Who Is Big Dream?

Our new EP is out today! Some thoughts on the concept of Big Dream…

I've always been a bit of a mark for marketing. My friends love to tease me about how I will inevitably order whatever dish is featured on the vinyl laminate at a restaurant's entrance. It's a quirk I struggle to recognize in myself. So, in the context of my band, resisting the allure of marketing spiel has always been a challenge. There's this pervasive notion in the music world, a kind of rallying cry: “Don’t you want to feel like you tried everything possible?” or “You can’t give yourself an out, you have to be all in.” This sentiment, though often framed as a lifestyle choice for musicians, is also cleverly woven into every sales pitch. And let's be honest – the music industry has its fair share of snake oil salesmen. I've been the gullible consumer more times than I'd like to admit, buying into every vial of promise they sold.

This kind of mindset, when you buy into it for too long, begins to intertwine with what you loved initially – the music itself. Before you know it, this amalgamation starts to reek. The intertwined pursuit of a dream and the love of music, which once felt so pure, begins to be overshadowed by a sense of obligation, a feeling that “this was supposed to work.”

These musings were front and center as we were writing the songs on "Big Dream." After wrapping up the EP, I started reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life," an insightful book on the indie music scene of the 1980s. That scene reshaped our modern music culture. The stories of couch surfing punk rockers really brought something home for me. Making music is about the act itself, not the journey towards ease or luxury. The dream of success or 'selling out' might mean luxury, but the dream of making music is beautifully straightforward. Start playing – alone, or better yet, with friends!

It's easy to get distracted by the wrong things in the music industry (Big Dream runs a very profitable racket) but more than ever these days our primary goal is to create music that we love and that we want to hear. This EP is a testament to that goal. I am incredibly proud to have shared the microphone with Taimir Gore and Rebecca Basnight on these tracks. They’ve brought an undeniable energy to the EP, and I can't wait to hear what they do next. Ben re-worked the music on this EP in so many brilliant ways and Colin (on mixing & mastering) brought it all home with amazing production. Join us tomorrow at Songbyrd for our EP Release Party with Dear Daria (also releasing a great EP today!) and Milo In The Doldrums . We'll be taking a little break this year so give the EP a spin and let's party together one last time 🎉🥳

Wrestle With Jimmy

How We Wrote and Re-Wrote Our New Single “One Look”

Our new single, 'One Look,' didn't just emerge; it wrestled its way into existence. The initial demo featured a rigid riff-beat syncopation with myself, Philip, on vocals. While the riff had an undeniable allure, the overall feel was somewhat constrained. The track's transformation unfolded through two pivotal developments. Initially, I proposed a different demo for Rebecca to lead, but she declined. Instead, she suggested taking the lead on 'One Look.' I hadn't envisioned this initially, but the fit was instantly apparent. Rebecca's smokey vocal delivery seemed predestined to meld with the track's lyrical essence, transforming 'One Look' into something far beyond its original scope."

Simultaneously, Ben was engaged in a deconstruction of the demo. He perceived an underlying 'ghost groove' that we hadn't fully capitalized on. Eschewing the addition of mere guitar layers to the rigid framework, he stripped the track back to its core and reimagined it entirely. This wasn't just a renovation; it was a rebirth, revealing a groove that perhaps had always been there, latent and waiting. The end result, honed with Colin Cross's expert mixing and mastering, is something we're immensely proud of. 'One Look' is now out in the world and we’re so proud it’s resonating with you.

As we gear up for the "Big Dream" EP Release Party on January 27th at Songbyrd Music House, we can't help but feel a mix of excitement and nostalgia. This night is not just a celebration of our latest work; it's also a send-off as Broke Royals will be taking a hiatus in 2024. Sharing the stage with the amazing talents of Dear Daria and Milo In The Doldrums, we promise it's going to be an unforgettable evening. We invite you to join us one last time for this special event. Let's make some memories that will carry us all through the break.

