Q&A: Brighthouse
Their paths crossed in the picturesque landscapes of Scotland, where destiny played its part. Meet Sára and Keno, known best as duo Brighthouse, a fusion of folk, indie, and acoustic elements, creating a sonic suitcase filled with the memories of their adventures.
The duo’s debut single ‘On the run’ dropped in February of 2024 to great response. The track shares a story written in the pages of their travels. Their love is interwoven into the fabric of their sound, creating a harmonious balance between the reality of the road and the warmth of human connection.
We caught up with Sára and Keno about their debut single, their musical inspiration while travelling, and advice for new musicians in the Scottish music industry.
Your first single 'On the run' is all about your travels and how Brighthouse came to be, can you tell us more about how the band started?
Sára: Probably everyone would expect a romantic story or at least more adventures but…
Keno: We initially met at uni and quickly connected as we were both international students. Back then, we both focused on our solo projects but still collaborated with each other a lot as Sara was afraid to play the guitar live herself and I was looking for vocalists on my tracks. So over time we started performing live and it all naturally grew as soon as we wrote our first song together.
S: But yes, we did travel over 1000 miles to meet in Scotland.
As a duo who like to travel, where have you found the most inspiration musically?
K: Funnily enough in our comfortable home. We actually wrote ‘On the run’ while having breakfast.
S: Slow mornings are the most creative since we have the time to reflect and share our still-vivid-memories. But for our next road trip we are planning to take our instruments with us and see what present moments can bring.
Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?
K: We recently saw the Pistol Daisys live and absolutely enjoyed that gig. Since then, we have been listening to their debut single maybe too much. We can definitely see them going places. But there are too many great Scottish artists out there!
Tell us your three desert island albums.
K: For me John Mayer’s Continuum album would be the absolute go to.
S: Tom Odell: Long way down! Nothing makes me feel better than singing along to this album. Luckily, our tastes are quite compatible and also diverse. I believe we could agree on Ludovico Einaudi’s Una Mattina as the third one.
If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?
K: I think Vance Joy.
S: Ou yes, ou yes. That would be an amazing collaboration! Maybe one day.
We have an incredibly diverse music industry in Scotland, and we have featured artists from all across the globe who call Scotland their home. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians (especially those who have moved here) who are looking to establish themselves in the Scottish music industry?
S: Honestly, just embrace the Scottish love towards live music. If I could give one tip, it would definitely be open mics. Not only can you share your music, build confidence and network, but also find like minded friends and enjoy the diversity of music together.
K: I absolutely agree with that. Scotland is generally an amazing place for music and the way people value it. For aspiring artists I would say go out, have fun and be confident to share your music and seek those opportunities to do so.
And finally, what can we expect to see from Brighthouse throughout the rest of 2024?
K: We’ve got a lot of great things coming up. We’ve been focused on writing for the past few months and have been experimenting with different sounds. We are back in the studio now and working on our second single hoping to release it later this summer. Later in the year then our debut EP will follow. Other than releases, we’ll keep on playing live as much as we can and simply enjoy making music.
Follow Brighthouse on Instagram here.
Join us at Resonate 2024 on the 28th November at Platform, Glasgow. Limited Early Bird tickets are still available and close to selling out! Click here for tickets.