Skip Brunette remembers his days as a grade-school teacher, when the only songs he wrote were about the Spanish words for colors and foods. Today, he and his band, Todo Bien, have taken their music to places Brunette never thought he would have reached.
“Never did I think I’d be writing songs about the way I want to live my life. It’s a cool progression,” says Brunette.
Todo Bien’s latest album, “Here We Go,” is slated for release on Feb. 5. It’s their third studio album, one that’s been more than a year in the making, according to Brunette.
“We have gigged for a year and a half, and pooled our money to make this record happen,” he said. “The fans did help out, because they came to our shows and allowed us to get paid, but all the money that we used for the studio and mixing and mastering, and art work, all came from earning it through gigs we played. The band is that dedicated.”
“There is a lot of darkness in the world, and I’m trying to shed light on some of it.” — Skip Brunette of Todo Bien
Todo Bien is Skip Brunette on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, John Coretto on upright bass, Johann Robledo on lead guitar and background vocals, Aaron “AP” Pearsall on drums, Renee Dupuis on keys and vocals, and Eric German on percussion. The band formed in Hampton in 2009. Over the course of two albums and countless gigs, they’ve refined their sound, a mix of roots-rock, pop, and upbeat rhythm and blues.
“I’m the writer, pretty much writing songs on the acoustic guitar, bringing it to the band and allowing them creative freedom to write their own parts,” Brunette said.
“Here We Go” was recorded at Thundering Sky Studio in South Berwick, Maine. For this album, Brunette said all the parts were tracked live — the band members were all in the studio, located in a 100-year-old barn, recording their parts. That helped the band capture some “magic moments,” Brunette said, like suddenly changing the arrangement of one song from a straight pop-rock track to something more reminiscent of rhythm and blues. The band finished tracking the 11-song album in only three days.
“We left after those three days, and everybody is in tears,” Brunette said. “It’s that feeling of accomplishment…we worked for six months on this (album) and we just sealed the deal.”
Todo Bien's new album cover
Recording an album is expensive — Brunette said it took Todo Bien 18 months of playing shows to raise enough money for “Here We Go.” But the work was worth it, according to Brunette.
“Even family members will ask, ‘Why are you putting out a record? Why put forth that money to do that?’ For me, it’s like a moment in time,” said Brunette. “You write these things, you practice with this group of people, it’s like, OK, you have to publish it now!”
For Brunette, writing lyrics is a kind of meditation. He believes that a positive outlook leads to success, and that attitude carries over into Todo Bien’s songs — their name, after all, is Spanish for “all good.” Brunette says he’s happy to have the band’s sound labeled as “feel-good music.”
“It’s kind of an idealistic view on the way I want life to be for myself, and for everyone else. There is a lot of darkness in this world, and I’m trying to shed light on some of it,” he said.
Take, for example, “Wake Up,” a track that’s gotten airplay on local radio. It starts: “When in life it is you want to see change, you have to put your first foot forward and be that change.” Brunette remembers playing “Wake Up” at a gig at The Stone Church. After the show, an audience member came up to him and asked if the song was about somebody coming out of a depression. Brunette told her, “If you want it to be, absolutely.”
“If these lyrics are going to help somebody recognize rebirth, or a time in their lives, then I want it to do that,” says Brunette. “For me, the song “Wake Up” comes from kind of getting out of your head.”
“We’re here, we’re now, and we’re just going to be plugging along.” — Skip Brunette
In the last few years, Todo Bien has opened for nationally known acts, like Donavon Frankenreiter, 311, and Slightly Stoopid, all of whom have been very supportive, Brunette said.
“The number-one thing that I learned was that every single one of those acts … the people involved … the production people, and the bands themselves, have been so supportive … listening to our set, critiquing our songs, giving me really positive feedback, and words of encouragement. That’s what it’s all about,” Brunette said. “There are so many egos in the music industry, and everyone tries to cross the finish line on their own, and all those bands, they didn’t show me that. They were really encouraging.”
The band is already toying with ideas for new material, and, according to Brunette, some exciting tour opportunities are in the works.
“I try to look at right now and what’s going on,” Brunette said. “I don’t see an end to it at this point. We’re here, we’re now, and we’re just going to be plugging along, I suppose. And when I say plugging along, I mean plugging along, because we ain’t getting rich at it,” he says, laughing. “But we love it.”
“Here We Go” is available online at todobienmusic.com beginning Thursday, Feb. 5. The band will headline an album release party on Saturday, March 7, at the Dover Brickhouse with Groovechild.