THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “An impromptu 2023 trip to visit a friend in Charleston, S.C., gave rise to Brkn Love’s third studio album, The Program. Singer-guitarist Justin Benlolo initially planned to spend a weekend in town. That turned into nine weeks, after which he returned to Toronto with the bulk of the album’s material.
“I didn’t have anything else to do, so I brought all of my gear and studio equipment,” he recalls. “I was so inspired by the environment and the friends I made. It’s a big city, but it’s not huge. It’s just beautiful though. The experience inspired the whole record. Instead of being so picturesque and metaphorical, I told stories.”
The album title even referenced the name of the text group for his new friends in Charleston, embedding the experience and the city in the fabric of the music. The vision had already crystallized before he left for Los Angeles, where he recorded with longtime producer Anton DeLost (Cleopatrick, State Champs). These friends, and a variety of other characters he met, ultimately inspired the concept at the heart of The Program.
“It was a collective of 10 people I’d never met before, and we kept using the term The Program repeatedly like, ‘Let’s go here, because it would be good for The Program,” he goes on. “It was cool to be surrounded by near-complete strangers, invite them to our place, and play demos. Their opinions were unfiltered and blunt — which was awesome. I was actively searching for inspiration, and I put myself out there in different situations. I was free and unchained to do anything.
“In the past, I put parameters on what Brkn Love is supposed to be,” Justin mentions. “I’ve been hesitant to put out certain songs because I was unsure if they were us. I’m older and wiser. I have more experience doing this. I know if I’m singing and writing a song, it’s going to be Brkn Love. I’m the filter the music passes through.”
Exuding bravado, mystique, and a whole lot of heart, Brkn Love set the rulebook on fire by plugging in, turning up, and churning out the kind of rock ’n’ roll that makes you feel a little freer. Their gritty riffs pack enough punch to shake any stage while the grooves quake with just the right amount of hip-swinging gusto. Their music drips swagger, soul, and spirit amplified by arena-sized hooks and intriguingly inventive musicality.”
