Local indie-rockers Brother Keep have been making Buffalo proud for half a decade. Their sound is unique yet familiar, and their approach to recording, artwork, and merchandise is very DIY.

The band was kind enough to answer a few questions for BuffaBLOG. You can read their answers below, then check them out live this Friday, November 11th at Mohawk Place.


1.) Who are the band members and how did you meet?

Brother Keep is:

Nick Sessanna – Vocals and Guitar
Chrissy Krolewicz – Vocals and Keys
Jake Sessanna – Drums
Ron Walczyk – Bass
Zachary Vacanti – Guitar

Nick and Ron have been making music together since high school, but struggled to find a solid lineup of people who shared a similar musical vision. Two years ago, they teamed up with Nick’s younger brother, Jake (who was 15 at the time) with the intention of bringing closure to a batch of unfinished ideas. Almost immediately, they started writing new songs and added close friends Zach and Chrissy to bolster the lineup and fill out the sound.

2.) What words would you use to describe Brother Keep's sound?

To sum it up succinctly, we would probably use a phrase along the lines of “Cathartic Indie Rock.” We think what separates us from the pack is our use of subtle male/female harmonies, a strong rhythm section, and our articulate and heartfelt lyrics.

3.) Who or what inspires you to write songs, and what is your songwriting process like?

We really just want to write songs that we would listen to. Most of the time, Nick will bring an idea on the guitar to the table and the rest of the band will jam on it, filling in the parts, suggesting ideas, and coming up with a unique structure. After the instrumental parts are finalized, Nick will write the lyrics and main melodies to the song. From there, Nick and Chrissy will sit down and finalize the song with harmonies.

4.) Where have you performed live, and do you have any upcoming shows?

Brother Keep has performed around the Buffalo area including Mohawk Place and Sugar City. Our next show is 11/11 with Voxhaul Broadcast at Mohawk Place. After that, we’re playing 11/25 with Rustbelt Lights at Sugar City.

5.) Who is your dream tour-mate (musician or band)?

Two huge influences on us would definitely be Brand New and Manchester Orchestra… but we’re also big fans of the 90’s. I think a tour with Pavement would also be amazing.

6.) Does Buffalo factor in to your sound? In what ways?

Being from the Buffalo area definitely influences our songs. The most obvious examples are in our lyrics – if you listen closely to some of our songs, you might be able to relate to this sense of feeling “stuck” in a place that you love, but is holding you back. We feel like Buffalo gets a bad rap, but for the most part, we love it for all of its quirks. We hope that when people listen to our songs, they pick up on something different every time they listen to it. In the same way, when people talk about Buffalo and it’s music scene, we hope that we can be something that the city can be proud of.
Brother Keep - Casual Waters by buffablog2