Erinn "2N" Brown's music is - a rootsy hybrid of Rock, Soul and Blues.
Reviews
Comments on The Erinn Brown Band Facebook Page
Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
From Jamie (4.28.2024)
Great show last night! You guys were on fire!
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From: Stacey McBreairty Marchioni
Sept. 3, 2019 "Amazing band with beautiful vocals and a great sound ... they are a talented group who play a lot of excellent original songs ... Love this band!!!"
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Fro
From Jamie (4.28.2024)
Great show last night! You guys were on fire!
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From: Stacey McBreairty Marchioni
Sept. 3, 2019 "Amazing band with beautiful vocals and a great sound ... they are a talented group who play a lot of excellent original songs ... Love this band!!!"
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From: Jimmy Jang
April 10. 2020, " Great performance, great music and vocals. "
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(Regarding the EB3: Steve Peabody, Randy Leventhal & 2N - July 5,2020 )
Anthony Ciampa,
"You 3 just made my day, thanks"
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(Regarding Erinn & Randy duo on FBLIve - May 9,2020)
Nancy Bellerose, "You guys were terrific and really brightened my day."
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Ray Clough, "Kickin off the morning with you folks, Nice job!"
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Julie Dougherty, "You both looked and sounded great last night!"
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Alan Winter, "Ohhh, now I'm homesick. You look/sound great."
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Leonora, 2018: "Totally enjoyed the music. Such talent!"
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Andy, 2020: "Hey Erinn- Great show last night In York - really good tunes. Loved your range and sound. "
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Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
"Erinn Brown is successful - on her album's bluesy gospel, 'I Can't Stick Around". (Her album,) 'Road Signs To The Sun', exposes both the singing and the songwriting. (In) 'I'm Not One To Just Give Up', the chorus is catchy; Brown pushes her vocal abilities to a higher register, the band achieves a smokey,moody atmosphere. The song verifies that Brown has something to say."
What People are Saying
Northeast Performer Magazine, March 1999; Quotes from Johathan Babu
What People are Saying
Nat (2/2024)
"Your music resonates deeply and means so much to me! I feel that your work flows with such spirit, energy, passion and authenticity! I
wanted to reach out and say that I am super anticipating your new,
forthcoming Erinn Brown Band album! Sending supportive energies your way with the release!!
Your music is such an inspirin
Nat (2/2024)
"Your music resonates deeply and means so much to me! I feel that your work flows with such spirit, energy, passion and authenticity! I
wanted to reach out and say that I am super anticipating your new,
forthcoming Erinn Brown Band album! Sending supportive energies your way with the release!!
Your music is such an inspiring and invigorating light in my world!"
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Erinn: Great show. Your cover versions are really original, the band was dynamite, and you have great stage presence. I hope to see you again soon and will try and get more people to come. Take care, Brooke
EBB- Wonderful release party Sunday! Thank you! Great to see all the players come out to support you and to be on stage with you. Great to see all the other friends and players. THE CD IS PRIMO! WOW! YOU'VE OUTDID YOURSELF! THIS IS SERIOUSLY GREAT! love,RAK
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I've never met anyone who didn't like your sound. Your music is wonderful and would be appreciated all over the west coast, US and Canada - Frank (Vancouver)
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DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT "...Really outstanding - and never mind her all-star ensemble! Just a great group of talent producing some stellar music. This record is well worth the buy and at least a few thousand listens. Can't wait for more!..." -Nick-
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"Erinn's new CD of originals, with an all-star cast of Boston's finest musicians, has been a long time in the works. But it's worth it. Erinn has plenty to say, and knows how to say it with feeling and rocking bluesy tunes, beautifully written and well produced..." - Hugh
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from the audience at Tommy O'Doyle's, May 2007 - your performance was excellent - your voice powerful..
