Make no mistake, THE BRUISES are out to charm you. Sometimes flirtatiously sweet, other times seductively brooding, the four-piece rock band from San Francisco packs a punch and seals it with a kiss. With a polished sound and a captivating live show that’s tight as hell, THE BRUISES meld classic rock bravado and indelible power pop hooks with unapologetic ease, by way of dueling female harmonies and a serrated double guitar attack that have become the band’s signature.
A decade in the making, the songwriting collaboration of Aja Blue and Jen Black forms the core of the band and the foundation for an ever-evolving sound. With the addition of a powerhouse rhythm section of Tamara Waite and Clayton Vorheis, the band released its most recent EP "Motion Light" in March 2011.
Featured frequently on Soundcheck on Live 105 with Aaron Axelson, "Motion Light" was named the #1 EP of 2011 by Radio Valencia and named a Top Ten Album of 2011 by Innocent Words Magazine.
In late 2011, THE BRUISES advanced to national finals of the Pop-Up Live Competition sponsored by PopChips and SPIN Magazine, finishing in 3rd Place out of more than 250 bands nationwide. Their strong showing in the contest resulted in more than 500 downloads of the single "Mean What You Say", nearly 1,000 YouTube video views, 2000+ votes nationwide, and special coverage from SPIN.com and local indie blogs.
"Motion Light" was recorded at San Francisco’s Faultline Studios, with two LA all-stars on board for post production---mixing by Michael Eisenstein (Letters to Cleo, Nina Gordon, Lisa Loeb, Juliana Hatfield) and mastering by Hans DeKline (The Von Bondies, Joey Santiago of the Pixies, Morcheeba, Tim Finn of Crowded House).
In 2011, THE BRUISES conducted multiple tours of the Pacific Northwest and Southwest U.S. in support of "Motion Light". The band is returning to the studio in early 2012 to record a new full length album.
THE BRUISES music has been featured on MTV's “The Real World”, "Parental Control", and HERE Network's "Dante's Cove". They have shared the stage with such notable acts as The Subways, Corin Tucker (Sleater Kinney), Berlin, The English Beat, The Muffs, The Ettes, Von Iva, The Trophy Fire, The Love Me Nots, and Persephone’s Bees.
THE BRUISES are:
Aja Blue // lead vocals/guitar
Jen Black // lead guitar/vocals
Clayton Vorheis // bass
Tamara Waite // drums
HISTORY:
In 2001, Aja Blue and Jen Black started THE BRUISES in Peoria, Illinois. The following year, they toured extensively across the U.S. in support of their debut LP “Last Summer”. In 2004, the pair trekked to Los Angeles, where they began to hone a fuller rock sound and recorded the EP "Ladies and Gentlemen....", their first full band effort. After a year in LA, Blue and Black relocated to San Francisco. In late 2006, the band returned to the studio with producer Scott Tusa (Scissors For Lefty, Matt Lutz) to lay the groundwork for the full-length record “Connected”, released 2008. |
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"The Bruises demonstrate that they know how to effectively dip into different tastes, from punk to indie to pop, and blend each genre with a fist full of dynamism. The result is a power-driven full-length effort that’s an electrifying force all the way through."
-WEST COAST PERFORMER MAGAZINE
"If Tegan and Sara were not as heartbroken and Sleater-Kinney were not as angry, the result would be something close to The Bruises. This song grabs you with its catchy chorus and then rocks you hard. This track will have you hurting to hear the whole album."
-THE DELI SF
"At times recalling Joan Jett and the Donnas, Connected surges with forceful twin-guitar assaults and dueling vocals, sweetening the heartbreak. "Wake Up" — mobilized by the rollicking rhythms of guest drummer Derrick Hostetter and the irrepressible vocal give-and-take trade-offs between Black and Blue — is a clear highlight, as is "Dancing Is Dangerous," an exuberant, new wave–y ode to infatuation boasting delicious synth blips straight out of a Cars video, courtesy of producer Scott Tusa."
- SF BAY GUARDIAN
"The Bruises load upbeat, dynamic pop songs with muscle and a bit of attitude, then smooth out the edges."
-EAST BAY EXPRESS
"Using straight-up pop techniques with one foot in the Go-Go's and the other in Matthew Sweet, Connected's strongest tracks play that wonderful game of ear tease, where the song begins with promise, doesn't give too much away at the beginning, then lives up to full potential, creating a rewarding three-to-four-minute journey."
-thetripwire.com
"Every single song on it is a winner."
-musesmuse.com
"What makes them stand apart from other groups of the genre are the non-generic melodic vocal lines, imminently hummable without being utterly predictable, not an easy thing to do, and perhaps a result of their years honing their quieter side as an acoustic duo."
-amplifiermagazine.com
"The Bruises are intensely hypnotic punk pop and hard rock. Listening to this album, I found myself wanting to see them live. I would follow The Bruises anywhere. I’m not kidding."
-FEMINIST REVIEW
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