Blending indie/alternative energy with singer-songwriter lyrics, pop arrangements, and a funky three-piece horn section, Brunswick’s music seamlessly capitalizes on the best aspects of popular genres without sounding forced. Originating from Baltimore, MD, the band was a serendipitous creation, starting when Marc Cashin (guitar/lead vocals) set out to record a small demo of his songs. Reconnecting with drummer Jamaal Turner, they soon brought together an eclectic lineup, including funk and jazz trombonist John McCahey, saxophonist Jay Fenner, and trumpet player Makai Guest, all contributing to their dynamic sound. With bassist Andrew O'Donnell, lead guitarist Tom O'Donnell, and keyboardist Josh Miller completing the group, Brunswick evolved into a powerhouse of musical creativity.
Known for their high-energy shows and musical improvisation, Brunswick quickly built a reputation for delivering fresh takes on their songs each night. Their dedicated fanbase appreciates the band’s unique yet comfortably familiar style, which defies simple genre categorization. Since releasing their debut album, "The Same Ground," in October 2022, Brunswick has continued to expand their reach through an active live schedule while working on their second record. Their new singles, released on July 31st, promise to capture the essence of their diverse influences and collaborative spirit, further cementing their place in the indie/alternative scene.
We caught up with drummer Jamaal Turner and asked him about their new singles and he gave us a track by track breakdown:
Click to visit the band's Spotify page and hear their new singles!
"More 2 Me"
Marc and I have been brainstorming and performing More 2 Me for years. It is a homage to our influences growing up and I won't spoil it in hopes that you can hear how we blended it all together. We first recorded a version of this in the session for our first release, "Same Ground", but it wasn't clicking with the sound that we were going for and it was cut. I really liked the song but I wasn't going to force it. Little did Marc know that I lost a lot of sleep over it. I couldn't figure out how a song we did numerous times live could sound and feel so different in the studio - it was missing something. I had to leave it alone for a while. Funny thing is, we were recording "Same Ground" before there was a B in Brunswick. At that time, and despite Marc's numerous and loud objections, it was the "Marc Cashin Project". After the band was formed and we did a couple of shows, fun fact, our first gig as a band was a festival in front of Chuck E. Cheese. Their house band, animatronics and all believe it or not drew a larger crowd - go figure.
More gigs came and hearing how the band was changing the songs by putting their "Spin" (a track of ours on "The Same Ground" available through all streaming platforms!!) on it, I presented them with my conundrum that is More 2 Me. Marc and I played it for them and they enjoyed it and joined in. Everyone agreed that it was good but not there yet. A musician knows when it's "there". That night we played it a couple of times, just to build muscle memory but we were still unsatisfied. Then the next rehearsal happened. The night prior I stayed up late into the morning because I had too much coffee. I dragged throughout the day. How did I fix this? More coffee! So I was wired. I was shaking. Don't put me in a Quiet Place with a Tambourine - we are all dead. Buzzing and everything I was drumming about 5-20 bpm faster that night. I will admit as the drummer it was all my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have typed that... Anyhow, that was the missing piece!!! It needed to be faster and energetic! We jammed that bad boy all night. It went from a Sting thing into a Latin Samba and gold was struck in my eyes. With the new tempo we added some halftime time and a little "easter egg" at the end. Everybody put their talents in this song and I couldn't wait to get back in the studio to record. This is a fun song for us. We love playing it live, it gets us and the crowd hyped for what's to come in a live show. One day I'd love to get a "live" version with all of our solos on it - so stay tuned for that one!
Influenced by: Sting, The Police, Samba, Dave Matthews and Snarky Puppy
"Finer Points"
Our lead guitarist came up with this one. One night at rehearsal he brought up the looping guitar riff and it stuck with us. I was looking for something mellow that we can "rest up" and "relax the vibe" in our set list and this was it. At least I thought... We jammed it and the horn section came up with this killer part. It changed the complexion of the song substantially. I love to see songs evolve like pokemon. This thing turned from a chill vibe to a bar jam then into a big band close! I loved and hated every minute of arranging it because each part fed into another but the right sequence was important. We tried a few configurations but decided a bass solo was the future of modern music and ran with it. After a couple of rehearsals and playing it live a couple of times…it was good…. we were ready for the studio! Problem was Marc never wrote lyrics for it and we performed this for months!!! What was he saying all that time? I think it was a recipe for Banana Bread or reciting the Necronomicon. Hit us up if while listening stuff starts floating in your dwelling.