Music Brief: The Mallett Brothers Band

 Bringing you far away from the pavement and onto the back dirt roads of America,  the Mallett Brothers Band’s country rock style emerges from the slow grown woods of Maine. But their songs of longing, displacement, and the simple kind of life resonate far beyond state lines.

This spring, the band swept the Portland Phoenix’s Best Music Polls winning the Best Local Act, Best Live Act, and Best Local Album awards for their self-titled first album.  Principal songwriters and brothers Luke and Will Mallett exude natural showmanship and stage presence, drawing the band loyal crowds across New England. From their momentum thus far, The Mallett Brothers Band are proving they are a band to watch.   They just released their second album Low Down, which is available on their website and iTunes. On Low Down, the Mallett Brothers Band show great range.   From crawling, creaking country songs to high energy barroom singalongs, the band naturally shifts styles without sacrificing a genuine earnestness that shines throughout the album.   From the melodic “Paper Cut” to the infectious “Good with the Better,”   Low Down is a roots-rock album made from the salt of the earth.

The Orris asked bandmate Will Mallett about the band’s influences and plans:

How did you get into playing music?

“I grew up in a musical family so my brother and I have been around music for as long as we could breathe. Our father is one of the most talented songwriters that we’re aware of, so having that influence growing up really made a difference; and there were always a lot of guitars around the house so we started messing around playing as soon as we could open a guitar case.”

What’s your songwriting process like?

“For me it’s just like fishing. Spend a lot of time sitting with a guitar, playing whatever comes up, and sometimes you get a good bite. If it’s good enough you just latch onto it and go through the hard labor of getting it in to shore, which would be concocting lyrics, etc. But for me the song is always about that first hint of something, feeling that tug and knowing you’ve got something. “

What inspires you? Who influences you?

“Everything and everything. Mostly, musically, anything old, because I feel like the old-timers know more than we do; but music is emotional communication so anything that would inspire or influence somebody emotionally influences me musically instead. ”

Who else should we check out?

“There’s a ridiculous awesome hidden music scene in Portland, Maine, that I’m psyched to be a part of. For fear of leaving out any buddies I won’t bother with specifics, but keep an eye on Portland and you’ll come across some pretty incredible music. “

What’s next for The Mallett Brothers Band?

“The Good Lord only knows, but I hope involves a Trans Am.

Only half kidding. We have a new album coming out in October that we’ve been working pretty hard on, and we’ll be touring all over the place non-stop so come out and hang with us if you get the chance. “

Check out “Low Down” from their new album: 
Visit their site for more on The Mallett Brothers Band, including tour dates and their album for sale now.

For more on the Portland, Maine music scene, check out Hilly Town and One Longfellow Square.

–Lana Cook