Biography
Electro dream pop duo Bern & the Brights is Bernadette Malavarca and Catherine McGowan. Mixing rhythmic loops, synths, ambient guitars, emotional vocals, and introspective lyrics, their music is a fusion of light and dark wave.
Both vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Malavarca and McGowan write, produce, record, and perform their music. They are currently in the studio working on their next EP. Title and release date to be announced.
NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES
Bern & the Brights have performed with Butch Walker, Rhett Miller, Mike Doughty, Nicole Atkins, Living Colour, Melissa Ferrick, Allo Darlin’, Ian Hunter, The Baseball Project, The Wombats, Fishbone, Chiddy Bang, Val Emmich, Hank & Cupcakes, The Dirty Urchins, and My Pet Dragon.
Festivals & Events:
– CMJ
– Union County Music Fest with Spoon, OK GO, and Soul Asylum
– Dewey Beach Music Conference, 2012
– Yelp! Brooklyn Summer Fest
– MOVE Music Fest
– Utica Music Fest
– Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie Fest
– Hoboken Arts Fest
Stages:
– Webster Hall (ballroom)
– Webster Hall (studio)
– City Winery
– Rockwood Music Hall
– The Stone Pony
– Maxwell’s
– House of Blues (Atlantic City)
– Mexicali Live
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
– “As Long As I’m Alive” on College Radio Day compilation with We Are Scientists
– SuperCuts Rock the Cut Artist (“Starchild” added to 2,000+ stores’ playlist)
– Reverbnation Homepage Featured Artist, April 2012
– 2nd Place (out of 1,400 national bands) in the Virgin Mobile Contest
– “Sleepless Aristotle” in weekly rotation on Music Choice: Adult Alternative
– Disc of the Week, 08/02/10 | The Aquarian Weekly
– Won two 2010 Hoboken Music Awards: Oustanding Band and Oustanding EP
– Band to Watch | ThereGoesTheFear.com and TheBlueWalrus.com
– 101.9RXP Bands of 2010 (Nominated by DJ Rich Russo)
– Aquarian Weekly’s 2012, 2011, and 2010 On the Verge Band
– “May in New York” | 2009 songwriting contest winner, 101.9 RXP
– Radio Airplay on 101.9 RXP The Rock Show with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Framm
– “Dismantled” 2009 MEISA Best Song, selected by “DMC” Darryl McDaniels
– Named in the top 50 Emerging Artists of NYC for 2008 by The Deli Magazine
