Static Brian: Not Just an Emo Band

Graphic by Grace Abdayem

Ripping through Philadelphia’s underground music scene, Static Brian has made a name for itself within the last year. While founded just a year and a half ago, the four-piece band shows no sign of slowing down, releasing their self-titled debut album last March and their newest single “secrets” in October. Static Brian represents the singularity and undauntedness of the Philly music scene, meshing the skramz and screamo genres. They find their roots in post-hardcore and the silver scene with experimental art rock components added to their heavy riffs and fast-paced tempos. The tight-knit group featuring Jasmine Chesbro (vocals, screams, guitar), Anwar Lami (guitar, vocals), Aidan Gallo (drums), and Henrietta Edmonds (bass) found their musical partnership in the spontaneity which thrives at the heart of their music. 

Gallo played in band programs through middle and high school, remaining an integral part of his musical journey. He started posting videos of jam sessions online, which gained traction around the West Philly area, leading Chesbro to interact with his content and become friends. Moving into his college years, Gallo attended Temple through which he became roommates with Lami. He said, “We were in a band. Anwar obviously being lead guitar and other friends doing rhythm guitar, bass, and stuff like that.” Static Brian evolved from private jam sessions to a full-fledged, for-the-people emo band when Lami quickly fell into place as the band’s guitarist during an emergency performance after a band fell through at a party hosted by Chesbro. “Fuck yeah bro, I was so down,” Lami said. Like one missing jigsaw piece found, the core of Static Brian came to in the midst of rarity.

Photo by @dan_the_being on Instagram

At the party, the quartet, now with Chesbro also on vocals, started jamming together. There was something special cultivated that night; as Gallo put, “I feel like we’re best friends. Family is first, and through that, you know, just kind of going out and doing our thing together, that kind of responded to us being musically engaged with each other.” 

The name Static Brian doesn’t fall far from the core philosophy of the band. The group pondered over what to call this conglomerate of emo, jazz, and marching band musicians: “Static Break, Static Brain, and then jokingly I was like 'Static Brian?' And they [the band] were like, 'yes, that’s it,'” Chesbro said, referring to one of her friends, Brian. Through the name, the band tries not to take themselves too seriously within the eclectic energy of the Philadelphia-based bands. As Gallo put it, “I think it kind of goes into the philosophy of not taking yourself too seriously [...] Most people when they hear that band name, its like, who the fuck is Static Brian?” 

Chesbro found potential to tap into this emo sound that she grew up listening to. “I really just wanted to have an emo band [...] I wanted to sound emo as fuck.” Her process for finding that sound within her own instrument came from listening to Catalyst, watching YouTube, and natural evolution. She said, “I would just listen to Paloma. The album is so good. And I just kept trying to figure out how to get my screams to sound like that, but in a girl, unique way to my own voice.” The evolution of her own voice followed the band’s progression of becoming an established name in the Philly music scene. “I listen to a lot of metal for it, and I think that’s what my scream sounds more now, than it does screamo, like it used to. Yeah, it’s constantly evolving.” Almost indoctrinating her fellow bandmates into this emo aesthetic, Chesbro’s goal was to secure the cringy, whining third-wave emo sound. She takes her instrument seriously and avoids damaging her voice at all costs, as screaming takes technique and time to perfect. Chesbro said, “I would genuinely be really fucked up if I didn’t think my screams sounded the way I wanted them to. I was really persistent about it needing to sound exactly how I wanted it to.” 

Since before their creation, the band has been active in the DIY and underground music scenes of Philadelphia. The underground scene has massive historical significance, with Philadelphia being a top city that influenced the Punk Movement that spurred in 1970s America. With elements including political activism, DIY ethos, and non-conforming ideology, Static Brian fits right in with Philly’s thriving punk scene. In respect to the DIY ethos of the Philly punk scene today, Chesbro says: “I think it really stands on the true beliefs of punk, and I fuck with that. It’s very accepting and welcoming. It’s very ‘help your community.’” 

Photos by Madi Golden

Not only is there a thriving punk scene in Philly, but the underground scene contains a myriad of different genres of music, artforms, and communities. Bleed Fight Club, hosted a Christmas event featuring underground bands, DJs, and a boxing league, integrating diverse communities into one venue to bring a unique experience, not only for the audience, but also for the musicians. “I think we definitely embrace having different bands with different sounds,” Gallo said. “At least for me as the drummer, I have the ability to kind of embrace all different kinds of sounds, and genres, and vibes.” Mixed bills are great opportunities for musicians to connect with other artists, but also to introduce different audiences to their music. “You could do one show with a bunch of bands and then you probably will continue working with them. You’ve literally made friends in that scene through that. It’s very community-oriented,” Chesbro said. 

Even though the DIY scene in Philly has been a fruitful experience for Static Brian—one that they have continued to perform and immerse themselves in as a band and audience members—being a frontwoman in a male-dominated genre is a continuous challenge for Chesbro. “People will never see me as legit enough because, not only am I a woman, but I’m also Black, and queer, and weird,” she said. “Its a hard thing for me to carve out my own path in this scene.” She wants to make a safe space for women in her music and at Static Brian shows. She emphasizes, “I would love to inspire women and girls to make music and do whatever the fuck they want.” 

The music Chesbro creates with Static Brian hinges on the female experience, an often ignored point-of-view within the predominately male subcultures of the hardcore and metal scenes. Often promoting ideals of masculinity, power, and violence, the metal genre becomes anew in Static Brian’s music, merging with emo music to open a space for beauty to live in sadness. Chesbro owes this to the musicians she listened to when she was younger: “All the bands I grew up listening to were women leads; how hard their experience must have been, I totally didn’t recognize that.” 

Photo by Madi Golden

With each set performed, Static Brian cultivates a space for their audience to cry, scream, and test the limits of non-conformity within the hardcore scene. At odds with this perspective, Chesbro said, “I don’t feel like I am powerful enough to really be the person that leads that movement.” Yet, their values as a group and individual musicians speak directly to the ideology of what it means to be a leading part of the underground music scene of Philadelphia, and they are making an undeniable impact on the scene and their audiences. 

Though Static Brian has amassed over 20,000 followers on Instagram and 2,700 monthly listeners on Spotify, the band doesn’t feel as though this has changed their perception on performing. As Gallo said, “It is interesting that kind of shit can happen so quickly and how you don’t really feel any different when you go on to a show and you play and just through the motions of it.” The pressure of being known does not waver their goal as performers, only motivating them further. As Lami said, “People started showing up who knew us, and it was like, ‘OK, I gotta sound good.” This upcoming year is anticipated to be fruitful for Static Brian; the band plans to release new music, continuing their upwards trajectory within the underground music scene of Philadelphia.