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"Erinn's voice really cuts through and generates a feeling of intensity and a sense of urgency with a cool rythmic vibe." - Round Sound Management, Boston, MA
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For something a little different and a touch of sincerity in a world of glamour, talented singer/songwriter, Erinn Brown, offers snippets of her songs, ... (Anon - Lost reference)
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...For those of you who weren't there last Sunday, she plays GREAT acoustic originals - stuff with soul, attitude, edge, balls and beauty... -Inge Berge
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Erinn '2N' Brown has created a buzz on the North Shore of Boston and where ever she performs. Erinn Brown just released her second album in 9 years. Both of these albums are brilliant. More people need to hear Erinn Brown's music. - (anon)
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"...Her ability to fuse folk, blues and funk is beautiful, engaging and unique. I was almost completely mystified sitting there listening to her."
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"As I listened to her weekend sets, I was visited by a recurring thought: Why is someone with this much talent and training playing in small rooms with local bands? Perhaps her next CD will change all that. Until then, catch her while you can. " - Will Pirone, Salem Sounds, February 2006 (Full Review Below)
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Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Erinn "2N" Brown has some old-school influences -- Memphis soul, especially -- but she presents them with a contemporary spin. Songs burst forward with her engagingly elastic voice, aided by warm elements of Hammond B-3 organ and horn flourishes. Her new album, “Don’t Forget About It” has some great songs such as the clever "Love is a
Erinn "2N" Brown has some old-school influences -- Memphis soul, especially -- but she presents them with a contemporary spin. Songs burst forward with her engagingly elastic voice, aided by warm elements of Hammond B-3 organ and horn flourishes. Her new album, “Don’t Forget About It” has some great songs such as the clever "Love is a Peace of the World,'' the Bonnie Raitt-evoking ballad "Time to Waste,'' and hugely cathartic "Dig Out the Pain,'' which tells you that this lady has been around the block. Amid the rootsy, experience-laden tracks is even an acid-jazz reprise of a song heard earlier called "And in the End,'' where she notes that "everybody is trying to win their own game.'' She wins her own here.'' -- STEVE MORSE, longtime Boston Globe Correspondent
Metronome Magazine, March 1, 2009 - By Douglas Sloan
Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Erinn Brown has a voice that most people only dream of and she really knows how to use it. Soulful, sweet and powerful, Brown flaunts her talents on this sexy offering Don't Forget About It. Enlisting a camp of Boston musicians that include Pete MacLean, Michael Miksis, Jeff Buckridge, Ken Clark, Henley Douglas, Jr, Steve Peabody, Lisa M
Erinn Brown has a voice that most people only dream of and she really knows how to use it. Soulful, sweet and powerful, Brown flaunts her talents on this sexy offering Don't Forget About It. Enlisting a camp of Boston musicians that include Pete MacLean, Michael Miksis, Jeff Buckridge, Ken Clark, Henley Douglas, Jr, Steve Peabody, Lisa Marie, Julie Dougherty, Brian Maes, Dennis Babin, Will Pirone, Marty Rowen, Masashi Nakamura and "Walnut da Lyrical Geni," Brown and company step on the gas pedal and never look back. Reminiscent of Susan Tedeschi and the great, Bonnie Raitt, Erinn Brown sings song that makes your heart quiver. Don't miss this talented gal when she performs in your town! - Douglas Sloan, Metronome Magazine
Art Throb - Salem, MA 7/16/09 - Music Interview By Julie Dougherty
Personal review from long time Boston Globe Correspondent, Steve Morse - June 8, 2008
Art Throb - Salem, MA 7/16/09 - Music Interview By Julie Dougherty
Erinn Brown …the extra N isn’t all that separates her from others with the same name, her voice is the feature that most identifies her signature difference: a unique, distinctively pleasurable fullness of sound that captures the ear … a smoothness and familiarity of inflection that is a mostly ‘natural’ gift. I think maybe even Erinn w
Erinn Brown …the extra N isn’t all that separates her from others with the same name, her voice is the feature that most identifies her signature difference: a unique, distinctively pleasurable fullness of sound that captures the ear … a smoothness and familiarity of inflection that is a mostly ‘natural’ gift. I think maybe even Erinn wonders at her own ability sometimes.
