As a car-centric country, many people in America end up affectionately naming their vehicle (names like Betty and Pearl are apparently the most popular). But Brijean Murphy, one-half of the chill wave Bay Area duo Brijean, took things one step further. Not only did she name her 1981 Toyota, but she also named their latest EP, Angelo, after her car.
Naming the EP after a car was intentional. Murphy and fellow Brijean member Doug Stuart ended up spending an unexpected amount of time in their cars in the months following the release of their sunny 2021 album Feelings. Stuart tragically lost both of his parents and Murphy also mourned the untimely passing of her father. They spend the next year trekking across the country in their cars and relocating in four cities to be near family. Processing the grief and torment the best way they knew how, they crafted groovy rhythms and ethereal soundscapes to translate the profound loss into movement the nine-track EP Angelo.
The feelings grief are not immediately apparent on Angelo, though Murphy said the project was meant to “get us out of our grief and into our bodies.” On bass-forward tracks like “Ooo La La” and the resonating “Caldwell’s Way,” groovy, all-encompassing synths blend with washed-out vocals and a touch of tropicália, transporting listeners to an introspective, magical place. Just ahead of the release of their Angelo EP, Brijean sat down with Uproxx to talk Missy Elliott, the importance of family, and being great at Double Dutch in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Dancy, Chill, Vibey, Introspective.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
A good companion.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Mexico City.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
My family (as a unit) encouraged me to play and step out as a songwriter. Almost everybody on my dad’s side was a musician, roadie, artists, dancers… They deeply inspired me to find my own expression.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Ya’ll are asking some tough questions here. One that comes to mind was a burger joint in a woman’s house on Lake Champlain in a small town in Vermont. She lived upstairs and converted the living room into a diner with a long counter and a couple small booths. The burgers were insane. It was like stepping into your surreal long-lost grandma’s restaurant and it hit a whole new level of comfort food for me.
What album do you know every word to?
Missy Elliott’s Under Construction.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Pedrito Martinez at the Echo in LA.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
I like utility jumpsuits because it’s a one-and-done look. They look cute to me and accommodate heavy lifting before and after the show.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
@Press_sf on Instagram. They sell “Books with Pictures” and post amazing images from niche books on poetry, nature photography, sexuality, design.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“My Autumn’s Done Come” by Lee Hazlewood.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Blade Runner 1982 Cast”
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Bill Evans Trio’s Waltz For Debbie.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
When I was touring with my college band most nights we would ask on the microphone if anybody had a place we could crash for the night. One night we went home with a sweet person our age and stayed at their parents’ place. I got the “girls room” that night, a substantial victory at the time when touring with 12 dudes. When I opened the door I was stunned, in this 1980s suburban home, there was an immersive floor to ceiling magical fairy meadow. There were garden arches covered in vines, LED stars that lit up the ceiling, a 360-degree mural, and the bed was centered amongst dozens of plants, flowers and trees. It was rad.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
My first tattoos are two little stick and pokes on my fingers. I got them at a sleepover from Madeline Kenney with Hannah Van Loon “Tanukichan” in Oakland.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Automatic.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Pretty much anything my mom does for me (or anybody she knows). But when my dad passed away — I was having a really hard time — and lost most of his possessions along with him. She asked me what I wanted when she passes… I thought of a lamp that she kept in her home in the hallway. It’s a desk lamp made of bronze and stained glass. Two women kneel in symmetry at the base holding a bowl — they’re covered by twisted stained glass tulips that hold the soft orange 30-watt bulbs. When I got home from my father’s send off she came over that night with the lamp and plugged it in.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Invest in bitcoin early. Also continue to be kind to yourself; Don’t wait for permission to live in what inspires you.
What’s the last show you went to?
Luke Temple (aka the Cascading Moms) at a house show in LA.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Practical Magic, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Erin Brockovich.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I can Double Dutch pretty well.
Angelo is out now via Ghostly International. Get it here.
