Brighton, MA

Brighton MA is a product of a wide range of modern music. Their sound is lyrically driven with no small debt to indie, folk, noise pop, and the classic alternative.
Matt Kerstein and drummer Sam Koentopp began playing together in Scotland Yard Gospel Choir just out of college. They soon became indie press darlings on the strength of extensive college radio play and tours with Fiest, Spoon, and Arcade Fire. In 2006, they left SYGC and started Brighton MA with arranger/guitarist Jim Tuerk in order to more fully realize their musical ambitions. The addition of guitarist Joe Darnaby and bassist Jon Ozaksut have helped drive the band towards an urgent sound filled with intricately layered guitars, a rattling heaviness, and driving simplicity.
Their songs have been licensed by TV shows like Gossip Girl, Community, Castle, Ghost Whisperer, One Tree Hill, etc. In addition, their song "Good Kind of Crazy" was licensed by Jack Daniels for an international television and web campaign scheduled to air through 2012. In early 2012, they released the 7-song Billboard Sun EP recorded with the help of Archer Prewitt from The Sea & Cake. For their follow-up, the band has recorded their sophomore full-length album—titled Touch—with producer Brian Deck [Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse] at Engine Studios in Chicago.
Although based in Chicago the band is named for the Boston neighborhood where singer Matt Kerstein was born.