Q&A With BRNDA's Leah Gage and Dave Lesser

Today on Q&A, we’re featuring Leah Gage and Dave Lesser of BRNDA

What records do you own that have influenced your music?

The Stooges - Fun House

Devo - Freedom of Choice

Talking Heads - 77

Roxy Music - Avalon

Lewsberg - Out and About

Steve Reich - Sextet/Six Marimbas

Plums - The White Album

Caroline Peyton - Intuition

Have you ever bought a record just for the artwork?

Yes - but I was already a fan of the artist, does that count? The record was Lux by Brian Eno. It’s stunning and the record is too, it also comes with 4 prints. 

What’s the most treasured album in your collection and why?

A Masters of Deceit record Leah has where her dad, Stan Gage, is pictured on the front and back covers. He’s the drummer. I think he was 19 when he was in that band. 

What one record in your collection would you be most eager to share with new friends?

The White Album. Not that one. The one by The Plums.

What is/are your white whale records, something you have your eye on but haven’t been able to get?

We’d love to get our hands on The Golden Record, which can be found on Voyagers I and II, space probes which have traveled farther away from Earth than any other human-made objects. The recordings are supposedly representative of the totality of sounds and music that can be found on planet earth. Hopefully G.G. Allin is not included.

Who/what got you hooked on records?

My first experience with records was jamming out over and over to Caroline Peyton’s Intuition, one of the earliest works by producer Mark Bingham. It’s an incredible record that really displays the range of this band and it’s singer, Caroline. I discovered it when I was 6 and I got really into the photo on the front as well as figuring out how to place the needle on the song “Party Line” which is a great disco track. Reflecting back, this record is still seminal but the standout tracks are without a doubt “Still With You” and “All this Waiting.” 

What’s your favorite record to listen to on headphones?

I have actually never done that unless I’ve been at a record store, listening to a record before purchasing it! One record I remember listening to on headphones was “Soul Country” by Joe Tex at Som records on 14th street. That’s probably another one I chose in part because of the cover.

Tell us a little about your favorite record store

Home Rule Records is BRNDA’s neighborhood record store on Kennedy St NW. It’s mostly jazz but they also have a stellar R&B and Soul section, some good rock, and an unparalleled go-go selection.

Government Center is a record store on the Northside of Pittsburgh, BRNDA has played there at least twice and other members of the band have been through plenty more. While playing in record stores is a special challenge, Govt Center is unparalleled in that they have a proper stage and a sound system. It’s a special place in a special town. Byrdland Records is another hometown favorite, they have always taken a very artist-centered approach to selling records and maintained beautiful spaces in the process. 

What’s the weirdest record you own? 

G.G. Allin’s “Faggots, Drunks & Junkies” is utter garbage, and probably the worst record in all of existence. But that’s not what makes it weird, or even worthy of mention. The liner notes are completely next level out-of-this-world stuff. We wish he would have survived long enough to experience a second act as a stand up comic, or maybe a marriage counselor

Do you have a definitive album of choice for spring, summer, autumn and winter?

No. We have records we cook to, which are loud; records we host to, which vary from ostentatious to obscure; and the rest of the records we listen to which tend to be quiet.

Tell us a little about your own music.

We’re slightly better than G.G. Allin. 

Name the top three records you own that could describe you or your vibe

Beat Happening - Black Candy; Camper Van Beethoven - Telephone Free Landslide Victory; Talking Heads - 77

What’s the last record you played?

Who is William Onyeabor?

What does the future hold for BRNDA? 

We’ll be on tour in October! Our label Crafted Sounds is partnering with Government Center in Pittsburgh (mentioned above), A Day in the Life records in Lancaster, and Byrdland in DC (also mentioned above) to give away test pressings of Total Pain along with tickets to our shows in those towns. We hope to see you there!

Washington D.C.-based art punk supergroup BRNDA is back with their latest album since 2021, Total Pain, solidifying BRNDA’s mastery of their patented off-kilter, stream-of-consciousness sound solidified in their releases Do You Like Salt? (2021) and Thanks for Playing (2018).

All of the members of BRNDA (Dave Lesser and Mark Mcinerney on guitar, Leah Gage on Drums, Nick Stavely on Bass) lend their vocal talents to Total Pain. The album is a twelve-course meal of witty writing, flute solos, and hypnotic talk-singing that leaves the listener excited to put it on again and understand the trip they’ve just taken.

Total Pain blends 60s Art Nouveau with Punk, leaving the salt from 2021 behind and embracing the voyeurism of the zoo to create a brand new side to the ever-evolving BRNDA, a band for active listening and analysis, not passive background ambiance.