Future Brite was recorded throughout the winter/spring/summer of 2009 in New York City and Brooklyn. There was some singing done in a vocal booth that smelled like sheep perfume and a whole lot of clapping. It was produced by Jim Keller and features a mix by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Hold Steady). Guest musicians include Franz Nicolay of the Hold Steady, Native American Music Award winner Martha Redbone, and members of World/Inferno Friendship Society and Anti-Social Music. These Are Not Records has already released a limited-edition vinyl 7" with two tracks and "Books" is living a double life as a summery dance remix by electro-pop duo Shy Child. "Future Brite" was also recently picked up by Levi's EU as the soundtrack for their spring/summer preview.

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.

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.

CMJ New Music Monthly [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...

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.

Wired // The band Demander, one of the pre-launch artists on The Banded, has a song called “Future Brite” that could easily be popular on alternative radio, should the fickle winds of youth-culture popularity blow its way.the fickle winds of youth-culture popularity blow its way.

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.

Limewire // ...I arrived to find a lone Demander, guitarist Dave Kurutz, when his bandmates suddenly appeared and performed a spectacular shotgun set after only a few minutes of sound checking. Formerly a straightforward three-piece of bass, drums, guitar, Demander have added a synth for a spacey, retro feel, adding a spooky, biting element to their already-powerful punch.

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.

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.

The Story of Demander

Demander was formed in 2005 by Karen Kanan Corrêa and Sivan Harlap. The two met when they joined The Hissyfits in 2001 as drummer and violist. Sivan spent the first few months of their acquaintance trying to get Karen kicked out of the band. Not everyone likes viola in a rock band. Fair enough. Karen eventually switched to bass and, over the next two years, while touring extensively and opening for acts like The Killers, Gary Go, Holly Golightly and many others, the two became fast friends and musical allies.

Leaving that band, the formidable rhythm section played in other projects until forming Demander in 2005. 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 New Model Army and shows with the likes of Mindless Self Indulgence, Frank Black, Kevin Devine, Nicole Atkins, Constantines, and Heartless Bastards. Features and reviews at RCRDLBL, The Sentimentalist, Spoonful, The Banded, CMJ Music Monthly, Spin.com (Band of the Day profile/Band of the Year contest) and Deli Magazine soon followed (or tried to keep up, anyway).

Demander has just finished a second album, Future Brite, released January 26, 2010.