Boasting a mix of alt-country roots, Northwest pride, and dueling guitar vs violin solos, The Brooders deliver smart songs about life in the Northwest. Led by singer-songwriter Jay Waltmunson and drummer Matt Galloway, The Brooders are known for their stage banter and audience-inclusive interactions.
With guitar, piano, violin, bass, and drums, The Brooders entertain with harmonies, heart, and well written songs. Their original tunes stand out with upbeat, catchy, sing-along melodies while the songwriting fully embraces (and yet lovingly pokes at) life in the Northwest and all that we hold dear.
Jay (Vocals & Guitar)
“Real world stuff.” Jay prides himself on writing songs that both embrace and tenderly jibe living in the Northwest. You know, stuff like falling in love with the barista, the under-recognized virtue of lumber-sexuality, and pondering what it means to live on the “East Side.”
Janel (Vocals)
From the sunny shores of distant New Jersey, and formerly of New York-based Americana duo Alex & Janel, Janel brings her thoughtful, introspective songwriting and soulful lead vocals to The Brooders.
Matt (Drums)
“The only thing better than playing Jay’s songs are playing my own,” says Oklahoma native Matt I-mostly-play-with-brushes-and-it-still-rocks Galloway. Matt wrote Dog Gone from The Brooder’s 3rd album “We’ll Be Your Friend” as well as The RV Song – often played live and sometimes referred as the ‘Seattle Real Estate’ song.
Pete (Lead Guitar)
It’s still not clear why Pete sometimes plays in his socks. And he will also on occasion bite into his guitar. Pete “Nice” is recognized as one the best guitar players in the Northwest and more than one inebriated fan has asked if he’s actually Santana or Jerry Garcia in disguise.
Jon (Bass)
A man of many talents – and lucky for The Brooders – one of Jon’s talent is playing bass. He’s soooo good he does it standing up, and sometimes even with an extra sixth string. (And always with a smile!)