The Brass Action

The Brass Action
The Brass Action performing live at The Railway Club in Vancouver, BC on Nov 23, 2013
Background information
Origin	Vancouver, BC, Canada
Genres	Punk, Ska
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Independent
Website	http://thebrassaction.com
Members	Ryan Clare Garrett McLaughlin Richard Mitchell Tyson Sully Evan Kelly Mael Thébault

The Brass Action is a 6-piece independent band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band plays a unique style that mixes the intensity of punk rock and rockabilly with the dancy, horn driven sounds of ska.

History

The Brass Action formed in 2007 in Vancouver, BC, and have since released two independent full-length albums.

The band's first album, entitled Making Waves (2013), was recorded over a 3-year period and serves as a compilation of EP albums released during that time. The album was recorded and engineered by Paul Boechler at Fader Mountain Sound and Armoury Studios in Vancouver, BC. Mastering was done by Brock McFarlane at CPS Mastering.^[1]

Two songs from their album, Making Waves, were featured in the 2014 film Horns, starring Daniel Radcliffe.^[2] The band performs "The Devil Down Below" live in the film with Joe Anderson's character playing lead trumpet in the band. Their song "11:34 (Hell O'Clock)" is also included and used as background music. Singer, Ryan Clare, has a speaking role in the film.^[3]

Lakeshore Records released an original soundtrack for the film Horns, including "The Devil Down Below" with other tracks by David Bowie, The Pixies, The Eels, The Flaming Lips and Marilyn Manson.^[4][5] "The Devil Down Below" has also been included on DyingScene.com's free compilation album "Skaface: Evolution", alongside The Mad Caddies, Big D and The Kids Table, Mustard Plug and The Resignators.

The Brass Action released their second album, No Soundcheck, in 2015. Their first Single off the album, "Moonlite" was released in 2014, and tracks "Nothing to See Here" and "Good Intentions, Wong Direction" were included on subsequent volumes of an, independently released, compilation album series entitled "Pacific Sound System". The compilation album series features a collection of bands from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, such as The Dreadnoughts, Easy Big Fella and Los Furios^[6]

The Brass Action has supported many notable acts, including The Toasters, Chris Murray, The Beatdown, K-man and the 45's, The Fundamentals, Los Furios, The Bone Daddies and Rude City Riot. On July 2, 2014, the band performed at the 15th annual Victoria Ska Festival, sharing the stage with a number of internationally acclaimed acts such as Shaggy, The Aggrolites, Barrington Levy, Lynval Golding and Fishbone.^[7]

The Brass Action performing live at Vancouver Craft Beer Week, PNE Fairgrounds, June 03, 2016

Band members

• Ryan Clare – Lead Vocals, Guitar
• Garrett McLaughlin – Bass, Backing Vocals
• Richard Mitchell – Trumpet, Backing Vocals
• Tyson Sully – Trombone
• Evan Kelly – Drums
• Mael Thébault - Tenor Sax, Backing Vocals

Past members

• William Shand – Bass
• Alan Keelan – Piano
• Mark Myskiw – Drums, Backing Vocals

Discography

Studio albums

• "Making Waves", Independent, 2013
• "No Soundcheck", Independent, 2015

EP's and singles

• "Now THIS is Happening", Independent, 2011
• "11:34 (Hell O'Clock)", Independent, 2012
• "Moonlite", Independent, 2014

Compilation albums

• Skaface: Evolution, "The Devil Down Below", Dying Scene Records, 2013
• Pacific Sound System, Vol 1, "Nothing To See Here", Independent, 2014
• Horns (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), "The Devil Down Below", Lakeshore Records, 2014^[8]
• Pacific Sound System, Vol 2, "Good Intentions, Bad Direction", Independent, 2015

Videography

Films

• Horns, Includes a live performance of the song "Devil Down Below" and background use of the song "11:34 (Hell O'clock)" from the album Making Waves. Also includes a speaking role from singer, Ryan Clare.

Music videos

• Devil Down Below (2014)
• 11:34 (Hell O'Clock) (2014)
• Nothing To See Here (2014)
• Brasser and the Business (2015)
• Good Intentions, Wrong Direction (2016)

References