Bye Bye 👋 Baby! 👶

☀️ Greetings From Sunny Fredericksburg, VA! ☀️
The full band is together today and we're super pumped to hit the stage tonight for the University of Mary Washington’s Homecoming Concert– if you’re around, come by for an electrifying full band concert! If you’re not in Fredericksburg, don’t worry… we’ve got some other exciting news!

🐺🦇 Hawooooo Werewolves of Songbyrd 🦇🐺
It feels surreal that a year has flown by since our rocking DC headliner show at Songbyrd, where we celebrated our 'Local Support' album release (photo gallery below). Guess what? We’re not just strolling down memory lane; we've got fresh tunes and another release show coming your way!

👶🌟 Mark Your Calendars! January 27, 2024 🌟👶
This will probably come as a surprise to most of you but our keyboard player and lead vocalist have, for some time, been carrying on a secret relationship. They are at this time ready to come forward with their love to announce that their are expecting a child! As a result, we’ll be taking a baby break in 2024. That said, we’re not done yet!!!

We're BACK AT THE BYRD for the 'Big Dream EP' release party on January 27, 2024. And there's more – Milo in the Doldrums and Dear Daria will light up the stage with us, celebrating their EP release too. This will be our last full band show for a long while and, trust us, you don’t want to miss it!

🎫 🎫 GET TICKETS NOW! 🎫 🎫

Photo Credit: Mauricio Castro

We Are The Two
Last but certainly not least, Philip & Rebecca will be participating in Justin Trawick’s We Are The 9 Songwriter Series on Sunday, October 29, at Pearl Street Warehouse. Remarkably, this is the first Broke Royals-related performance at Pearl Street, a now storied DC institution. An evening of stories and songs that’s not to be missed!

We Are The 9

🎸🎤 Can't wait to see you soon! 🎸🎤

Big Dream, Baby!

Hey hey! We've just dropped our new single "Big Dream", and it's a track we're incredibly excited about. This song dives deep into the hustle of chasing dreams, especially in a world where every second ad seems to be selling us a shiny version of success. Merch cuts, gas vouchers, what does it all mean? It means Big Dream has got you right where they want you.

We've always wanted our music to resonate with your experiences, and "Big Dream" is no exception. It's all about navigating those murky waters of ambition and the glossy promises that aren't always what they seem. Oh, and mark your calendars for September 30th. We're performing at Quarry House Tavern, and it's going to be a full-band show! Can't wait to share this music and energy with you all.

What Happens In September

If you get that title, you’ve probably been with us for a while

Photo by Aaro Keipi

We're so back! Lots of exciting shows coming up this month. 1 full band show on 9/30 at Quarry House Tavern. The rest are duo acoustic gigs.

We're kicking off the month with a three-day stint at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Then we're visiting Arlington's brand new venue / bar The Filling Station and Alexandria's Lost Boy Cider. As the grand finale, we're getting the whole band together for an electrifying show at Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring, MD, sharing the stage with Lizdelise and the buzzworthy Hurry. We really can’t say enough good things about the new Hurry album “Don’t Look Back.”

Whether you're drawn by the intimacy of acoustic vibes or the full-throttle energy of our full band, we've got something for every music lover this September. Check out the links for tickets and come share this chapter of our ever-winding musical journey with us.

• Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA

• The Filling Station, Arlington, VA

• Lost Boy Cider, Alexandria, VA

• Quarry House Tavern, Silver Spring, MD (Full Band)

See you soon!

“You Know Where To Find Us”

a mini-documentary by Gabe Garcia

Join us as we share filmmaker Gabe Garcia’s captivating mini-documentary, "You Know Where To Find Us." This video takes you behind the scenes capturing the creative process that brought our album “Local Support” to life.

The Great Return

As I write, a heavy smog hangs in the North America sky.  I can see it from my window and that’s saying something because I’m in a basement. As I peek out at the world from below, I’m reminded of November 2020 when, again, we were kept inside our homes by looming particles.  And while today’s particles may shut down Governor’s Ball this weekend, those particles shut down everything for months raising the questions “can we ever come back from this?” Unto the question a song was born. A song called “Revivalism.”

