Words by Clay Deutsch
Photos by Daniela Dello Joio

Last December BRAHMS didn’t exist. In January they did. In March they scored a month-long sold out residency at Piano’s NYC where the Passion Pit dudes would often show up and guest DJ. Today they are on day five of a their US tour with Tokyo Police Club and the aforementioned Passion Pit. Yes, BRAHMS are living the dream. Last Sunday I met up with Eric Lodwick, Cale Parks, and Drew Robinson at the Standard in Miami. This went down a couple hours before they performed at South Beach’s Fillmore Amphitheater in front of a sold out (and completely batshit) crowd. These three guys are 10s all around. You know, faces like Trina, legs and thighs like Mya…  When i found them, they were sitting in the swinging chairs in the shade of the poolside garden. It seemed like the perfect interview spot, until a team of G-string-wearing models barged into our little piece of paradise and claimed that they had reserved the swings for a photo shoot. So we moved to the deck where the view of the bay was awesome and talked about where they’ve been, where they’re going, and even got to the bottom of these sex tape rumors. 
 


BRAHMS! What’s the deal?
Cale: Sasssup.
Eric: Sasssup.
Drew: ‘Sup. 

How long have you guys been together?
Cale: Six months.
Drew: Since January.

And you guys were all doing different musical projects before? How did it all come together? 
Cale: We all played music in different bands and stuff before we started playing together in the fall. I was doing a solo thing, these guys got together and became my backing band for CMJ. Then after CMJ in October we just decided we should write new songs, and then played our first show as a band in January with a new name, new songs, everything.
Eric: Equal opportunity.
Cale: Like clean-slate.
Drew: Equal housing lender.
Together: Equal-housing lender! 

So how has the addition of you two, Eric and Drew, changed the music-writing process?
Cale: It’s completely different. It’s a completely collaborative process now, we’re all writing. You know it’s better because you have two other brains to bounce ideas off of and were all bouncing things off each other all the time. It’s way easier and the songs are better now. 

How did you guys meet?
Cale: I’ve known Eric for years. I was friends with his older brother. When we were talking about putting stuff together for CMJ, I was talking to Eric about who should we get. Drew had just moved to New York and it was kind of perfect.

Where are you from?
Drew: Baltimore. 

Sweet.
Cale: Eric and I had breakfast and he was like, ‘My friend Drew just moved here literally last week and he’d be down to start something.’ Then within hours we were jamming together in a practice space, so it happened really fast.

How do you find the vibe in New York right now as opposed to the other cities you guys came from? Do you find it a good place to be making music, a tough place to be making music?
Eric: We should let Drew answer that because he’s fresh off the boat!
Drew: I mean, every city’s got its own thing going on, but the thing about New York is that it’s so concentrated. There’s so much of everything, every aspect of the music process is happening there. You know even just guys from different bands, managers, producers, just going to the same coffee shop. 

What do you think about 2010 so far in terms of music? Are you guys feeling it?
Drew: We’ve been listening to a lot of Gordon Voidwell, they’re great, we met them at SXSW and they just played with us at our residency.
Eric: We’re playing with them again, is that announced?
Cale: We’re playing with them on June 26th at Brooklyn Bowl. 

What are you guys into in terms of lifestyle stuff? How do you guys think about band style and the vibe you’re trying to put out on stage and to your audience?
Cale (laughs): Pretty broad question but your lifestlye determines your deathstyle, you know? Some Metallica shit, but no, the visual branding is, as a new band, something that right out the gate we all thought it was very important to have some sort of vibe going. It helps. We’ve been a band for six months and we’re touring with two amazing bands, doing an interview with you, it’s awesome. It helps people latch onto something, define your identity and defining yourself immediately is very important. A lot of bands take a long time to do that.
Eric: Especially because it’s music. You’re mostly giving people sound, so you need some sort of visual, concrete thing to complement that.

So if you guys weren’t rock stars what would you be doing?
Drew:  I’d probably be moving boxes at a clothing store.
Cale: I’d probably be selling clothing at a clothing store.
Eric: I would just be walking somewhere.
Cale: Actually, we all do these things when we’re not playing music. 

Awesome. Well, we’re all looking forward to the show tonight. Any last thoughts, you guys gonna relocate down here or what? We’d love to have you.
Cale: I’m surprised you didn’t ask about the sex tape.

(Laughing) Right! So, what’s this I’ve heard about a sex video with Cale and Kim Kardashian?
Cale: (Laughs) Good call, you know my type.

Ray J is pissed.
Cale: You know what? Somebody had to get in there and show him up. So if I’m the man to do it…