The Brother Brothers bring dynamic harmonies to Music Hall
Charleston, SC: Identical twins and master musicians Adam Moss (vocals, fiddle, guitar and banjo) and David Moss (vocals, cello and guitar) frequently perform and record as a dynamic duo called the Brother Brothers. On Feb. 21, that fine-tuned family act will showcase its tight harmonies and lyrical prowess as it shares the bill with Keb’ Mo’ for an intimate concert at Charleston Music Hall.
On the Road to Music
Although the performance partners’ long shared history goes back to childhood days in Peoria, Ill., David Moss told the Charleston City Paper that the pair is perhaps most at home on the road.
“I think an innate urge to travel and see the world led us to make a lot of the choices in our early careers, and we have always formed our community around music,” David Moss said. “When playing and thriving in music is so much fun, how do you not let it dictate the path you walk?”
Both David and Adam earned music degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduation, they shifted their home base to Austin, Texas. David Moss said Austin’s vibrant bluegrass and country community was “like a magnet” to him and his brother. Once there, Adam Moss initially stretched out in a bluegrass band, the Green Mountain Grass, and David Moss began playing cello and collaborating with many different types of songwriters. But there was no denying the appeal of what the siblings could create together as the Brother Brothers.
Harmonious Creations
“We began primarily singing songs written by me but, as we have progressed, we’ve moved into a lot more co-writing situations, although we still spend time on our own exploring our own styles and songs,” David Moss said.
While contemporary, the overarching sound of the Brother Brothers is classic, often evoking comparisons to the Everly Brothers and the Beach Boys. “We describe ourselves as songwriter-driven, harmony-centric music,” David Moss said. “We tend to consider ourselves Indie-Folk.”
Blossoming Artistry
Thus far, the resulting body of original tunes has been rather well-received. David Moss indicated that he and his brother have been busy lately building more songs for an LP in progress (slated for release in late April) that he thinks might just be the band’s best work yet.
“We love these songs so much more than anything we’ve ever made,” he said. “So we’re lucky that we can sit on them for a little while and play these shows while really working diligently to make a new album that holds up.”
The first single is a thought-provoking homage to the ensemble’s home state called “The Illinois River Song.” This one is special to its composers for a variety of reasons.
“It is a fully co-written endeavor by both of us and highlights a lot of the storytelling that we like to do from experiences we’ve had throughout our lives,” David Moss said. “Although the story is invented, it talks a lot about the experiences we had growing up in Central Illinois and some of the characters we grew up around. It started with an old-time banjo composition of Adam’s and we sat down and wrote words to it in the span of an evening.”
Endless Musical Journeys
Whether looking backwards or forwards, for the Brother Brothers, it’s clear that the musical road goes on forever, in every imaginable direction.
“We play music because we are driven to, and it’s the route we chose to attempt to make a small impact on the world,” David Moss said. “Our fans are amazing and there is some serious magic to be experienced night after night. So, If we’re not having a good time in the process we always make sure to step back and trim the fat of the workload so we can attempt to enjoy as much of it as we can.”