32 JAVA MAGAZINE Photo: Cody Simpson
Palo Brea Another Phoenix band that explores the confluence of polarity is Palo Brea. In the group’s rehearsal space near downtown Phoenix, Daniel Byers spins silk magic from his keyboard and Laura Berens is crooning a vocal warm-up as she checks the levels on her PA system. She shrugs and offers an untroubled, “I don’t know,” once she gets her levels dialed to where she wants them. Owen Ma’s fingers roll through his warm-ups, which consist mostly (and hilariously) of playing the theme to Seinfeld, and Connor Sample is telling an anecdote about someone who told him to “beat the hell out of those things – this is a rock show,” referring to his drums. Byers and Berens have been making music together in Tempe and Phoenix since 2014. I first had the pleasure of hearing the pair play in 2015 at a house show in Tempe as part of the pop-soul band Blacktop Chalk. The band was made up of four ambitious undergraduates, all remarkably proficient in their respective crafts. Just as today, Berens led the band on vocals and Byers was behind the keyboard. Their sound was playful and intimate, full of consideration and emotion. Audience members couldn’t help but become entranced, smile, and break into dance. To put it simply, people fell for the group when they played. That reaction hasn’t changed at all when listeners come across Palo Brea. Photo: Cody Simpson After graduating from ASU, Berens and Byers stepped away from their independent project to work as cover musicians at various lounges and restaurants in the Phoenix area. “It was mostly just pop tunes,” says Byers. “You know, top-forty songs; playing ‘Piano Man’ for tips. Things like that. It sounds funny, but it was fun, too.” The duo took the gigs out of necessity more than anything. “Basically, we just needed the money,” Byers says, laughing. While the lounge gigs might have paid the bills, it’s evident that they also helped build the duo’s technical proficiencies. Berens’ voice is stronger than ever, and Byers is simply a wonder to witness on the keyboard. During their time as lounge musicians, Byers and Berens met bassist Owen Ma and drummer Connor Sample, and the four of them formed Palo Brea. With the right pieces finally in place, Palo Brea has brought their music to new creative heights. Berens and Byers couldn’t be happier to be back performing with a band and working on original music. “It’s the freedom of improvisation and being able to talk with the band. It allows us to create original music that speaks collectively,” Berens explains. At the end of 2018, the band released their first EP, Palo Brea. They consider it to be a departure from and a marker of their former selves. From what they were before their release, the band seems more cohesive and willing to enter new spaces with group confidence. Their communication structure is sublime. Each member takes cues and advice from the others, and each offers advice in return when needed. Byers’ Photo: Corey Johnson demeanor is perhaps the most apt to describe the band’s: fun, but ever-focused. Palo Brea’s music is a mixture of pop, soul, and jazz, among other genres. “Crafty jazz-pop,” says Berens with a laugh; she credits Holly Pyle (House of Stairs) for the description. But their music continues to grow in so many new directions. At their rehearsal, I was lucky enough to hear some of the band’s new material. A hip-hop beat paired with an infectious synth hook slid into new territory, via a prolonged hold on the synth-pad that dovetailed into the caressing arms of psychedelia before landing in fastpaced electronica. Palo Brea’s music is honest and raw. Byers’ musicianship drives placid, graceful moments into wondrous, ebullient climaxes. Sample and Ma are an ever-present support system. Berens’ voice is at all times tenacious, confident, and familiar, with a full spectrum of angst and triumph. Flow comes naturally to the quartet, and beauty and truth are well within their purview. They each know how to support, fill gaps, and let the other members breathe, and, of course, they are all marvelous soloists. The band members wrap in and out of each other with ease and familiarity. Their rehearsals are full of laughter and joy, and yet their sound exhibits a maturity that suggests years of serious study and living. Both Palo Brea and The Maya Spectra are examples of what happens when hard work meets stable roots and a desire to seek out the unknown. Look for shows from both of these bands in the new year.