Aiming for the Top
Brave Combo looks for pop success with new CD
by Chad Huffman - Music Writer

The last twelve months were just another year for Brave Combo: another Grammy nomination for the album "Polka Sonic," another European tour, the recording of the group's first "pop" album and extensive U.S. touring. All in all, just another day at the office.

The group, which is has been around almost as long as Denton music itself, is gearing up for a new year, which will see the release of the aforementioned pop album, "The Process," (March) another European tour and heavy collaboration, eventually resulting in a children's album.

All this comes as the group attempts to reach out and embrace pop radio more than it has in the past and present itself to a brand new audience.

Brave Combo won't be 86'ing the polka, however, the group plans to stick to its guns on the European tour, as well as the more ethnic-rich areas of the States, which gives reason to believe the group is simply using the pop approach to introduce a new generation to polka at a later time.

"There was more attention payed to the songwriting process (on 'The Process')," band leader Carl Finch said. "It wasn't our intent to write a cha-cha or a tango, it was just us writing without labels.

"We're doing this to appeal to a broader playlist," Finch said. "These are pretty recent compositions, so we're in that state of mind. The touring this summer in Europe will feature more of the polkas and that's what we're known for. Here we're hoping for the radio market. I guess if we win the Grammy that'll screw everything up and let's hope that's a situation I'm faced with."

Finch, still a believer in his "Polka 2000" theory, which is the idea that polka will burst into the mainstream music scene, said the movement is still underground, but the outcome is inevitable.

"The polka thing is still in the future, but it is a likely event," Finch said. "When you go the places we do and see the response, it's inevitable. There's even a congressman in Ohio who has one of our polkas on his website. It's a very powerful force and affects people in different ways than other music does. It's a sign of the times."

The past year also saw some changes in the group's lineup, which has given Brave Combo the opportunity to experiment with a variety of musicians. Currently the group has enlisted 20-year-old violinist Bonnie Norris.

"I was riding my bike on the (courthouse) square one day and her and her brother were playing," Finch said. "I was struck by how decisive she could play. We started to go see them at the Chuckwagon, which is funny because I'm a vegetarian, and over time became friends with them. We'd been thinking about playing with other musicians, in some senses melodically and others percussively, and she was interested. She will be touring with us and playing with us locally."

This week will mark the group's inaugural performance at Rubber Gloves, a more underground- and punk-based venue than the band is accustomed to. Finch said he believes having a place such as Rubber Gloves in Denton is important and makes playing in town more legitimate for all types of acts.

"We're rehearsing like crazy and are looking forward to our shows at Rubber Gloves," Finch said. "With a place like that, you can't hype it too much. They're trying to keep it adventurous and I hope they succeed.

"We are also judging a talent show at Denton High School, which is pretty gratifying," Finch said. "That's the pop market and we'll be there in the middle of it."

Reprinted with the permission of the Denton Record-Chronicle