Biography of The Brunettes

New Zealand has always boasted a per capita rock band ingenuity few countries can rival. Instead of the usual departure points—Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys—paragons of the NZ scene lifted off from the next generation. The Velvets, Modern Lovers and Television inspired these musicians, all living together in one small corner of the world, who, over the past thirty years, have gone on to create some of the greatest music to be heard. Enter: The Brunettes.

The Brunettes are a revelation simply by doing everything right. A sincere love of rock’s history of emotional directness tremors through every measure, and their male-female vocals, chugging guitars, playful keyboards, and glorious harmonies manage to combine numerous elements into simple, straightforward, actual songs. The charismatic fun of a tune pulls you in, while below the bubbly surface sits the song’s innovations. Or rather, the cosmetics may grab you straight off, but the depth of structure reveals itself more with every listen.

Having met when both their respective bands played together, Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield joined up—for a short time romantically. It was kismet, and they set about playing out and making records. Their first show outside of their country, a trip to London in support of 2004’s Mars Loves Venus, saw them opening for The Postal Service, and caught the attention of Sub Pop poobah, Jonathan Poneman. The Shins signed on as fans, and both bands toured together in New Zealand and the United States.

What did everyone see that won them over? With a shifting roster of touring musicians, The Brunettes’ performances are nothing short of creative explosions. Instead of emulating the studio versions, the band tackles the songs anew, adding instruments, with band members feverishly dropping one to pick up another to play. What they do live is all intuitive, as Bree says, “We do what we can to work with the songs—play more upbeat stuff and avoid the sequencers