I met Erinn about a dozen years ago on a night I was hosting the open mic at the “Pig” in Salem … she came in with a friend to perform and I was immediately stunned by the beauty of her voice, her easy style and disarming way… we’ve been friends ever since…
She is like a ‘little sister’ to me in many ways, but is quite knowledgeable and ‘older than her years’ about many things musical, not the least of which is how to put a song across to an audience. Her talent is God-given but she works constantly at her craft.
She had a CD out at the time that we met (Roadsigns To The Sun) and it featured some original songs as well as some cover songs…and it was good. But her more recent recording completed last summer (Don’t Forget About It) shows a more mature and seasoned songwriter/singer/performer than her initial offering. She continues to grow into her own.
And she has a new band. Her musical future is the topic of this conversation, where she sees herself in a few year’s time, what her hopes and dreams are — a good reason for us to get together over a cup of coffee (or three) and talk about her music:
Question (Julie): “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Answer (Erinn): “It’s hard to say where my paths will go, but if I were to choose a direction without worrying about the means, I’d go on tour across country and all over the world.
My album, after the conception and finalities, is mostly just a sidekick now while I juggle teaching, gigs and preparing for a life in storage. Radio needs to coincide with a tour (however the life of the internet is an adventure in itself, just the mere thought!)
I love playing electric with my band: Steve Peabody on drums, Alison Keslow on bass and we have several fantastic guitarists who join us on a strange rotation, which gives us different flavors per performance: Jeff Buckridge (Boston Horns) who began with us, Fran McConville, Jr, who played with us for a long stint when he returned from L.A. (only to return to the warm-land), Jay Aptt (Tonekat) and Rick St. Germain (Tobasco Fiasco).
My band has transformed into a bit of a jam-band while playing originals and covers that it may take a few measures to recognize. I see us at festivals and opening for larger venues!”
Erinn is off to a good start — her new CD got a rave review from Steve Morse, Boston Globe Correspondent, when he dubbed her “sultry funk ‘n’ soul from an underrated singer who knows about the intricacies of the heart… the music stings and heals at the same time.”
Keep your eyes and ears on Erinn Brown in the months and years to com
Will Pirone, Salem Gazette, February 2006
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
Erinn Brown raises voice at Capt.'s
By Will Pirone/ Salem Sounds
Friday, February 17, 2006
Erinn Brown first came to Salem a decade ago when her group, "Hunter's Moon," played at the old
Rockmore Drydock restaurant on Pickering Wharf. After frequent engagements and a live album by the group recorded at that location, she decided to settl
Erinn Brown raises voice at Capt.'s
By Will Pirone/ Salem Sounds
Friday, February 17, 2006
Erinn Brown first came to Salem a decade ago when her group, "Hunter's Moon," played at the old
Rockmore Drydock restaurant on Pickering Wharf. After frequent engagements and a live album by the group recorded at that location, she decided to settle here.
Brown came to Massachusetts from West Virginia after her first year of college, hoping to attend the Berklee School of Music. She was soon accepted and graduated with a degree in professional music, with a performance and song-writing concentration.
Like many musicians, Brown came from a musical family, and cannot remember when she wasn't singing. Her mother says that she sang on the way home from the hospital.
As a child she sang at the dinner table between bites of food. She played clarinet and saxophone in high school, and sang at local events with her two sisters.
Most area musicians have a day job and play music on weekends and in the evenings. After a few years of following this route, Brown decided to focus full-time on her musical career and, as she says, "chose the path of poverty." She now teaches piano, guitar, voice and music theory, spending her remaining time as a singer and songwriter.
Brown is a familiar figure on the local music scene. Her recently disbanded group, "Move Over," played regularly at Dodge Street. She has been a frequent open-mike host and featured performer at In A Pig's Eye. I saw her during Haunted Happenings, performing on the outdoor stage at the Essex Street Mall.
