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Brandon Curtis
Brandon Curtis
	Curtis performing with Interpol in 2015
Background information
Genres	Alternative rock, space rock, indie rock, post-punk revival, new prog
Instrument(s)	vocals, bass, keyboard
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Matador; Riot House Records;

Brandon Curtis is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist in the space rock band The Secret Machines. Originally from Norman, Oklahoma, he was friends with members of The Flaming Lips, The Chainsaw Kittens and Tripping Daisy. Brandon and his brother Benjamin moved to Dallas and formed The Secret Machines in the early 2000s with drummer Josh Garza. The trio later moved to New York City, where Benjamin eventually left the band to pursue a career in his previous side project, School of Seven Bells.

Career

Brandon's atmospheric keyboard style shows signs of influence from 1970s Krautrock bands like Can as well as progressive rock artists such as Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and Roxy Music.^[1]

Brandon Curtis and his brother Ben also formed UFOFU with Joseph Butcher, touring locally and recording several albums between 1993 and 1997.^[2] Brandon was in Captain Audio as well, where he first played with Secret Machines' drummer Josh Garza.

Curtis performed lead vocals on "Don't Fall Softly", a track by UK synthpop band Filthy Dukes which appears on their 2009 release "Nonsense In the Dark". He also mixed/produced two records by South African rock band BLK JKS.

In June 2010, Curtis joined the touring lineup of Interpol, on keyboards and vocals.^[3] In 2012, Brandon joined Interpol front man Paul Banks' live band, and he contributed to Banks' 2012 EP entitled "Julian Plenti Lives...".

Curtis contributed to the production, recording, and mixing of EmptyMansions debut album "snakes/vultures/sulfate", released in April 2013. EmptyMansions is the side project of Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino. Curtis toured with EmptyMansions in Spring 2013, on bass/vocals.

Curtis has produced three albums for the American post-metal band Russian Circles: Geneva (2009), Empros (2011) and Memorial (2013).^[4]

On October 30, 2013, Curtis' new band Cosmicide released a new song entitled "Talos' Corpse" and announced a few US tour dates.^[5] "Talos' Corpse" was written/produced by Brandon Curtis and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer, who has previously worked with Paul Banks, Johnny Marr, Kaiser Chiefs, and more.

Brandon's brother Benjamin died at the end of 2013.

Cosmicide played three live shows in early 2015 (Philadelphia, Providence RI and Teaneck NJ), playing a nine-song setlist, including Talos' Corpse, consisting mostly of songs from material that is recorded and in a finished state but unreleased. In addition to Brandon, the band consisted of drums, a second keyboardist, and a guitarist.

In August of 2020, The Secret Machines released an album titled "Awake in the Brain Chamber". Curtis performed keyboard and vocals on the album.^[6]