"There is something about a young woman screaming her lyrics and tossing herself around the stage like a total badass that gets the blood pumping, and 19-year-old Brunke has her stage swagger on lock. The rest of the band has pretty solid rock n’ roll credentials too, they’re a little older than their lead singer but provide some wisdom and chops to the dynamic that makes for an undeniably ambitious ascent in the local scene.” — Daniella Cortez, Anchorage Press DIVIDES is an Alaskan Alternative Metal band formed by members Bryan James Calhoon, CJ Marie Brunke, Corey Rainey and Joe Jackson with hopes of expanding a musical project beyond Alaska’s borders. As far as their sound – it’s kind of hard to pin down. Lots of bands claim they transcend genres – but this usually turns out to be more of an identity crisis. “DIVIDES plays sort of fast and loose with genres to begin with,” says Daniella Cortez of the Anchorage Press. DIVIDES, however, is pretty confident in their identity. Think Paramore meets Deftones. The most intriguing aspect of DIVIDES is their musical dichotomy between metal and pop rock. Vocalist CJ Marie flits between a powerful belting voice and a passionate scream effortlessly; while guitarist Bryan’s influences range across the board. Regardless of what influence they’re tapping into at the moment, the band simply sounds like themselves. DIVIDES formed and began writing in a short span of time - and then went for the throat of the Anchorage music scene. In less than a year, the band had amassed a loyal local following and earned slots on several massive shows around the state. In August 2013, the group moved from their home in Alaska and relocated to Portland, Oregon, following in the footsteps of fellow Alaskans, 36 Crazyfists & Portugal. The Man. Long term goals? It’s become a faux-pas for a musician to expound on their dreams of playing for thousands of screaming fans. The difference between DIVIDES and every other local dreamer is that the quintet is doing it. On every level, whether it’s 50 kids in a warehouse, or 5,000 in an arena, DIVIDES is determined to share their music and connect with their fans at a higher level.