It is only appropriate that I caught up with her this weekend at Capt.'s Waterfront Grill, the site of the former Rockmore Drydock, where her musical life in Salem began. The interior has been recently and tastefully redone. The restaurant is in a beautiful setting, with views of Derby Wharf, the "Friendship" and the harbor.
This was a solo engagement. Brown accompanied herself on guitar, playing rhythm behind her vocals, and picking melodic lines during the instrumental breaks. She sometimes works with Michael Kehn on bass. If another guitarist is present, she often will play the conga drum.
But this is all about the voice as an instrument. Her voice is never trapped in her chest or throat. It is projected through her mouth and nasal cavities where complex resonance is produced. The resulting timbre is very smooth and soft in the lower register. She uses the microphone, rather than her lungs, to amplify this sometimes breathy delivery.
Her pitch is precise and even, generally ending with a slight vibrato or waiver that abruptly resolves on key. She ascends from her natural alto to her upper register with ease. In this range she has a variety of vocal effects. Always just short of a cry, a wail, an occasional growl, and then she quickly returns to the lower register.
Her phrasing and cadence are usually steady, although at times she will let the melodic possibilities overtake the meaning of the words, breaking up the lyric in unexpected ways. She will frequently vary the vocal dynamic while syncopating the beat, then, just as abruptly, return to the main thrust of the song.
This is as close as you can get to scat and still be articulate. It is jazz masquerading as pop; the blues hiding in ballads.
During the last set on a recent evening, a member of the audience requested a song she had done in the first set. She apologized for repeating the song, then produced a completely different interpretation. She explained to me she had done this for the benefit of those who had stayed through all three sets.
Her original material is artistic in both lyrics and music. Themes of love, rejection, anticipation, and ambivalence are embellished with vivid imagery, believable detail and memorable narrative. This range of emotions allows variety in pace and tempo among the individual songs and across the performance as a whole.
She rarely uses a set list, allowing the musical flow to direct the selection of material. This sometimes leaves spaces in the set. The interpretive nature of her delivery causes the quality to vary from show to show. But then, it varies on a scale from excellent to outstanding.
The set generally consists of equal shares of original songs and covers. About half of the original material is from her CD "Road Signs to the Sun." The rest are more recent compositions for the album she is currently working on. New compositions and covers are regularly introduced and keep the act from getting stale.
As I listened to her weekend sets, I was visited by a recurring thought: Why is someone with this much talent and training playing in small rooms with local bands? Perhaps her next CD will change all that. Until then, catch her while you can.
Capt'.s Waterfront Grill & Club is at 94 Wharf Street on Pickering Wharf.
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
There is a lot to be said about this sadly under rated North Shoretalent. Erinn Brown studied at a conservatory in Virginia before tackling a voice performance degree program at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Though not as prolific a recording artist as most of her caliber, singer/songwriter Brown has released a couple of overlooke
There is a lot to be said about this sadly under rated North Shoretalent. Erinn Brown studied at a conservatory in Virginia before tackling a voice performance degree program at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Though not as prolific a recording artist as most of her caliber, singer/songwriter Brown has released a couple of overlooked gems in the last 11 years. Road Signs To The Sun, her 1999 release, showcased an extraordinary artist on the rise. Her follow up came nine years later. Her 2008 release Don’t Forget About It was light years ahead. Six songs on Don’t Forget About It could have become national radio hits and the remaining tracks were turntable hits on Brown’s local North Shore and Boston radio stations. “Love Is A Peace Of The World” opens the disc with a cool smoky vocal from Brown while her studio band kicks it into a jazzy overdrive that she commands with her powerhouse delivery. Influenced by soul and rock from the 1970s and classic R&B from the 1960s, Brown gives a