Interview: Turkuaz Lights up in Colors and Sound

I enjoy going to festivals because it is there that I find new music and artists. For me, Hot August Music Festival has been a yearly tradition since 2014, and it was there that I stumbled upon the amazingly colorful Turkuaz. My first impression of them was driven by their visual presentation, and I was immediately drawn to their performance. However, I quickly discovered that Turkuaz were more than what meets the eye. Their band showcases nine talented musicians in a rainbow of colors that will light up any stage on which they perform. We are excited that Turkuaz will be returning to Hot August Music Festival! Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with lead singer and front man, Dave Brandwein, about colors, touring, and performing at Hot August!

*Turkuaz perform at Hot August Music Festival 2017*

Shantel Mitchell Breen (TSS): Focusing on Hot August Music Festival, what are some of the things you like about performing at Hot August?

Dave Brandwein (Turkuaz): Well, the crowd has always been really great there. We have played a lot of great venues in the area and we have a lot of fans there in the Baltimore/DC area. I feel like we’re always welcomed there and people are really excited that we’re coming. The staff and the people who run Hot August are really great as well. It has been nothing but a positive experience any time we’ve been. We always have a great time.

TSS: I recently interviewed Brad Selko, who essentially created Hot August. It was really great to hear his perspective on running a music festival. It’s very homegrown and sort of intimate.

DB: Yea, it is. It feels intimate, like a personal experience, even interacting a little bit with the fans. You can tell by the staff and everyone that they hire, everyone who works it and books it, it’s clear that music is the top priority and not an afterthought.

TSS: Right! I agree. So, now this is more of a question for you and the band dynamics… how is it touring with so many members?

DB: Oh, we’re so used to it now, you know? Back when we toured in one van for several years, it obviously had it’s difficulties. Traveling for a living is never a perfect situation. But, you know, we’re on a bus now and it’s pretty comfortable. And we all like each other a lot so that makes it pretty easy.

TSS: That’s great. I was going to say, liking your band-mates has to make traveling a lot easier.

DB: Definitely. We’re all a pretty tight knit family unit. We’ve lived on top of each other for many, many years now and so… that makes it a very pleasant experience for sure.

TSS: Yes, I’m sure! So, when I saw you the first time, the thing that stood out to me that I thought was the coolest thing ever is your color coordinating. I absolutely love the colors. What was the band’s thought process on deciding that?

DB: Well, many years ago, my wife Dani Brandwein, she was putting together wardrobe ideas for the band. There were a few iterations of it, but one of them was a different color jumpsuit for every member. So she found a jumpsuit for each person. So the band has taken that and we’ve sort of morphed it over the years. At a certain point, we just took the color aspect of it. We realized that it does a good job of, although we are this large unit of a band, each individual member really kind of has their own vibe that they bring to the table, their own unique set of skills. Putting each person in their own color, helps to put that on display and differentiate – not just a sea of bodies up there. So, it became a tool that we use and I don’t know if we’ll do it forever, but it’s been for a few years and it’s been kind of a cool way to visually present the band.

TSS: Absolutely! I think it’s a great idea. It allows it, like you said, for the musicians to be individual members of the band but also part of the whole. Like a rainbow is one thing but every part of a rainbow shines differently.

DB: Exactly, that’s the idea!

TSS: I know when you played The Anthem opening for Lettuce, and I was really excited – I was actually there to see you guys. I know that the color scheme that you used for the lights also went together with your stage outfits and I walked away saying “wow, what a visually stimulating show as well.”

DB: Right! And even if in the future, we go with something different, that’s the goal… to have a show that takes the visual stimulation into account as well as the audio.

TSS: Well, we here at These Subtle Sounds really enjoy Turkuaz and we’re happy that you guys are coming back to the festival. That’s one thing we are noticing… we have a lot of artists that you can tell they like Hot August Music Festival because they come back to perform. Well, thanks so much chatting with me and we’ll see you soon!

DB: No problem! Absolutely!

Hot August Music Festival will take place at Oregon Ridge Park on Saturday, August 17th. Early bird tickets for the festival are still available and can be purchased here! We will be featuring more Hot August news throughout the upcoming weeks so stay tuned for more interviews and music news related to the festival!