Brendan Brisk Band

Signees of Astrology Days Records, the Wilkes-Barre based Brendan Brisk Band is riding a
wave of momentum that is only beginning to crest. Best known for his kinetic guitar leads,
bandleader Brisk is a fervent home studio engineer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist whose
talent for composing and arranging music shines through on record. 2016 debut Astral
Counterfeit was entirely self-produced and performed. The requirements of translating his music
to a live setting led him to form Brendan Brisk Band, coalescing around drummer Justin
Malinowski, bassist Bernard Gavlick, and trumpeter Miles Orfanella.
This lineup, aided by a handful of guest contributors, features on 2020’s full-length
Relaxylvania, which offers a panorama of styles and textures, moving effortlessly from the
laid-back and atmospheric to frenzied extroversion; from the earthly and personal to the spectral
and ethereal. Latest EP Never Everywhere, mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Phil Joly,
brings a new level of sophistication to this approach, overdubbing keys, winds, and synthesizers
to convey its creators’ ideas.
Brisk’s music is rooted in blues and folk traditions while incorporating soul, fiery avant-garde
jazz, and modern jam signifiers. Equally inspired by the surroundings of their native
Northeastern Pennsylvania and the mysteries of consciousness and the cosmos, the group
aims to bring its audience to a place of inspiration and creativity, abstracted from the daily grind
of obligation and ambition. Lush and layered studio productions translate to the stage with a
stripped-down palette characterized by a sometimes mellow, sometimes driving, and always
danceable rhythm and sharp improvisation from the ensemble with Brisk and Orfanella trading
solos. Having shared the stage with prominent regional acts Cabinet, Consider the Source,
West End Blend, and Yam Yam, Brendan Brisk Band hopes to further extend their reach and
explore the festival sphere.