Doomed Confessionary: Jay Brown (Weddings)
Photo by Krawall und Stille
Weddings is an explosive and moody rock power trio from Vienna, Austria.
Their debut album »Haunt« was released in early 2020 on StoneFree Records. The album showcases all of the band’s strengths – mesmerizing male/female vocal harmonies, powerful riffs, propulsive bass and pounding drums.
2020 came to a close on a very positive note for Weddings with »Haunt« being named Album of the Year in Austria by rock show House of Pain on Austria’s top radio station FM4. Their highly anticipated second album »Book Of Spells« was released in the fall of 2022.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Weddings is a rock band indebted in equal parts to grunge, desert rock, psych rock, punk, folk and doom. Weddings was born in the Austrian Alps in 2017, created by me (Canadian musician Jay Brown) and some friends. Currently based in Vienna, the band’s sound is equally influenced by bands like Queens Of The Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Monster Magnet and Alice In Chains as well as less obvious acts like R.E.M., Low, Jeff Buckley and Fugazi.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
The music biz has been challenging since the floor dropped out in 2020. The band was kind of forged in that chaos. We released two records (»Haunt« 2020, »Book Of Spells« 2022) and both were named album of the year by the rock radio station in Vienna so it was nice to know people were listening and enjoying the music. But we couldn’t tour properly behind the first record because of covid so I wrote some tunes and we went back into the studio. I wish we had waited to record the second record but we needed to do something creative. It was an outlet for the tension and uncertainty we felt at the moment. I imagine it was the same for a lot of bands. The good news is that great music often comes out of dark times so there was a lot of interesting new stuff to listen to over the last couple of years.
What can you be most proud of last year?
I am proud of the news songs I am writing. I think our best work is still to come.
What was your biggest regret?
I have a lot of regrets but I try not to dwell on them. Change is inevitable. You have to embrace it. One thing that never stops is the need to create and you have to let that take you wherever it leads.
Photo by David Robinson
What was the best concert/tour last year and why?
I started a side project with the drummer from this Austrian band called le_mol. They are a two piece, instrumental rock band and they do some cool shit. They are great live.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
How fucking shitty pop music has gotten. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but holy fuck! Long live the underground rock bands. Art isn’t created in an ivory tower. It’s made in the streets.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We will play throughout Europe in the fall of 2024.
What are your plans for the next year as a band? What do you personally want the most?
I want to play in countries that we haven’t played yet like the UK, Sweden or the Netherlands.
How can people best support your band?
You can support by going to shows and listening on Bandcamp or Spotify.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Rock n Roll will never die.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well