gospel feeling to many of these 2008 tunes. There is something uplifting in her vocal approach that reaches the spiritual level. “And In The End” has a 60s attitude in the beat and funky guitar riffs. A definite Sly And The Family Stone influence exists in Brown’s composition of songs that require a lot of funk interactions riding on a danceable beat. Every player she recruited for this project is a stellar musician, especially guitarist Jeff Buckridge from The Boston Horns. Producer Brian Maes nailed the sonic beauty of all of Brown’s range, whether she’s singing in a raspy blues style or a smooth pop delivery. The female backing vocalists on “Cool Summer Rain” hum a gospel line with a lot of warm spirituality while Brown serves up a more down and dirty blues chanteuse approach. Blues piano tinkling over slow B3 Hammond organ grooves make it a good song great. “An Eye For An Eye” has a sax line that brings to life Brown’s smoky tune about life in the modern age of competition. Again, R&B keyboards, funky guitar, and a danceable beat are mere tools in the hands of this songwriter who knows her stuff. “Time To Waste” changes the pace with its down tempo blues and it showcases more of Brown’s voice to handle the heavy lifting of carrying the melody and pushing the direction of the tune. “Get Out Of The Way” is a more aggressive slow song that takes her delivery to a more forceful level before the CD moves into the bluesy smolder of “Dig Out The Pain.” Next thing you know Brown is back into her funk pace of “If I Could Hear It From You” and “Take It Slow.” “Apartment Blues,” an ode to anyone who has ever had to live cheaply, is pure harmonica driven, 12-bar blues. Brown has a worldly wisdom about the futility of dealing with landlords and bosses, and she brings it home with a sense of acceptance and wit. A dobro on loan from Bill’s Music in Peabody makes a winsome appearance and adds the final stamp of blues authenticity to Brown’s song. This CD closes out with Brown giving a spoken word interpretation of “And In The End” that makes one wonder if she ever studied drama. This jazz-poetry piece features a rapper that uses an urban sensibility to mirror Brown’s attitude. It is easy to picture Brown slowly swaying at the microphone on a coffee shop stage, on acid, wearing a dye-tied outfit, and looking out at the bopping heads of a bunch of gourmet coffee drinking beatniks and bohemians who are powerless under her spell.
Limelight Magazine - 12/7/2016 By Julia Cirignano
Retro CD Review By Bill Copeland Music Press Erinn Brown Don’t Forget About It
Limelight Magazine - 12/7/2016 By Julia Cirignano
Hard work pays off for singer/songwriter Erinn Brown
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Erinn Brown is living proof that if you work hard enough you can become a successful musician. Singer/songwriter Brown has released three records with The Erinn Brown Band: Road Signs To The Sun, Don’t Forget About It and Ruled My Life with The Erinn Brown Band. She
Hard work pays off for singer/songwriter Erinn Brown
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Erinn Brown is living proof that if you work hard enough you can become a successful musician. Singer/songwriter Brown has released three records with The Erinn Brown Band: Road Signs To The Sun, Don’t Forget About It and Ruled My Life with The Erinn Brown Band. She currently plays gigs around her hometown of Salem, Mass., and also teaches private music lessons to a variety of different age groups.
Brown is a gifted musician herself yet she still loves teaching private home and studio lessons, private lessons at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass, and will soon be teaching the Modern Band Project at Endicott. She is beyond happy with her current musician career. She loves being part of both the Salem music scene and the Endicott College community.
Brown attended Berklee College of Music where she majored in Professional Music with a concentration in Performing and Songwriting. She uses many of the skills she learned there when she teaches music lessons and also when she writes her own music.
Brown has been teaching private music lessons for younger kids for eighteen years and teaching at Endicott College for over five years. At Endicott, she teaches piano, guitar and voice lessons.
“I started working there because the music and arts program decided they wanted to implement private lessons as an option for students,” Brown explained. “I was asked if I wanted to teach there privately. It was exciting for me to get involved in that because it’s a different level. I had been teaching little kids so it’s nice to have the adult students.”
