Demander was formed by Karen Kanan Corręa and Sivan Harlap. They met in 2001 when they both joined the band The Hissyfits. While touring extensively and opening for acts like The Killers, Gary Go, Holly Golightly and others, the two became friends and musical allies.
After leaving that band, the formidable rhythm section played in other projects until forming Demander in 2004. Guitarist Jared P. Scott came on board shortly thereafter. Jared's madman playing was a perfect complement to their exuberant rhythmic foundation and the trio recorded an EP (Demander), an album (The Unkindness of Ravens), and a few singles. The trio's unique sound and energy won them tours with the Hold Steady, Art Brut and the legendary English band New Model Army. There were also shows with the likes of Frank Black, Nicole Atkins, Mindless Self Indulgence, Kevin Devine, Constantines, and Heartless Bastards. Features and reviews at Spin.com (Band of the Day profile/Band of the Year contest), CMJ Music Monthly, Deli Magazine, and RCRDLBL soon followed (or tried to keep up, anyway).
In 2009 Demander started their second full-length album, Future
Brite, with the masterful David Kurutz taking over guitar duties. It was produced
by Jim Keller and features a mix by John
Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth,
Hold Steady). There was some singing
done in a vocal booth that smelled like sheep perfume and
a whole lot of clapping. Guest musicians include Franz
Nicolay of the Hold Steady, Native American Music
Award winner Martha Redbone, and members of World/Inferno
Friendship Society and the New York composer/performer collective Anti-Social
Music. These
Are Not Records released a limited-edition
vinyl 7" with two tracks and "Books"
was remixed into a summery dance confection by electro-pop
duo Shy
Child. The first single from the album, "Math", was used as the lead track for the eighth episode of MTV's World of Jenks and "Song Seven" appeared in IFC's Dinner With the Band. "Future Brite" was also used by Levi's
EU as the soundtrack for their 2010 spring/summer preview.
Demander is now on hiatus. Karen has released an EP and two singles under the name Futurebrite. Jared fronts Northern Bells, makes amazing documentary films, and also plays in Karen's live band. Sivan has just opened her second bar, Eastwood.
QRO
MAGAZINE [Interview] If you want to read an
interview bursting with personality, an interview with musicians
who are still deeply connected to the original excitement
and enthusiasm that drew them to making music - then this
is the (quite epic) interview for you. Just take a hit off
their joy and you'll feel it, too: the future is bright, and
Demander knows it.
CMJ
New Music Monthly [Download PDF]
The three members of Demander, perhaps New York City’s
most boisterous, witty and good-natured group, have dug in
deep at B-Side, a quaint but bombastic bar on the Lower East
Side... The bar has become a second home, rally point and
late-night rendezvous for a band devoid of an obvious scene
affiliation. This is due primarily to their dizzyingly addictive
sound...
RCRDLBL Like The Breeders if they'd owned more metal records or
Sleater-Kinney if they weren't granolas from Portland, New
York band Demander have been steadily building buzz in Gotham
with a gnarled brew of rock, metal, and punk and a touring
hot streak, opening for the likes of Art Brut, the Hold Steady,
and New Model Army both at home and abroad. This year brought
a new seven-inch with "Books," and in addition to
offering up a stream of that tune, we're lucky enough to premiere
a remix from fellow New Yorkers Shy Child. Those keytar-wielding
dudes have turned something that was originally heavy and
metallic into a bright, summery disco track, layering beds
of Tough Alliance-worthy synth pulses over monstrous handclaps
and shakers.
Deli Magazine I like this band.
Now I could approximate Demander's sound by describing the
NYC trio as Tom Waits with surf rhythms and blistering female
vocals, at times edging on melodicore, driving a speeding
runaway train of adventure rock with vivid, emotive vocals.
My roommate calls the band, "Yeah Yeah Yeahs on prog(?)
pills, exuberant but kinda gloomy, Sergio Leone dramatics
+ NYC guitar rock." So I guess "cross-genre"
would be an accurate descriptor; I feel guilty about making
comparisons. Demander has its own sound, touching on so many
different reference points – Las Vegas, Victorian London,
Saturday morning cartoons, spaghetti westerns – that
the band makes one question the point of criticism at all.
Boston Metro Singer and bassist
Karen Kanan Correa delivers foreboding words in pretty melodies
against an aggressive backdrop of Sivan Harlap's drums and
Jared P. Scott's relentless riffs, but like her bandmates,
she appears to be locked in a deep state of joy when performing
these tunes.
FrantikMag The overall sound of the Demander is addictive. Beautiful and definitely vocally blessed, Karen Kanan Corręa is the heart of this group. Take note of that name, as she is one of the best vocalists I've heard in quite a long while. Sultry, sexy, dizzying, powerful and lovely, Karen is golden in an age of mediocrity. Demander's Future Bright will not surprise me at all if it ended up on 'Best Of' lists by end of year. The record is virtually a digital indie electro rock escape to another planet where 'Cool' is the only thing to be. It's hard to ignore and it's hard to resist but once you give in, you'll absolutely fall in love, almost in an instant.
SpOOOnful With the early track “Math”, signifying a progressive
step towards a new found indie rock lightness and pop punk
straightforwardness. Not that Demander is easing up, they’re
still packing all of the aggressive punch of the debut. Demander
has always been a band on the verge of true breakout status,
and Future Brite may be the most aptly titled prediction possible.
Meik!Meik! Blog It's music with
sick beats, high energy, attitude, affection, and promise.
Think of that feeling when you find $20 in your pocket, that's
what Demander is.
Sentimentalist
Magazine This album is a live wire of smart
arrangements and punched up vocals... a masterful accomplishment of a debut full-length.
Wired The band Demander, one of the pre-launch artists on The Banded,
has a song called “Future Brite” that could easly
be popular on alternative radio, should the fickle winds of
youth-culture popularity blow its way.
The O-Town Scene A whole carnival of sound awakens, spirits and light shuffling to life for the listener alone. Future Brite clicks on innumerable luminous cylinders. |