At the song’s climax, we all sing “you’re bringing me back, back, back” right before Ben launches into a killer guitar solo. It’s a reliable moment in every set, usually towards the end, but last week it carried extra weight in that it actually did mark a return to form, as the band had not played all together since our album release in October 2022.

In one sense, we’ve been more active than ever.  Rebecca and I regularly play shows around DC as a duo, I’ll sometimes play solo and, on several occasions, Taimir and/or Ben joined us making us a trio or quartet.  The model is scalable.

But Broke Royals had not achieved its truest form - all five of us together on stage - since October 2022. Our first show was at Hardywood, a brewery that produces a delicious IPA called “The Great Return.” As it just so happened, we were celebrating two great returns ourselves.  Colin returned to the drums after several months of rock & roll paternity leave.  Even though the new dad might not exactly be well-rested, he didn’t miss a beat. Taimir also joined us fresh off the plane from a month in Europe where he toured extensively with the post-hardcore band Shy Low. He too did not miss a beat.  Rhythm section stays winning. 

But wait! There’s more! The returns just kept on coming. On Sunday, we found ourselves back at the Herndon Festival. It was our third performance at the festival but our first since COVID.  Like before, the festival was a great environment to be back in and we had a blast performing.  We rocked so loudly, in face, that we drowned out the sonic boom of jets passing overhead.  

So here I am, back in the basement, looking out at the world from below. Sifting through some photos from last week, my spirits revived. The smog will loom but not forever and music will be there to bring us back, back, back.

Double Dose of Rock and Roll

He’s back! Our drummer, Colin “Pappy” Cross, aka the bad dad of rock & roll, is wrapping up paternity leave and will return to the stage for TWO FREE UPCOMING SHOWS!

These will be our first full band outings since October. Two excellent opportunities for rock & roll in the commonwealth of Virginia. Can’t wait to see you there.

Meeting Seymour Stein

Seymour Stein, the legendary music exec who signed Madonna, The Ramones, Talking Heads and (my favorites) The Replacements- passed away on Sunday. Years ago, we had a brief but memorable meeting. Memorable for me, that is.

It was early days for us as a band and we were performing at Canadian Music Week, a festival in Toronto somewhat similar to SXSW. We dreamed so hard back then- especially me. Inexperience afforded me unbridled optimism, youth gave me energy, and the music had given us enough momentum to get to all the way to Canada! I was convinced that an exec was going to hear us play, slip us a business card, and the following week we’d be signing a check at the Russian Tea Room.

In reality, we hit the stage on Queen Street after 1am and the best I can say about our set is that no one cared. But the next day when an announcement was made that Seymour Stein would be chatting with a few festival bands I rocketed to snag an early spot in line. It was less record deal champagne chic and more hotel conference room bleak but I didn’t care.

After a short wait, I shuffled over and handed him a business card. I muttered something about how great it was to meet him and tried to move his attention back to the business card. “You see, sir, we have all our social media links here.” What happened next is the part I remember best. We started having two completely different conversations. Technically talking to each other without connecting on a single thing. I mentioned our influences, how we formed as a band, and some recent press we’d garnered. Meanwhile, he started talking about another band he’d seen at the festival that really grabbed his attention. This continued for a minute or so until an assistant informed me my time was up. Yikes.



I imagine it’s lonely work being a kingmaker. People who wield that much power bring with them an atmospheric change. When they enter a room, the room notices. There is a pervasive notion that music doesn’t have value until it’s validated by someone like Seymour Stein- how could that not change every relationship and interaction? I certainly didn’t keep my head on straight.

