Fiesta Brava is an indie rock band based in Northampton, Massachusetts. The… Read Full Bio ↴Fiesta Brava is an indie rock band based in Northampton, Massachusetts. The band consists of Chris Rea, Ray Keane, Jeff Steblea, and Matt Snow. Formed in 2008, the band released their first EP that summer, titled Ship to Shore. They have shared the stage with Matt Pond PA, The Besnard Lakes, Wye Oak, Spouse, Haunt, SwillMerchants, School for the Dead, and Fancy Trash, among others.

Website: http://www.fiestabravamusic.com

Fiesta Brava mines a particular sound half born of folk and half born of punk, which results in a warm, dramatic form of what people are calling “indie rock” these days. Fiesta Brava is interested in literate and emotive pop music, marrying tuneful melodies with cathartic and insightful lyrics. The band’s sound ranges from hushed songs featuring banjo and almost-whispered vocals to driving rhythms with mounting guitar freakouts. The vocal harmonies of Chris and Ray are both effortless and engaging, and the band’s arrangements ensure a dynamic and dramatic performance.

Fiesta Brava’s origins sprung from a chance meeting between Chris Rea, formerly of punksters The Westies and The Eleventh Hour, and Ray Keane of Tricorder. The two had their first music session on March 9, 2007. Ray’s son was born the next morning, one week early. Taking it as a sign, Chris and Ray started seriously considering writing songs together, and soon they had written a couple of songs that had them very excited about the prospect of forming a band. In early 2008, Matt Snow and Jeff Steblea (Mystics Anonymous) joined Chris and Ray to complete the lineup, and together these four members recorded and released their debut EP Ship to Shore.

The band began work on their first full-length with renowned engineer Mark Alan Miller and Jeff Steblea at the helm, and released This Is Us Tomorrow in April of 2013. The album features 11 originals, and is an excellent example of the band's songwriting craft and arranging acumen. Fiesta Brava continues to hone their distinctive sound, writing and arranging new material and playing shows in the vibrant western Massachusetts music scene.

The band’s name, Fiesta Brava, comes from Hemingway’s writings about bullfighting. This is appropriate not only because of the band’s literary leanings, but also because its music deals with the simultaneous beauty and terror of life.