The band’s only been together for under a year, its name fairly new to the local music scene up until the release of its debut single Strings left to fray on Monday, September 8, 2014. Behind Forty Days of Rain however are four musicians whose collective experience underlines the fact that they are no novices. The familiar faces in question are none other than Brendan Jackson on vocals and guitar, Patrick Harvey on guitar and backing vocals, Jonathan Magri on bass and Matthew Camilleri on drums.
Those familiar with Jackson’s previous outfit Eve Ransom will recognise some similar traits at the song’s core. It is however also quite evident that the approach, for this debut single at least, has been toned down a notch which, according to Jackson, owes a lot to the fact the song was composed on a piano before the rest of the band got to work together on it. “I have to also give some credit to Boris (Cezek, of 3Sum Studios, where the song was recorded) for this”, Jackson explains.
With Eve Ransom the sound was bigger, louder and more aggressive so he admits he had to sing louder to stay in front of it all. “In the studio, Boris told me to sing it clean and, hard as it was at first, his insistence paid off, as we’re all quite happy with the result”. The band is quite eager to point out that not all their songs are as laidback as Strings left to fray though. “We’ve written a lot if songs in the short time we’ve been working together, and believe me, a lot of them rock pretty hard”.
Another aspect that Jackson feels elated about is the way this band has clicked together. “Patrick and I go a long way back, and Matthew was with me in Eve Ransom, so the chemistry was there already”. Magri, who also plays with Rise, provided the missing link the band was looking for to complete its line-up; a musician Jackson describes as “very mature, talented and a great bass player”.
Beyond the music, Jackson says the band’s work ethic is also an important catalyst. “We meet regularly, exchange ideas, write songs and rehearse; we do our thing basically without feeling the need to put any pressure on ourselves”. It is all about making music after all, and as he rather aptly puts it, “the main reason for being in a band should be for love of music, and I can assure you our hearts are very well in it”.
Forty Days of Rain on Facebook Photo by David 'dp' Attard