PHOTOS // MALLORY TURNERÂ
STORY // KRISTA BARRYÂ
Alternative-pop band, My Brothers and I, emerges from hometown Salem, Oregon. The band comprised of Wurgler brothers David, Erik, Scott, and childhood friend Jordan Roach, have authentic chemistry and have a seemingly effortless flow in their live performance.
Straight off the release of their EP Heartbeat, the band toured down the west coast from dates in Seattle through Los Angeles. The tour concluded with a special show at Hollywood’s The Peppermint Club in company with their tour mate Dylan Dunlap and his band.
Opening up the set with “When You’re Ready,” vocalist David Wurgler fronted the band with alluring vocals and imperative vocal runs, as bassist Erik backed on vocal harmonies. The audience became instantly hooked on the young band’s vibrant energy and tightness.
The standout song of the night was recent single “Didn’t See It Coming,” a hooky tune reminiscent of easy summer love and John Mayer-esque guitar riffs. As the set came to a close, the band performed with uncompromising passion on their final song “Na Na Na.”
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Congratulations on the release of your new EP Heartbeat! How would you describe the growth of your sound since the last album?
David Wurgler: We are super stoked about this new EP and definitely feel like we are getting closer to our ultimate vision for our music. We have been writing pop music since the first album, but didn’t necessarily have the resources to produce a full on pop sound on our earlier stuff. This time around, we had access to a lot more production, and were able to really do anything we wanted with a song. It was extremely freeing but also dangerous. We didn’t want to forget who we are and just become a overly produced, digitalized pop band. We are all solid musicians that have played our whole lives and wanted to make sure we created a sort of hybrid between organic elements with real instruments that showcase our skills, and then sprinkling in electronic production elements, as well. We are super happy with the product and are excited to share our organic and soulful pop with the world.
What was the recording process of your album like? Did you work with any specific  collaborators?
David Wurgler: The recording process took some time because we had never been in that nice of a studio before and had never access to the kinds of resources we did this go around. We produced the album with with Brandon Rush of Priory in his studio [LoudWar] in Vancouver, WA. It took us some time to really hone in on the sound we wanted and the mixture of real and digital instruments. Once we landed on a good blueprint, things really started to flow and move along quickly, which was a really exciting feeling.
How has coming up out of Oregon influenced your sound?
David Wurgler: I don’t know that Oregon has affected our actual sound, but it for sure has affected our hearts and who we are as people. We grew up in Salem, which is the capital, but still has that small town vibe. Lots of friends and family there. We were fortunate enough to have a really amazing community of people around us that loved us and supported us from the very beginning and have always kept us grounded. We know that no matter what successes come from our music, they will be there to humble us and love on us. So many people in Oregon have shaped who we are now and we are super grateful for them all.
Your show at the Peppermint Club was the tail end of your West Coast EP Release tour. What have been some of the highlights of this tour?
David Wurgler: I think just playing a tour with full backing track production was the most fun part. It was our first time playing to a clock track and having the in-ear set up and all that jazz. It was a ton of fun! Also, meeting and becoming friends with Dylan Dunlap, who supported us on this tour, and his crew. We got to play every show on the tour with those guys and you’re not gonna find more genuine and loving people. We grew super close with Dylan and can’t wait to play more shows with him.
What music have you been listening to on the road?
David Wurgler: Dylan Dunlap, Shawn Mendes, Tom Misch, John Mayer, Lauv, Childish Gambino, Troye Sivan, to name a few…
What are some of your goals as a band for the next year?
David Wurgler: I think our number one goal is to hop on tour with a bigger band in a supporting role this year. We would love to open for an established act (Shawn, we see that upcoming tour!) and just play in front of people who have no idea who we are and let them decide if they want to love our music or not. We feel like we have the music and songwriting to compete with Top 40, but the need to get it in front of more ears is real.
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