Looking back, I wish I’d just listened to him ramble about this new favorite band. Better yet, I wish I’d asked him about signing Madonna, or The Ramones. I wish I’d asked him about working (and fighting!) with The Strokes. Even a joke about the Belle & Sebastian song bearing his name would have sufficed. Instead I just tried to get a word in edgewise.*

Seymour Stein was involved with so much music that changed my life and yet I was still focused on more. We were having two very different conversations that day and I’m sure we left with two very different memories**. I still carry mine with me. Rest easy, Seymour. Thanks for giving me a few minutes.

*Pitching your band is always a tight rope act but there are ways to maintain your balance. Interrupting a legend is not one of them. It took me a long time to find my own approach and I certainly didn’t have it down that day. If you can swing it, I recommend acting appropriately detached and letting the music speak for itself. But that takes time and reps. Unless you’re just born with the right kind of mysterious eyes, it’s almost impossible in the beginning.

**’Which is to say I have one and he did not

What AI Can’t Do

In 2018, Yuval Noah Harari sparked something in me with his book Homo Deus when he wrote about artificial intelligence and how drastically it was going to change the world. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d read, particularly the section where he outlined how AI-infused microchips were being tested to treat PTSD. It really stuck with me. To be fair, I’ve always had an overactive imagination and it’s common for me to fixate on a topic. My daydreams are often very pleasant but in this instance I felt like I was doomscrolling through Skynet CCTV footage.

Homo Deus was a best seller but AI was far from the center of culture in 2018. Why weren’t more people talking about this? For starters, it can be a curse to arrive at the party early. Just ask Jonathan Fire*Eater or the team at work on the Metaverse. I responded the only way I know how- I wrote a song about it. The band, god bless ‘em, dove in with me and the was result was our song “Bad Chemicals.” It’s a song written from the perspective of a pre-op veteran. Sonically, we mixed a big rock ballad with pulsing synths, intending to evoke a fusion of the human and artificial.

But I’m not writing this post to re-hash a 2018 press release. Today, The New York Times published an op-ed by Yuval Noah Harari, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin on the AI arms race and, as much as it pains me to boost the NYT opinions section, it’s a must-read. Now that groundbreaking AI is publicly available to chat with us, thwart our safe guards, and break up our marriages, it’s making daily headlines. We’re told this is just the tip of the ice berg. But Harari has been thinking about this topic for a long time and he can see the forest through the trees. He’s asking the right questions.

As I read the article though, I was struck by what hasn’t changed. By what AI can’t do. In 2018, we cut out a small slice of this debate and tried to crawl inside it. We shouldered the heavy weight of the arguments and tried to stand still. We thought, maybe if we make something musically compelling we can invite others to sit in the contradiction for a few minutes. We wanted to make something that would let you come back again and again, to experience the ideas in different lights. Experience yourself in different lights. That’s what my favorite art has given to me. Something distinctly human. I can’t say if we succeeded but looking back five years later, I think we set off in the right direction.

-Phiz

No Time For Love

Hello!
We're very excited to announce the release of our new single called "No Time for Love." This song tells the story of my early days of dating my now-wife, and Broke Royals’ keyboard player, Rebecca Basnight. In my infinite wisdom, I didn't think I had time for a relationship, but love found me anyways. In my defense, I was in a hip new rock & roll band!

Sonically, the song draws inspiration from The Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and our other favorites from the Meet Me In The Bathroom scene. It has a driving beat, captivating guitar riffs, and a catchy chorus. We're really proud of how it turned out.

It was mixed and mastered by our own Colin Cross and produced by Broke Royals. You can find it now on all major streaming platforms.

We're also gearing up for an exciting live show on Saturday, March 18th, at Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring, Maryland. We'll be joined by The Tisburys from Philadelphia and Nat Vazer from Australia. The Tisburys released one of my absolute favorite albums last year, “Exile on Main Street” (note the loving nod to both The Rolling Stones and The Replacements there).

It's a can't-miss event for fans of premium rock & roll. Thanks for checking out our very first blog post, we’re excited that we now have this way to connect directly regardless of what those billionaires are up to on other platforms.

-Phiz