The Brothers Comatose

The Brothers Comatose

The Brothers Comatose is a bluegrass group from San Francisco, United States, active since 2009. The band centres on brothers Ben Morrison and Alex Morrison, who make music together and perform as the core of the group.

Line-up

The current members are Alex Morrison, Ben Morrison, Philip Brezina, Greg Fleischut and Steve Height. Earlier line-up details in the band's history include Gio Benedetti on bass, Ryan Avellone on mandolin, and Joe Pacini, who plays a role in the group’s early development. Ben Morrison plays guitar and Alex Morrison plays banjo, and both sing.

Background and early years

Ben and Alex Morrison grow up making music together. They meet Joe Pacini and Gio Benedetti in high school, and the group develops through living-room jam sessions, house parties and front-stoop performances before becoming a public band in San Francisco. At that stage, Ben and Alex live on Haight Street with Joe and perform at parties and open mics around the city.

Gio Benedetti joins because he is a bassist and lives nearby, which completes the lineup for the group’s early quartet performances. Philip Brezina later joins after arriving from Pennsylvania and studying classical violin at the Conservatory. He brings fiddle playing rooted in old-time and bluegrass traditions, and the band’s sound expands with his addition.

Performances and releases

The Brothers Comatose plays San Francisco venues including the Fillmore Poster Room and the Great American Music Hall, and appears at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. The group also supports acts such as The Devil Makes Three, Justin Townes Earl, Hillstomp, Greensky Bluegrass, John Doe, the Sadies and Yonder Mountain String Band.

The band’s debut full-length album is Songs From The Stoop. Its live reputation is built around informal, communal performances in bars, open mics and house-party settings, with a style that draws on bluegrass, americana, alt country and new grass.