After being part of the Endicott College community for such a long time, Brown was recently asked to teach the Modern Band project at Endicott for the Spring 2017 semester. During these fifteen weeks, she will be helping several students form a band and prepare for live performances on campus.
“I was just asked to fill in this coming semester to teach a class which I’ve never done before,” Brown said. “I’m really excited about it and I’m really nervous.”
Brown fits perfectly into the Endicott community, especially the performing arts family. She looks forward to her new, additional role within the community.
“I feel very lucky to be part of it. I think it’s a really neat program,” she said. “The people who I have been working with there are creative and fun and thoughtful. I feel a good sense of community and that’s comforting.”
Brown has been pursuing her own music with The Erinn Brown Band for over ten years. She plays many local venues with her band and also as a trio, duo, and solo act. Brown has grown both through her experience teaching and her work with her band.
“The Erinn Brown Band with all the different musicians has been inspiring to me,” she said. “I will always appreciate their input. It’s similar in the way I’ve grown with my teaching. I’m always learning from other people.”
Brown has worked with many different local musicians, yet her current band consists of Steve Peabody on drums, Sven Larson or Bryan Sheehan on bass, Randy Leventhal on lead guitar, and Brown on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Brown has known Peabody the longest and talked about how he became part of the band.
“I worked with my drummer in college,” she said. “We were in an ensemble together and we wound up taking a couple classes together. We were good friends.”
While Brown and Peabody drifted apart after graduation, he ended up finding her on MySpace in 2005.
“At that time, the drummer I had been working with had just passed away so it was perfect timing for Steve to contact me; both as a good friend and being supportive and also he’s a great drummer,” Brown explained.
Brown’s work within her band is very near and dear to her heart. Her music is personal since her writing is so raw and honest. Brown has been a writer her whole life whether she is writing for herself or songwriting. While themes such as relationships may have first inspired her writing, she has also pushed her some towards more mature and controversial topics.
“I think I wrote mostly about my relationships in the beginning then expanded,” Brown explained. “Relationships are always a big part of my writing but I tried to, I mean didn’t necessarily try it just came out, but to be more political and socially aware in my writing. On my second record I wrote a song called ‘And In The End’ and that was very driven by the politics at the time. Feeling a split between political parties and others, kind of what’s going on these days.”
Brown has always written music that is very real and true to herself, to the point where she sometimes finds it hard to sing her own lyrics. She only writes about events and feelings which she has experienced, so recording and performing these songs can sometimes be very emotional for her.
Brown is currently working on some songs for a new record with various political themes. Keep your eye out for a new Erinn Brown Band record that will hoping be coming out in 2017. Brown has also written some songs with her drummer Peabody which she said will definitely be on the new record.
While Brown is dedicated to her band, she sometimes plays shows as a solo act, and some as a trio. She also plays many shows with her guitarist/boyfriend Randy Leventhal. No matter what the setup, Brown loves the community of musicians and friends she has acquired since moving to Salem.
“We play at In The Pig’s Eye in Salem frequently. It’s like a second home to me,” Brown explained. “When I first moved up this way, I first started playing guitar in front of people at this place. Before, I was a singer who just fronted bands. The Pig’s Eye was always a place that I enjoyed going to and hanging out with people there. Of course, the clientele changes but it always feels comfortable there and it’s really nice to feel that comfort with my friends; my best friend Randy on guitar and my friend Steve on drums.”
Brown plays at many other venues around the Salem area. While many of them are now closed, she still enjoys playing at Brodie’s Seaport since they have a big enough stage for her whole band to perform. She also plays at many venues in Somerville, such as Sally O’Brien’s.
Check out The Erinn Brown Band’s official website to get the latest update on her show schedule.
New Album by The Erinn Brown Band
We released our new album on July 13th, 2024.
All original songs.
The Sun and The Moon is a 9 song CD and also available as a digital download on Bandcamp with a lyric booklet.
If you would like a Download code, email me here on the website or come to a gig!
*Other musicians on the album:
Adria Smith, Lisa Marie and The Derby Girls.