The dynamic duo, Jordan Kellaway and Nev Benjamin, are the masterminds behind BRAJ. They have released their brand-new offering ‘Overview’ which has a bright, summery mood with pop and R&B influences, and expresses the universal desire to anticipate the fate of a relationship before joining it.
Jordan Kellaway (vocalist) and Nev Benjamin (producer) are the ingenious minds that birthed BRAJ. Their irresistible sounds are delivered from 2000s R&B mixed with the freshest pop vibes of today. But cling on tight as their strategy has nothing to do with predictability. These two musicians don't believe in following the rules or being cautious with their artistry. They reverse the script for each fresh production to make sure that no two songs are ever misinterpreted for twins.
So prepare to be amazed, touched, and inspired to dance by the fantastic musical work that is BRAJ. There are no limits to the audio adventures you are about to go on with Jordan Kellaway and Nev Benjamin in charge.
We sat down with BRAJ to discuss their music and much more. Here's what they had to say:
Hey BRAJ welcome to FLEX! How are you?
Hello FLEX! We are bloody good and quite excited to be featured on your page!
Congratulations on your new single ‘Overview’ - what inspired this particular track?
On a thematic level, Overview captures the feeling of wishing you know how a relationship would conclude before it does. Sometimes we get left in a lot of pain because of bitter endings, so the song is all about wishing there was some kind of way to already know how things would turn out, and what you’d do differently if you did know. On a musical level, it comes from a similar pool of inspirations that we’ve drawn on previously. Albeit a more distilled and refined form. Sticky Fingers, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell were continuously playing on our minds during the creation of the track. Hence why there seems to be such a duality between the more hip-hop/r&b passages compared to the indie rock ones.
And do you have to be in a certain mood to write?
Jordan and I are always keen on writing music, whether we’re happy, sad, angry, or even stressed. When we write together it’s an outlet of our feelings at the time. There are times where we feel uninspired and maybe we get very little done on the day, but we’re reassured with the thought that in the near future we will have something bangin’.
How was the recording and writing process?
For Overview, the track's writing and recording process was one of the smoothest experiences. The chords, bassline, melody, (most) vocal lines, and half time sections were all written in one day. Initially we were looking at getting a feature on the second verse however we decided not to in the end. The final climax was written after all the elements had already been recorded and the structure had been laid out. We felt that the final hook should be explosive and rewarding for the listener.
For viewers who don’t know BRAJ, how would you describe your sound?
We’ve always said that we make throwback music. We want our music to capture the swagger and fun of early 2000’s R&B and pop. We don’t necessarily think that the market is missing or absent now, more so that we just want to celebrate it as much as possible. A lot of different influences play roles in what we do. George Michael, The Black Eyed Peas, Jamiroquai, America and Charlie Puth are on constant rotation. So to summarize, our music combines the earworm beats and choruses of early 2000’s rnb, with an indie-pop flair to bring it into the new era.
And what are some of those activities that you engage yourself in when you aren't writing or recording in the studio? N: These days I find myself in the studio at least every second day doing engineering work, however, I love watching movies whether it's in the cinema or at home, building Lego, and cooking. J: Hiking, hanging out with friends. But I live and breathe music. If I'm not making music with BRAJ, I’m touring with my band NTH RD or writing and recording music on the side.
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