Priory rocks the House of Blues with their new summer anthem

SARA BUTLER
MANAGING EDITOR

Driving through Pacific Beach on a Friday night, Priory’s “Weekend” blasts from the speakers, serving as a college anthem for a USD night out.

“And all the kids now, they come runnin’; It’s the weekend. And all the parents, they keep callin’; But there’s no answer, ‘cause it’s the weekend.”

Priory is a musical duo based out of Portland, Oregon. Front men Brandon Rush and Kyle Sears joined forces to form the band 10 years ago, but were recently signed to Warner Bros. Records earlier this year.

Their new hit single, “Weekend,” has made waves across radio stations and college campuses. The track is a best described as an upbeat alternative sing-along, fusing catchy lyrics with powerful beats.

The inspiration for “Weekend” stemmed from past experiences.

“We can all relate to the idea of working all week in a job we hate and living in a state of discontent,” Sears said. “I know for Brandon and I, we were working regular, good-paying day jobs and gave those up to create this album. The song is about marginalization of the working class and the fact that we all need a place to act out to make us feel better. We have seen so many people make it their personal anthem, not just for the weekend, but for their whole week.”
Rush and Sears met at a music show in their Pacific Northwest hometown. Music has always been a major part of both of their lives, inside and outside of the classroom.

“I studied jazz for a bit in school, both upright bass and guitar,” Rush said. “As far as other musicians that inspire me, I have always loved the great front men: Strummer, Mercury, Bowie [and] Bolen. I also have a vinyl record collection of over 3,000 titles. As a band, we pretty much listen to music 24/7 while on tour.”

For Rush, playing music was also a big part of growing up.

“My dad is a musician; I received my first guitar when I was 10 and never stopped playing,” Rush said.

Currently, Priory is on tour with headliner The Kooks and special guest Hasley. The trio paid a visit to San Diego to perform at the House of Blues in downtown on Friday, Sept. 26. The sold out show drew in a diverse crowd, but the majority of the attendees were college-aged, including many USD students.

“We end the tour with The Kooks in a few weeks and will be hitting a bunch of cities on our way back to the Northwest,” Sears said. “We will be back in San Diego at the end of the month to play a booze cruise for an alternative station. Hope to see you there!”

Their upcoming EP comes out on Oct. 14, and can be purchased on iTunes. It is a culmination of their past few years spent in the studio.

“We have worked on these songs for well over a year,” Rush said. “I honestly feel connected to all of them. ‘Big Love’ is my favorite to play live right now. We will be out on tour for the next few years promoting this record all around the world.”