After nearly three years in the making, BRONSON is finally entering the music landscape. A product of the personal connection between ODESZA members Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight and Golden Features’ Tom Stell, the collaborative project has grown out of mutual admiration the creatives had for each other’s work. They ended up forming a digital record box of shared sounds sent across time zones and continents through Dropbox files and FaceTime calls, bringing those collective efforts to a culmination in what would later become the first BRONSON album.

Today, the trio is releasing “VAULTS” — a track that explores a gripping intensity by way of distorted baselines and edgier cinematic tones. The track became their anchor in the writing process.

“It was one of the earlier instrumentals we completed and it acted as a cornerstone to the overall sound design and aesthetic of the album,” BRONSON recall. “The track really proved a departure from each artist’s own respective styles and set a definitive change in direction for the BRONSON project. We knew we had something special here and it served as a guiding light for the rest of the record.”

The band is also prepping to release their self-titled debut album set to release on July 17. In light of the forthcoming release, we spoke with the trio about creating things under a new identity, taking risks and using music to find escapism and relief from daily life. Read the full interview below:

VMAN How did BRONSON form? What led mutual admiration on the creative level to result in a 10-track album?

BRONSON We really just started collaborating with no real objective or goal in mind. We met at a music festival in Australia back in 2014, and we’ve always respected each other as artists. We began working together out of that mutual admiration, but it all came together in a very organic, natural way because we were first and foremost all friends and knew we could be honest with each other and not take it all too seriously. Once we started, we quickly realized that the project was going to take a life of its own.

VM What made you choose the name BRONSON — what significance does it hold?

B We actually watched the movie “Bronson” the first day we all started making music together in person. It started as a temporary name, but it ended up sticking as it felt like a natural fit and in a sense symbolized the start of the project.

VM Tell us about your genre and overall sound? Do you believe BRONSON’s aesthetic falls under one category or several?

B That’s a hard one to answer, as the album doesn’t fit in one lane sonically. It pulls from so many different influences and styles that we each love and brought to the project separately, and we also experimented a lot in the creation process. It’s a melodic record that blends together so many different sounds.

VM How has it been creating a project free of any expectations and under a new identity?

B It’s been liberating really. There’s this preconceived idea of what the next ODESZA or Golden Features record is going to sound like, and there’s pressure surrounding that. We got to escape that with this album. We got to make exactly what we wanted because it’s something new, and that was freeing.

VM As ODESZA and Golden Features, was it hard to depart from your previous styles and habits towards approaching music?

B We took a lot of risks in this project and really pushed ourselves creatively. That essentially was the goal of the project — to step outside the comfort zone. It does that well, and it feels really good as a result.

VM Can you tell us about the creative process behind “VAULTS?” What was the inspiration and how did it shape the rest of the album?

B “VAULTS” was one of the first instrumentals we finished, and it became an anchor to the overall sound design and aesthetic of the larger album. The track represented a departure from each of our own respective styles (as ODESZA and Golden Features). In that, it marked a change in direction for the BRONSON project and it was a guiding light for the rest of the album. After that, we knew there was something special here.

VM The overarching themes for the BRONSON draw on loneliness and perseverance through struggle. How does this message coincide with the current climate created by COVID-19? Do you think this album will resonate differently than you previously anticipated?

B One of our core goals in creating the album was that people could find a sense of escapism in the record, that it could serve as a form of relief from their daily life or any struggles they might be facing, especially in a time of need. This is universally a particularly difficult time for everyone on many different levels, so we really hope that we were able to achieve this and that the album allows for some reprieve for listeners in one form or another, if only temporary. 

VM This album has been three years in the making. How excited are you to finally reveal who BRONSON is and what your trio offers?

B Very excited. We’re extremely proud of this project and hope people enjoy it as much as we did making it.

VM As ODESZA and Golden Features combined, your streaming numbers are in the billions. Are you anticipating BRONSON will attract a new crowd, or bring along current fans?

B Well, in truth we have no idea. We hope it will accomplish both, and that the project will resonate with a whole range of people/fans, both pre-existing and new. That said, we do think that the project bridges the gap between a lot of different influences that we’ve each pulled from, to create something entirely new and different than what we’ve respectively done in the past.

VM After the album, what can we expect from BRONSON in 2020?

B Depending on the live music landscape – we’d love to tour it – but we’ll have to see.

Check their two new singles below: