Langley’s high-energy Canadian band “Her Brothers” is making waves with the video launch of its groundbreaking song “Human”. Recently, we watched the vibrant brothers headlining on stage at the Venue @ Granville. The action packed 45 minute show of original songs mixed with carefully picked cover songs got everybody on their feet dancing to stylistic 80’s to 90’s pulsating music.
Her Brothers have been working hard to get their message and music across through playing at different venues from bars, halls to school gymnasiums. The brothers have even impressively played at Rogers Arena with 20,000 people and have toured across BC and Alberta performing their original songs “Love Over Hate”, “She” and “Together We Stand”.
Her Brothers profile picture, Facebook.
It is also very refreshing to note, the Penner brothers, Gabe (guitar, lead vocals), Josh (bass) and Levi (drums) have been known to empower women through sending strong messages to men to support the rights of women. The Penners had been playing together since 2006 when Levi was only 7 yrs old. They have supported and donated their time to raise money and awareness to events such as Dress For Success Vancouver, Together We Stand and Create Change (empowering girls in Ghana through education) to name a few.
We also met their proud parents, Jonathan and Teresa Penner, who are also their biggest supporters and pretty much involved in their musical venture. The first time we watched Her Brothers at a fundraising event, their father Jonathan played the keyboards and their mother Teresa was fondly called as Her Brothers’ “Mommy-ger”. But not to forget the most important person – where the band name originated from – their youngest sibling, sister Tiana.
Her Brothers headlining at the Venue on Granville.
“Human” is the first single and music video released from the much-awaited album soon to be launched in October with a special limited vinyl edition. The upbeat, alternative rock with Afro-beat marimba infused element of the song “Human” with a purpose has left us cheering for more meaningful dynamic songs like this from other artists to touch the world with love, positivity and compassion.
Here’s our interview with Gabe through Facebook:
Who wrote the song HUMAN? Who produced it?
Gabe: I wrote the song about three years ago but had no verse for the chorus. The song originally had this slower anthemic feel to it. As we were finishing up the album Levi had been messing around with a bunch of new ideas for the song and had added this almost afro-beat marimba sound to it as well as sped it up. I came up with a verse shortly after but it still didn’t work and at the suggestion of Jonathan and Levi we sped it up to double time and it worked perfectly. It was literally one of the last songs we recorded and the last one we ended up putting on the album because it was such a labour of love. Levi headed up the production on the song as well as the arrangement, I wrote the lyrics and main chorus melody with Levi adding in the wood-oh’s. Both Jonathan Penner and Christian Stonehouse helped a lot with the mixing/mastering/production of everything as well. We couldn’t have done any of the album without them. We are very hands on, all of us as a band, so we even mixed the album with Christian (this song being one of the singles on the album). Jonathan, Levi and I worked on the solo for quite some time wanting to find something that was a nod to some of our alternative and punk roots while still being in the pop vein.
“Her Brothers” with father Jonathan Penner on keyboards at Together We Stand, Women United fundraising, Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, Abbotsford.
What’s the best part of being siblings and being able to rock on stage?
The connection we have with each other. Not having just played lots onstage together but knowing each other and having spent so much time together already we can almost just look at each other (sometimes we don’t even need to look) and we know what the other is thinking, where to go/move, etc. It’s great being onstage with your best mates creating something together in the studio and seeing it come to life with an audience and fans. We’re making memories and creating moments, not just with the audience, but with each other.
Besides writing songs, playing together, what do you brothers do for fun besides being rockstars?
Guacamole… Gabe makes a mean, like wicked good, guacamole (it’s actually secret to the point where he only makes it for close friends and family). We love just hanging out with each other and eating some good food as a family. We do love laughing too, that’s probably one of our favourites! All hanging out and having a good laugh together as a family.
Will you be able to share info on the upcoming album launch?
YES ABSOLUTELY! Right now we haven’t released much information at all on it but there are some rumours flying around about a VIP package for the release party happening in October just before the album is released. There’s also some special merchandise and we’ve even done a special limited edition of vinyl this time around that will only be available in person at shows.
“As a band, it’s always been about a live experience. Maybe not the show per se but the live experience in terms of how can we connect with the audience. You know music has always been where I’ve gone when things don’t make sense. We’ve always tried to put those things out there. The places we’ve been hurt, the places we’ve been misunderstood. And ah, creating a space of connection and a space where we say “Me, too”, I feel that as well. And so I think in the live context, there is this opportunity to not just connect with other people but for people to connect with us. And if we can finish a show and people can walk away feeling havin’ felt understood, connected to something much bigger than just our individuality but us as humanity. I think that that means we accomplish what we came and try to do.” – Gabe Penner, Her Brothers, “Human” live video.
Her Brothers – ‘Human’ from ‘Tribe’, released 2018
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