The toughest part of being in a band isn’t always the music: sometimes it’s the people. Maybe a band needs a new guitar player or a drummer in a hurry and likes someone’s sound without realizing it’s their only redeeming quality.
Certainly, a little dynamic tension between fellow creatives isn’t bad, but it also can easily break down into grumbling about playlists, venues or contracts. In rock n’ roll, you don’t have to be friends, but you do have to get along.
Indie rock band Brittany’s House does this part a little differently – the bandmates were friends first. Each member of the Coeur d’Alene-based band had their own musical experience before the obvious question was asked: “Why aren’t we playing together?”
“We started all of this because we all liked to hang out and talk about music, and now we still get to hang out, but we also play music,” said Drew Brereton, who plays guitar and sometimes provides vocals. He’s married to Tessa Brereton, on bass. Cody Cummins plays drums and Jacob Maxwell supplies rhythm guitar and lead vocals for the indie rock band.
The members bring their own perspective, personality and unique musical backgrounds. Some have been inspired by classic rock or folk artists and some have tastes that lean more towards metal. They collectively like a little bit of everything, which creates a decent repertoire of cover material for any occasion. Plus, they continue to craft their own music and vote on everything, from what to play and where to play.
This creates something special for audiences as well as bandmates.
“We talked about music all the time, so starting a band was really the next step,” Maxwell said. “But even then, it was a group decision.”
>> Brush with Fame
Audiences might recognize Jacob Maxwell from his appearance on the musical reality show “The Voice.”
In spring 2019, at age 20, Maxwell impressed the judges with his blind audition covering Taylor Swift’s “Delicate,” earning him an invitation to be part of NBC’s musical competition.
As part of Team John Legend, Maxwell gave noteworthy performances of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and joined fellow contestant Talon Cardon in a duet of “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.”
In what Legend called a tough decision, Maxwell was cut during the critical voting between the Top 24 and Top 13 contestants.
Today, he remembers the experience fondly but doesn’t want it to take away from what the band is trying to build with Brittany’s House.
At a recent gig in Coeur d’Alene, the band members noticed the reader board singling out Maxwell. It read, “Brittany’s House, featuring Jacob Maxwell from ‘The Voice.’” Though correct, it wasn’t the message they wanted.
“It’s definitely not ‘Jacob starts a band,’” said Maxwell. “I’m not the leader since we’re all the leaders.”
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>> Combining Talents
A lot of diverse experiences make up the band.
Maxwell, a Coeur d’Alene native, started singing and playing music at around age 12 and built a name locally as a talented solo artist.
Cummins was part of local band The Powers, until the other members moved to Alaska. He and his drums remained in Idaho.
Drew Brereton got into music at age 11, playing in churches and his middle school band. He was invited to join his first real band at age 16.
“We played a lot of classic rock covers in a lot of bars, and I was the only one not old enough to really be in the place,” he said.
His wife Tessa grew up in a recording studio since her dad was a producer and a tracking engineer. She played all sorts of instruments in high school, churches and in local bands, and took to the bass. Her best friend and roommate also happened to be Maxwell’s girlfriend and later wife.
Altogether, the four bring decades of combined musical experience.
>> Start of Something Special
Once the decision was made in 2021 to play together, the next question was where.
They applied to the North Idaho State Fair that year and were offered a two-hour set. However, a heavy rainstorm canceled the show five songs in.
Maxwell said they regrouped over pancakes that night and despite the setback, spirits their remained high.
“We knew something was happening,” he said. “We wished we all could play together more.”
The band’s initial goals were to learn a lot, write a lot and have enough music for a three-hour set.
Through much of 2022, the foursome started gathering cover material, with everyone contributing favorite songs in all musical genres.
This process was especially unique for Brereton since he was used to joining bands and receiving a list of songs to learn, with little to no opportunity for anything new or different.
“This was really our chance to put in the songs we like and what we wanted to play,” he said. “All of us added fairly diverse picks.”
They also started making their own music, which Maxwell generally describes as indie rock. There are elements of everything, from The Beatles to funk.
Then, because every good band needs a good name, they had to figure out what to call themselves.
“We had a list of more than 100 suggestions,” Maxwell said.
Brittany’s House was the name of one of Maxwell’s solo songs a few years ago, a tribute to a friend who took his own life.
The song’s message, about different levels one evolves through in life, resonated with band members, and they all voted in favor of it.
Brittany’s House is now ready to greet the world.
The band has already enjoyed opportunities to play in the greater Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area, including several bars and a Live After 5 show. The band secured a summer residency at Zola in Spokane each Wednesday and will be performing at various venues around the region.
This spring, the group spent some time in the studio recording their first single “Blur Together” due out late summer or early fall 2023.
While they love playing locally, they do hope to broaden their fan base.
“We like the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane area, but our dream is to travel, so maybe we’ll save up money and music, and then one day we can play around the world,” Maxwell said.
Check out Brittany’s House on their YouTube channel, where new videos are added regularly. The band’s Instagram page @brittanyshousemusic also keeps fans up to date on performances. N
As featured in the Nspire Magazine 2023 Summer/Fall Edition
By: Joe Butler
Photography by: Joel Riner