Band Biography: Brother Goose
Brother Goose
Biography
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When Brother Goose vocalist Calum Lintott was younger he asked his mum for a guitar. “I opened it up and was like, ‘Why is there only four strings?’ – She bought me a bass.”
Nevertheless, his love for music grew, helping him through life by writing lyrics and playing instruments – including bass. The now 21-year-old university student has been working hard to bring a new level of significance to the band’s latest work.
Brother Goose will be releasing their newest single ‘Lone Ranger’ along with an accompanying video 29 May. The indie rock band will also be hosting a single launch the same day at the Joiners Arms in Southampton, UK with the support of indie acoustic artist Echotape.
“The meaning comes from the lyrics and I always find that’s the hardest thing.” Lintott states, explaining the band’s newest music. “I’ll write down lyrics on my phone and patch them together. I know all the songs are about one thing individually, but if you listen in they’re all intertwined in a way. They’re like a massive jig saw puzzle and they’ve each got their own little place.”
It’s been less than a year since their last EP was released, and Brother Goose is looking toward the future with their release of ‘Lone Ranger’. Their fan base of ‘Geese’ is growing right along with the band’s experience, making them one of England’s most anticipated and best up and coming bands.
The Southampton based outfit was founded in early 2012 by Lintott and drummer Joe Ramsey. Bassist Joss Harvey and guitarist/synth player Chris Barlow joined soon after, thus making Brother Goose a quartet for a period before guitarist Josh Betteridge was added in 2013. Influenced by multiple genres and a number of artists including Vampire Weekend, Foster the People and M83, Brother Goose intertwines their individual tastes to create their own unique sound.
“I try to make all the songs I write sound as much as I can like Mika because he is my idol,” Lintott states. “There really isn’t a genre for it. I’d say it’s indie disco rock, I’m going to call it that.”
The band’s name was taken from a nickname given to the friendship between Lintott and Harvey from Aaron Gilbert of indie-pop band Delays. Originally known as The Astronauts, Brother Goose says their current name is really just “a joke that’s gone too far”.
“People remember us because it’s weird, but we’ve been called Brothers Grimm and Mother Goose. We’ve had crates of beer given to us before written on it: To Mother Goose, and we’re like that can’t be us.”
Brother Goose’s debut EP, THROWING SHAPES, was released in 2013. That same year, the band was also featured in a BBC Introducing Session and played the Ejectorseat Festival in Southampton. Since then, they have toured with names such as Delays and Theme Park.
2014 was a great year for the band, having released their second EP WHAT’S WHAT as well as winning The Road To Blissfields competition earning them a spot on the line-up at The Blissfields Festival in Winchester.
The summer of 2014 brought the FA Vase Final, a trophy for the lower level football league, of Sholing verses West Auckland. Brother Goose was honored to write Sholing’s newest rally track ‘Brothers in Arms’. The single was aired on BBC Radio Solent along with an interview with the band.
The music video for ‘Lone Ranger’ will be the band’s first audiovisual. Part of it was filmed close to home at the band’s local pub and venue the Alexandra in Southampton.
“We’re working with a couple of guys that I met at Southampton Solent University, Yanis Doe and Christian Shultz,” Lintott, who studies there at university, explains. “They’re like German wiz kids with cameras. They’ve made us better looking then we are.”
As of now, Brother Goose’s success has been based on their hard work and persistence. Currently unsigned, the band would be happy to eventually sign to a label when the time is right.
“I mean that’s the goal of it really, to get a bit of backing. But I mean if that happens, it’s a bonus. We love what we’re doing and if that happens then great but if not, then we’ll carry on filming videos at the Alex.”
March 2015
Words by Kaitlyn Ulrich
