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The Blood Brothers are an American post-hardcore band which formed in Seattle's Eastside suburbs in 1997. The group released five full-length albums before their 2007 break-up, but reunited for a series of shows surrounding and including FYF Fest in 2014.[3] They reunited once again in 2024 to celebrate the 20th anniversery of their album Crimes.[4]
The Blood Brothers
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The Blood Brothers performing live, c2003
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Redmond, Washington |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1997–2007, 2014, 2024-present |
| Labels | Wichita Recordings, V2, ARTISTdirect, Three One G, Luckyhorse Industries, Epitaph |
| Members | Jordan Blilie Mark Gajadhar Morgan Henderson Johnny Whitney Cody Votolato |
| Past members | Devin Welch |
| Website | www |
Singers Jordan Blilie and Johnny Whitney and drummer Mark Gajadhar formed the band from a previous musical endeavor, a band called Vade that they were involved with when they were 15 years old. Joining with bassist Morgan Henderson and guitarist Devin Welch the following year, the Blood Brothers were born in August 1997. The band recorded their first 7-inch record for $200 in a basement the following year. After replacing Welch with guitarist Cody Votolato (who is a year younger than the rest of the band), the current lineup was complete. The band left on their first tour immediately after Votolato graduated from high school.[5] In July 2002, the band toured the United States with Vermont-based math rock band The Cancer Conspiracy and Florida-based indie rock band The Rocking Horse Winner.[6][7]
Music website Punknews.org reported that the band was going on hiatus, though they had initially reported the situation as a breakup.[8] The news story linked to a forum post by Three One G owner Justin Pearson, who was replying to a post about the breakup of Some Girls. He only stated "the blood bros broke up."
The band officially broke up in June 2007, but kept the information from the public until November 2007.[9] Rumors of the disbandment can be traced as far back as July.[10]
The Blood Brothers were expected to make an announcement about their future in early 2008, but instead officially announced the breakup on November 8, 2007:
Dear Friends,
After 10 years of making music as The Blood Brothers, we have made the collective decision that our time together has come to an end. We feel extremely fortunate to have spent such a deeply memorable and amazing part of our lives with each other. At this point, however, we feel it's best that our futures move forward on separate paths. We'd like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the bands we've played with, individuals who have helped us make our records, and fans who have come to our shows and picked up our music throughout the years. Your friendship, support and love hold such a profoundly special place in each of our hearts. We hope that the memories you attach to our music are as fond as those you have given us. Thank you and take care, we'll miss all of you.
Love,
The Blood Brothers[11]
In a December 2008 interview with Seattle newspaper The Stranger, Blilie gave the following reason for the band's breakup:
I can't point to one defining event.... It was harder and harder for us to find that middle ground where all of us were happy. People weren't getting what they desired from music and being in a band. I couldn't imagine trying to work on another record with that band. We drifted apart, as people do, as people grow into different individuals and have different ideas of where they want to be in their lives and what they want to be doing with music. As different as we were, we all shared a similar vision as far as where we wanted to be; as the years progressed, it became more and more polarized. If something is no longer bringing you joy, it's time to make a change.[12]
It was announced on October 19, 2009, that Epitaph Records would be re-issuing the band's last four full-length albums with added b-sides, live tracks and remixes.[13]
The Blood Brothers is commonly seen as a post-hardcore band and incorporate elements from a number of genres including experimental, screamo, emo, hardcore punk, noise, post-punk, and dance.
The band is particularly notable for having the unique dueling vocals of Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie. The style of guitar playing showcased by Votolato has greatly changed over time, most notably between the heavy, discordant sound of ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn and the minimalist lead lines of Crimes, where the energy of the drums and vocals tends to make up for the lack of thick distortion.[14] Whitney's voice is generally accepted to have evolved from the slurred, venomous drawl on This Adultery Is Ripe to the high-pitched squeals ("like a child being tortured [15]") heard on Crimes, while Blilie's voice has grown more distinctive while maintaining the same low, robust ferocity. The band has cited Drive Like Jehu,[5][16][17] Botch,[16] Swing Kids, Rye Coalition,[17] and Gang of Four, among others, as influences. Cody Votolato's angular guitarwork, in addition to drawing from Drive Like Jehu, Swing Kids, and Rye Coalition, was also influenced by Antioch Arrow.[18]
The Blood Brothers' last album, Young Machetes, was released on October 10, 2006, with Fugazi member Guy Picciotto co-producing it.
Several members of the band have been or are currently involved in other projects:
Several members of the band have familial connections to other notable Pacific Northwest-based bands:
Our influences would be like Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair, Highway 61, Botch...
I would attribute a lot of that to bands like Drive Like Jehu, Angel Hair, Antioch, Arrow, (sic) Swing Kids (...) Bands like the Monorchid, Rye Coalition — they just, to me, were doing guitar in a different way than I had heard other heavy rock do, and I think that played into it.
