Bern & the Brights
Bern & the Brights is a music group formed in 2008 creating soundscapes for
ears to feel and souls to move with. The group is fronted by songwriter Bernadette Malavarca (lead guitar and vocals.) Bern has been likened to such
artists as PJ Harvey and Chrissie Hynde and her guitar stylings have been compared to those of U2's guitarist The Edge.
Bern is joined by members: Catherine McGowan (acoustic guitar and vocals,) Nicole Scorsone (violin,) Shawn Fafara (bass,) and Jose Ulloa (drums.) The band has been described as the female fronted Radiohead and R.E.M. Bern & Brights was selected as the Emerging Artist of December 2008 and highlighted as one of the Emerging Artists of the year at The Deli Magazine.com.
Bern Malavarca
When asked by a reporter for a local paper what her ultimate goal was as a music artist, Bern replied, "Longevity. I want to make music that doesn't grow old. Something that's timeless, like jeans and a T-shirt."
Northern New Jersey indie-artist Bern (Bernadette Malavarca) has been writing, recording, and performing music for quite some time---finding her musical passion as a wee baby, discovering her singing voice after an inexplicable throat infection, and springing her first songs at the volatile juncture---puberty. She has woven a quilt of music that's slowly and steadily developed into one of the backdrops of indie rock in "no where Zen New Jersey."
In 1999, she formed a melodic punk trio called Lullabi with Dave Sempier (Untitled Art, Five Star Dive) and Fred Zoeller (Five Star Dive, Empire Hideous) and toured the tri-state area regularly. Before disbanding in 2001, the trio recorded Peru, a haunting, punk-new wave, limited edition EP, recorded by Gabe Anel of Interplanetary Productions.
After the group disbanded, Bern left in search of a new direction. Although the punk-new wave vibes of the trio were dear to her heart, Bern was seeking a broader musical representation, and to indulge some musical curiosity. She wanted to create something a step more refined than "punk," less entrapping than "acoustic- singer songwriter," more universal than "new wave," feeling no single one of those avenues alone were quite fitting.
In 2002, Bern got the opportunity to record some of that process in what would result in her first full-length record, it's not you, it's me. She teamed up with friends and colleagues Mark Stevens and Joe Purdie, and after months in Highland Studios in Vernon, NJ, after many sessions at odd-hours, and several tape-eatings (yes some of it is reel-to-reel) the album was released in late summer 2004.
Since 04, Bern has performed both with a band and as a solo act, and has distributed some lo-fi releases.
And the musical exploration continues in her most recent incarnation, Bern & the Brights, formed by happy happenstance for a single show in 2008. Their debut performance was after only two rehearsals. The chemistry between members and the enthusiasm of the crowd set off a musical romance that has been evolving since.
In October 2008, Bern & the Brights released a short-run EP called Wartime Lullaby introducing the musicians who now comprise the touring band---Catherine McGowan (acoustic guitar/vox), Nicole Scorsone (violin), Shawn Fafara (bass), Jose Ulloa (drums). They've also invaded New York and have been carrying on a fervent gig schedule. Bern & the Brights' sound and vibe has been likened to some stalwarts of "indie" music---Radiohead, Kate Bush, R.E.M., P.J.Harvey, Broken Social Scene, and they are currently enjoying some success at The Deli Magazine of NYC (www.thedelimagazine.com). They won the popular vote for Best Emerging NYC Artist of 2008 and will be featured in the Spring print issue of the Deli! Stay tuned.