Brother Elsey — a Nashville-based quartet — released their song “Red Tape” on May 10 through River House Artists. The song focuses on the topic of mental health, specifically anxiety. The band co-wrote the song with indie artist Madi Diaz. The song employs a visual concept of red tape, which Brady Stablein describes as a symbol of the barriers we place around our struggles or the journey toward feeling better. This red tape can get in the way of life while all we truly desire is to be honest with ourselves.
“What we want fans to grasp from the song is that you have the power to be honest with yourself and to hopefully change the way that your brain sort of runs off track,” Stablein said. “If you can just be upfront and honest about everything that’s going on in your life, then maybe you can make bigger steps towards feeling better.”
When writing “Red Tape,” the artists had just returned from separate tours: Brother Elsey had wrapped up their tour and Madi Diaz had completed her run with Harry Styles as his opening act. During the collaboration process, they discussed how the transition from tour life to reality can be difficult.
“The adjustment is such a strange thing, and I think there’s a lot of anxiety that comes along with living that way, kind of in limbo between the two different versions of yourself,” Stablein said.
Brother Elsey consists of twin brothers Brady and Beau Stablein, their older brother Jack Stablein and their friend Dalton Thomas. Originally from Michigan, the brothers were immersed in music at a young age. Their grandfather was in a country band in the 1990s, and whenever they visited him, they could be found playing with his equipment.
“As small children, we’d always go down there and bang on the drums and mess with the guitar,” Stablein said.
The band moved to Nashville about two and a half years ago, giving them the resources they needed to grow as artists.
“It can be a little intimidating living in Nashville for some, but we’ve gotten really lucky living here,” Stablein said.
The band just got off the road with the Wallflowers and is preparing for another tour this fall, including a stop in Nashville on Nov. 7 at Cannery Hall. They’re hoping to make each show special and unique, whether it’s changing up the setlist or going into the audience and singing with everyone, which Stablein calls the “Kumbaya moment.”
