was a film “it would be about the pit falls of love and it would fit into the fantastic genre of romantic comedy and probably psychological thriller as well.” Take from that what you will.

Talk turns away from the album and onto their upcoming tour. The Brunettes will be mixing up supports for The Shins with their own headlining shows. Seeing as how they delayed the Aussie for some US dates with The Shins, I think we deserve a story from that tour. Jonathan lets out a long and tortured ‘um.’

Finally he says, “I can tell you that The Shins are a very fun band to tour with but all the fun stories I shouldn’t tell. You know, I don’t want to say anything bad that will lead to the tarnishing of one’s reputation.” Instead he tells a story that tarnishes Harry’s reputation – Harry being the trumpet and banjo playing Brunette.

“A good visual is of us arriving in Pittsburgh. We had a party on The Shins’ bus the night before because we were travelling through the night and when I came to Harry was missing. He’d had a bit too much and had wandered off the bus and passed out under a gutter, under a jacket in a pool of his own vomit,” Jonathan tells, “So there he was this pale, dirty looking New Zealander in the gutter, and there were all these athletes/jocks hanging around campus looking very preppy. That was a Kodak moment.

“Harry is always upstaging me in every way on tour. Like, one night I got thrown a rose one night onstage and it was the very first time I got thrown flowers. I was really chuffed and at the end of the show I unplugged my guitar and ran offstage. I was smiling and flaunting my rose that I got thrown onstage, then I look over at Harry and he’s hiding behind a full bouquet. I could hardly see him, he had this huge bouquet.”

See the “incredibly fun to watch” Brunettes when they come over. Maybe you can get Jonathan to share some naughtier tales with you.

The Brunettes play the following dates:

Jan 5 Rics – Brisbane
Jan 6 The Tivoli – Brisbane, supporting the Shins
Jan 7 The Corner – Melbourne, supporting the Shins
Jan 8 Metro Theatre – Sydney, supporting the Shins
Jan 12 Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney
Jan 14 Northcote Social Club, Melbourne