Bandmates and brothers, Jacob and Max Brodovsky spoke with us about musical influences, the band’s growing bond and their unique brand of folk-rock.
Can you go through how you guys got started in music?
Jacob: I've been playing in bands since I was 11 or 12. I've always played guitar. I wanted to play the drums. My parents wouldn't let me, but they let Max, so Max started playing drums. I moved to Toronto when I was 18. I played in a band in Toronto for a while. When I moved home, Max moved home around the same time, and we figured it was time to get together. It kind of fell into place pretty quickly. My good buddy Jesse [Popeski] plays guitar, [Max's] good buddy Jonathan [Corobow] plays bass.
Were you guys from a musical family?
Jacob: Our parents are hilariously not musical. I always resent people whose parents are musical. I feel like they got an unfair leg up. I wish my parents made me practice more.
But did they at least expose you to the music that would have sparked this?
Jacob: Yeah, our dad's a big music guy. We got introduced to good music early and dissuaded from listening to bad music early.
Can you talk a bit more about those influences?
Max: For me, mainly The Band, Neil Young, stuff from that time.
Jacob: That's all stuff our dad introduced us too – like The Allman Brothers Band and The Band. Lyrically, I listen to a lot of Wilco, The Weakerthans, and The Wooden Sky. Influence-wise we get compared to The Weakerthans, Neil Young. We get compared to Death Cab for Cutie. We like to play Canadiana, CBC-friendly kind of stuff.
This is your first year playing Harvest Sun, how did you guys get roped into that?
Jacob: I sent out a lot of emails in the fall, but I don't know if I even emailed [Harvest Sun Founder] Nadia. I think she emailed us out of the blue. I was very excited when she did. I had sent out like sixty emails to all these festivals across Canada, and most of them didn't respond. The ones that did were like, 'You guys are a baby band, call us in a few years.' Which is totally legit, because we are. Then I got one positive, and I was like, 'Ahhh!' So it was nice; like 'oh, we're not total failures!'
Have you guys heard anything about the vibe at Harvest Sun?
Jacob: Every musician I've talked to and told them we’re playing Harvest Sun, it's the same reaction – they go "awww! It's so nice there." So yeah, we've heard it's a lovely festival. I'm looking forward to it immensely.
Is the first festival you'll be playing as a band?
Jacob: No, we've played a few, and we're playing a few this summer. This is certainly the biggest one and definitely the one we're the most nervous for.
Max: It's the perfect way to end the summer, after a nice summer full of playing leading up to that festival.
Jacob: Yeah, we're stoked because we're touring in July, and playing a few dates before that, so we'll be really tight, hopefully.
Max: Or we'll hate each other.
Jacob: Yeah, sick of each other and not speaking.
And then break up right on stage.
Max: And there'll be a 45-minute drum solo.
Jacob: Also known as the sound of a band breaking up.
From your first EP to now, in what ways have you grown as a band?
Max: We like to listen to the current EP. I don't like to listen to the old EP. Musicianship-wise we've all gotten a lot better. We've gotten a lot more comfortable playing with each other and knowing our tendencies. We've also gotten a lot better at identifying the kind of songs we like to write and knowing what parts serve the song. I think that, honestly, is probably the biggest difference from last year.
What can people expect when they see you at Harvest Sun?
Jacob: They can expect, hopefully, what they think is good music. They can expect energy. We’re energetic on stage.
Max: And we'll try to make you laugh in between. It may not work, but we'll definitely give it our best shot; but yeah, we're all going to have fun.
Catch Kakagi at The Harvest Sun Music Festival in Kelwood, MB - August 17 - 19th. Early bird tickets are available until August 1st.
Follow Kakagi on Facebook, on Instagram and on their official website.
Be sure to check out @harvestsunmusicfest on Instagram on July 14th, as Kakagi takes over our account for the day!
Janet Adamana is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief of Sound, Phrase & Fury Magazine - a Winnipeg-based digital publication dedicated to promoting independent artists and industry professionals from all over the world. More than just about inciting hype, she interviews/writes to capture an artists’ essence and their greatest passions to ignite meaningful connections between fans and really great bands.