Futurebrite

Messy endings can make for beautiful beginnings. Living in NYC, with major changes to Demander, her band of seven years, Karen Kanan Corrêa was offered a spot as bassist touring with Swedish Grammy winner Moneybrother. One month on the road turned into six months — and an indefinite hiatus for her band — as well as an exit from her fifth floor walkup on the Lower East Side. Adrift and inspired, she found a new voice during songwriting stints in Portland and London, using her new direction to craft new work. Equal parts chaos, darkness and utter joy, she released this new experiment under the name Futurebrite. The first EP Carinae quickly landed on Deli Magazine NYC’s “Best Emerging Electronic Bands” list, and was described as “sexy, urgent pop” (East Bay Express) with “a dark edge but melodic enough to redeem itself as romantic” (Free Bike Valet).

Then California came calling and Karen followed her heart to Oakland, where she started the next batch of Futurebrite songs. The change of scenery was immediately evident in the sound: warm synths, bells and marimba contrast with the powerful bass and drums of the first EP. Lykke, Ella, The Police, and Tears for Fears serve as touchstones, and the result is a shadowy and bright chiaroscuro applied to indie pop.

Before Futurebrite, Karen led the “dizzyingly addictive” (CMJ) indie trio Demander, with two albums and multiple tours across the US and Europe with The Hold Steady, New Model Army, and Art Brut. Karen has also toured as violist and singer with Anti-Social Music and bassist for cult heroes World/Inferno Friendship Society. She’s performed vocals on releases from artists like Gary Go and Fulton Lights, and won composer and songwriter residencies in NYC and LA.