Shimmering, undulating electric sounds from five musicians swirl about the TPR studios one day in July. But there are no words sung. It’s the local post-rock band Bright Like The Sun, and while their upcoming album will feature limited vocals, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that even for the heretofore instrumental group, their voices will simply be one more instrument in the mix rather than a featured element.
Bright Like The Sun formed in 2012, and as guitarist Rob Mochen explained, he was looking to create music for his soon-to-be born child. “Womb Music” is an apt description of the band’s sound, which draws on indie rock, jazz, emo, and classical music influences.
“I wanted something that I could play where it’s still going to be enjoyable for a little kid, but then [could also] rock out, for dad,” Mochen said. “We were never against vocals. It’s just a matter of if ‘it doesn’t fit, don’t force it.’”
And on the other hand, keyboardist Chris Etheredge pointed out “nothing’s off limits” for the group’s sound. “If something’s going to work and sounds good [in a song, we’ll] use it.” Etheredge made good on the promise by breaking out a plastic melodica, heard in the song “Fathers,” which you can hear in the audio below.
I pointed out that instrumental rock seems to inspire images of the elements, of waves and wind, and asked what they hope the audience might be doing while listening. Painting, writing, and sleeping were all fine, but Mochen shared one particularly inspired answer from a fan at a recent gig, who said “I just saw my whole life flash before me during your set.”
You can catch Bright Like The Sun often at 502, The Mix, or The Korova in San Antonio. They have a gig on Tuesday, August 5, at Jack's Bar to raise money for recording a new album in Dallas, to be released this fall.
