I OH YOU signs new act BRIGHTNESS

It’s a peculiar thing how instantly someone’s music can resonate with you, without any warning or caution.
 
I first heard Alex Knight’s musical project Brightness at around 4pm on Friday 16 September last year when a colleague (shout out Tommy Faith) had sent me an email with simply the word “brightness” in the subject and a link in the body of the email.
 
I clicked the link and let it play on a hidden browser window while I continued to daydream about what the weekend had in store for me and churn through some emails. As I hit send on another email, a song called ‘Oblivion’ began to play…and that was it, I was absolutely, positively hooked…line and sinker, stick a fork in me…whatever over used analogy you want to throw in, it’s all the same and I was all of them.
 
I think it was the tones of the guitars or Alex’s voice. The driving feel of the song or it could have been the lyrics that hit me so instantly. I shut my emails down, rid myself of all distractions and for the next 29 minutes I sat and listened to Brightness’ debut album. When it was finished, I scrolled to the top of the page and hit play again. This continued for the rest of the afternoon.
 
As I walked home that evening, a friend (shout out Kurt Bailey) called me and asked if I wanted to come see an act called Brightness support Oh Pep! at The Basement that night. Having already been a fan of Oh Pep! and now also the self-appointed leader of Brightness’ fan club, of course I jumped at the opportunity! I was aware that Alex hadn’t played many shows as Brightness so I wasn’t expecting it to be a perfect performance (and it certainly wasn’t) however it was everything I had hoped it would be! There were brilliant songs, delivered with a unique conviction.

Two days later I found myself outside a café near Erskineville with Alex discussing all sorts of things, including but not restricted to:

• How he had spent the last six years of his life in London playing the drums in bands and all the ups and downs involved.
• What his life growing up in Lake Macquarie was like and what it’s like now that he lives there again.
• His range of occupations such as working in pubs, dismantling European cars, sailing expensive yachts across oceans to their new owners, being a commercial window cleaner etc.
• A mutual love of hardcore music.
• The best way to try and get his music out there and in the right manner.

Today it gives me great pleasure to officially welcome Brightness to the I OH YOU label and give you the video for his debut single ‘Oblivion’. Premiering overnight on The FADER the clip was directed by Mclean Stephenson and similarly to Brightness’ music, gives an insight to Alex Knight and his surroundings.

We’re very much looking forward to sharing more music from Brightness with you in the future.

Cheers,
Johann Ponniah of I OH YOU