An Interview with the Makepeace Brothers

If you haven't had the opportunity to hear The Makepeace Brothers, you should definitely give them a test drive. Finian, Ciaran, Aiden, and Liam Makepeace describe their sound as "music you listen to and say, 'That's good,'" while others have described it as "an upbeat version of Simon and Garfunkle meets Jack Johnson." Their unique but familiar sound draws you in, as their lyrics of love, peace, and inspiration provide the icing on the cake. I had an opportunity to interview Finian and ask him about growing up, making music, and touring.

HOW YOU GOT YOUR START

LM: After reading your bio at www.makepeacebrothers.com I see that you decided to form a group after a road trip across the USA. How did things fall into place to make you decide that you should perform together?

FM: The road trip mentioned was one year-long motor-home trip around the US (the coast mostly). Even though we had the whole family in the motor-home (all four brothers and Mom and Pop Makepeace) we still somehow fit in three guitars. We started learning the guitar and writing songs during this trip. For my tenth birthday party we added a fourth guitar (my birthday present) down in Florida. That was a great day but the guitar was not to great, LOL.

LM: If you could perform with any artist, living or not, who would it be? What songs would you perform?

FM: I would have to go with Jon Lennon's Imagine or Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved

LM: Your bio lists your inspiration as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Marley, as well as U2, Paul Simon, and Van Morrison. Do you have anyone in your own personal lives, growing up and now, that you have been inspired by?

FM: For sure! I think the bio mentions some folks from our home town Ithaca, NY. Ithaca has an amazing local music scene. For example, my best friend Jake Roberts' father is the famous cellist Hank Roberts. We used to all play music together in their living room. Jake actually plays lead guitar with us when we are in the Northeast. Other locals who really inspired our sound and style are Jeb Puryear of Donna the Buffalo and Richie Stearns of The Horse Flies, both are local bands that are international touring acts.

RISING STARS

LM: Your music and lyrics seem to reflect your Makepeace last name. What events in your childhood or youth may have influenced the peaceful message you send through your music?

FM: I would have to say the way we were brought up and the messages in the community we grew up around are the foundations of our influence. But singing and performing music that has a message designed to inspire positive thoughts and activism has to do with some of the musical groups we were in as children. My two older brothers and I sang in Peace Child the international children's chorus that promoted peace throughout the 1990s. Later, I joined Vitamin L a smaller, more performance-based, group that would perform all over the country at elementary, middle, and high schools promoting consciousness, rights, freedom, love, and self expression. Ciaran joined that group a few years later. (That was our first time being professional singers, we actually got great money for it at that age!)

LM: Is it ever difficult working together, and being brothers as well? Have there been any challenges you've had to overcome?

FM: That's a great question. Well, we grew up as brothers and great friends so one great perk is we can get a lot done and be totally truthful with each other. We argue sometimes and the older two do have a bit harder time getting along all the time but over all it is cool to work with people you completely trust. In the music world you need honesty and critical feedback that you can count on and we all provide that for each other. For example, if something is crap we will tell each other : )

YOUR MUSIC

LM: What is your favorite song to perform?

FM: Currently it is Hero. This song is very emotional and means so much when we sing it, it feels extremely powerful to be communicating a message like that with large or small crowds.

LM: Is there a venue that you have performed that sticks out in your head the most? What was so significant about that performance?

FM: Two come to mind: The House of Blues in New Orleans and Kool Haus in Toronto. Both shows had amazing crowds with extraordinary energy in the room.

LM: What message do you want listeners to derive from your lyrics?

FM: Well, positive energy has amazing power, so passing along good energy tends to keep it spreading, and really, there has never been too much love in the world. : ) We are also about people power and how there is great power in the choices individuals and communities make in the world. For example, this tour in the UK is promoting the concept, "vote with your pounds" that is all about the idea that, "how you spend your dollar is what you grow in the world."

TOURING

LM: You just wrapped up the "Music, Magic, Make Peace" tour with Jason Mraz, magician Justin Kredible, and rapper Bushwalla; quite an eclectic group! Are there any experiences from that tour that stand out in your mind? What do you enjoy the most when you go on tour?

FM: The tour was amazing! What stands out most is the unique show we developed. Because we had Justin Kredible between each act and all the performers joining each other on each performers last set, it was nonstop entertainment. I mean, when we were not on stage, we all ended up watching as much of the show as possible because it was so much fun and such great energy to be a part of, even in the audience. The other thing that stands out about a tour like this is being involved in a message you are spreading with your good friends for a whole month is amazing. Oh, yeah the pre shows (playing the line with every one) were awesome! You can YouTube some of those if you like.

LM: One goal of the tour was to promote environmental sustainability. What is one easy way individuals can help our environment in their daily lives?

FM: I would say there are many small ways, but what we are stressing right now is the voting with your dollar (or pounds) concept. If you are thinking about each purchase you make (big or small) being a vote for that thing to grow in the world, you can watch as your choices start to change. Some examples are as simple as riding public transportation like the tube (not sponsoring oil companies) or buying local food (cutting out the mass amounts of pollution and energy wasted during transportation of goods).

AND FINALLY...

LM: Lets say you just won the Grammy for Best New Artist. Who do you thank?

FM: Mom and Pa Makepeace (Emily and Brian Makepeace), our amazing community in Ithaca, our peeps in SF, our manager John Marro, Jason Mraz for helping get our music out to more people, and our fans who, like us, want to spread the messages of love, one world, peace, and consciousness.

LM: If you had to listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

FM: I could not do it ; )

LM: Finish this sentence: My words to live by are...

FM: Always...I mean never... How does that go again? Really though I think for me (I can't speak for all of us on this) it is something like "let your passions and ideas guide you and be the change you want to see in the world."

The Makepeace Brothers recently wrapped up the "Music, Magic, Make Peace" tour and will soon be performing throughout the UK in the "Vote With Your Pounds" tour. They also play many venues throughout the US. Check them out on their MySpace page for more info!