Bravestation

Bravestation are a Toronto, Canada-based group with roots in Thousand Islands. Their name and ethos come from a combination of Robert J. Hastings’ essay The Station and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

Line-up

The band centres on brothers Devin Wilson and Derek Wilson, together with childhood friend Jeremy Rossetti. Devin sings and plays bass and keys, Derek plays guitar and keyboards, and Rossetti plays drums.

Style and influences

Bravestation work in an ethereal form of songwriting that draws on a wide range of influences, including 1980s new wave, modern rock, synthpop and post-punk. Their music is described as imaginative pop built from soulful vocals, spaced-out guitar patterns, synthetic textures and hypnotic rhythms.

Releases and activity

The band issue a series of self-produced independent releases before their label debut, V. These include the EP from 2010, which leads to a UK tour and an invitation to perform at Evolution, then the albums Giants & Dreamers (2012) and IV (2013). Giants & Dreamers is described by the Toronto Star as “spritely, sun-kissed, electroshocked equatorial pop”, while IV is noted for straddling pop and R&B in a non-conventional way.

Reception and festival appearances

The 2010 EP receives praise from Dazed Digital and the Toronto Star, with the latter also calling it a “rhythmically daring beast”. The UK tour and the Evolution appearance mark a significant part of the band’s early activity.