The official website for the band Aloft, and their debut album Closer To Nowhere, Billy Mrak - guitars and vocals, Todd Brasseur - drums, guitar, Closer To Nowhere, Aloft, Aloftband.com
Todd Brasseur, born and raised in
Michigan, now resides in
where
he
attends
Columbia
earning a degree in “sound
re-enforcement”. Todd’s contribution
to Aloft is a varied one. He is the
driving backbeat of the band with his
explosive playing style on the drum
kit. “Keeping a balance of sounds is
important in my style of playing.
During rehearsals I may change my
pattern several times just to find the
right wash of vibrations and swell”
says Todd. Aloft band member,
Billy Mrak says, ”Todd’s style of
playing is… a bit loud, yet always on
the mark. Todd is a great drummer
because he approaches the
instrument as a melody maker
“Indeed, Todd has a sense of flair
when it comes to assembling sounds.
“I would say that I am first and
foremost a guitar player, though I
have had some training on piano.
I have been in a couple of band’s prior
to Aloft where I was only a lead
player. I think that’s what got me into
practicing the drums, a sense of
challenge to do something different,
and as far as my drumming goes, I
wanted to make it not just a time
keeper but an
expression
to the song.”
Todd also plays his guitar on the
Aloft album as well. “My setup is
pretty simple, I play an American
made Fender Stratocaster, G+L
ASAT Z-3, I have an Epiphone Les Paul,
Danelectro12-sting with three
lipstick pick-ups, and an Epiphone
Reissue Es-295 with a Bigsby Tremelo
and P-90 pickups. I use a Fender 65
Twin Reverb amp and cycle through a
POD unit and use an E-Bow on the
track “Yellow Light. “
You can hear Todd playing his
Stratocaster on the track Dizzy.
“I was really going for a heavy
compressed sound for the solo,
obviously there is a huge Pink Floyd
style to that track and I love the
work that Gilmore has done.
The challenge was to find the sound,
but play as I would, you know.
Nobody wants to listen to a band
that sounds exactly like another.
The other challenge to that piece
was finding a smooth build during my
solo in which the guitar phrase
would take the listener higher and
higher almost like an intoxicating
effect.” On the track“ Cameo” Todd
played what the band called
“Chicken Scratch” which was his
tribute to the country pickers of
yesterday like Les Paul and
Chet Atkins, and then, infused his
taste for the jazz guitarist
Wes Montgomory to give that extra
sparkle. “The first time I heard Billy
play “Cameo” to me, I knew what
direction to go, and part of the
reason I enjoy working in Aloft is the
freedom I have to contribute. I am
excited to begin work on the next
album and believe that our sound
is ever evolving to compliment our
projects.”