Back In The USSR
The story of the band BrainStorm is a story of lifelong friends trying to get by in a typical Soviet upbringing. The members of BrainStorm were all born and raised in the city of Jelgava, a suburb of Riga, the capital of Latvia. They have known each other all their lives. “We went to the same kindergarten, same school,” states singer Renars Kaupers. The band is made up of Kaupers, Kaspars Roga (drums), Maris Mihelsons (keyboard), and Janis “Magic” Jubalts (guitar). The tight knit group formed the band in their mid-teens as a way to battle for some form of freedom in the Soviet Union. They were a part of the first generation to experience the possibilities of that freedom as well, which has directly affected their songwriting and growth.
Conquering the Hearts of Home
When the band had their first show, they didn’t even have a name. They just got on stage, played their hearts out, and left it at that. But eventually, they needed some sort of title. “At one of our first gigs, our drummer’s aunt who lives in America came along. After the gig she said, ‘That was kind of a brainstorm.’ We looked at each other and said – that is the name of the band!” remarks Kaupers.
So with a new name, they forged on as a live act. Eventually, they started to see a growth in their audience numbers. It seemed that BrainStorm was beginning to catch on. The band attributes this to the raw energy they put into every show. Kaupers says, “Hopefully they will get positive emotions from it. We always thought that the band’s live performance is where we can show who we really are.” And all of that positive emotion and energy constantly refuels the band to want more.
Over the years, the band has had amazing success in their home of Latvia. And, as they stand today, are at the top of the game for touring bands. “Our live shows are different in different territories. In our native Latvia we can play in front of 40,000 people. In tiny Latvia where the population is 2.3 million – that is quite a number!” Kaupers exclaims.
Number One With A Bullet
In 2000, BrainStorm put out their first internationally released album “Among the Suns.” The album quickly caught on all across Europe. It even fell into the hands of REM frontman Michael Stipe, who praised the band for their wonderful songwriting. And as the album succeeded, the band was able to branch out into other countries to tour and promote their sound. The band even received praise from Bob Dylan, who saw the band perform on a Swedish television program.
The band was so inspired by the outpouring of support that they rushed back to the studio to record a follow up. In 2001, they released “Online” which catapulted the band to further success in many other unreached territories. The single “Maybe” even beat out Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” for the number one spot on Poland’s national airplay chart. The single stayed at number one for the entire last quarter of 2001.
But all rises to fame can’t come without some tragedy. In 2004, after years of success, BrainStorm’s original bass player, Gundars Mausevics, passed away. The band decided to soldier on, touring and recording all in the memory of their dear friend. They soon returned to form and even managed to snag an award for Best Baltic Act at the 2006 MTV European Music Awards.
Be Your Own Boss
Throughout their career, BrainStorm has always stayed true to their initial desire for freedom.,,even if that meant dropping from a major label to do all the work themselves. “The independent way of doing our own business actually came after being signed to a major record company’s licensee. We understood that we can do it by ourselves, publishing included. We are lucky that our career has been developed so that we could start our own management company with four wonderful employees who manage from home. But in terms of creative freedom – that is ours and we make every decision by ourselves,” states Kaupers. “As a band, we are involved in all the processes.”
The Road to Modern Sky Festival
Though the band has had huge successes in their home and surrounding countries, they are still seen as new kids on the block in other territories. Kaupers says, “I don’t think we can really be called an ‘emerging artist.’ In some territories we still fight for our place, but in our home country of Latvia, Russia and some Eastern European countries we have been active and playing for years. It’s strange sometimes.”
Now, the band will embark on a trip to China for the first time to play the Modern Sky Festival, China’s largest music and arts festival. “We’re very excited to go to China indeed! This is the nice thing of being a musician – you can travel to places you would not go otherwise,” Kaupers remarks. The festival takes place at Haidian Park in the heart of Beijing on October 1-4. It gives the band BrainStorm a chance to yet again prove themselves to a new country and culture. We’re sure they’re up for the challenge.
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