The Borin Brothers

WRITTEN BY MELANIA ZILO MOM, THE BOYS ARE ON THE R O O F AGAIN! MOM, THE BOYS ARE ON THE R O O F AGAIN! ART BY SABRINA SYLVESTER

It was September, and I didn’t have any Friday night plans until a friend called me up, telling me about a local band playing a show that night. After work, I went home and put on my dancing boots. When I got to the show, I realized two things: I should’ve worn thicker socks, and I was at the coolest high school party I’d ever been to.

The Borin Brothers’ show was electrifying, their sound hypnotizing. I remember dancing all night; the first half of the show was an invitation for the audience to let go and rock out as they performed a selection of alternative rock with bluesy undertones, each chord radiating into the crowd with an indescribable intensity. This is what music is supposed to feel like, I thought to myself. The Borin Brothers are relatively new to the South Florida music scene but have not wasted a second in the spotlight. The band is made up of three brothers, Daniel (15), David (17), Andre (13), and their longtime friend Thalys De Paula (16). The group has been playing music together for years and decided it was only a matter of time before they started pursuing a real career together.

3 months later, I haven’t missed a show, and the boys are shooting their first editorial with Strike. Next thing you know, the amplifier is plugged in, and we’ve turned our garage into a private concert, the music vibrating through our entire block. Within minutes, our neighbors popped open the car’s trunk, and we created an impromptu tailgate with a live show. Earlier that week, I sat down with the boys at the fitting to talk about all things sound evolution, hopes and dreams, and high school groupies.

Let’s start simple: who are you?

David Borin: “We’ve all been playing music since we were super, super young, and we all come from the same musical background and stuff. Growing up, we started playing at our church, but obviously, there are some limitations when it comes to what kind of stuff you can play, so we decided to create our own band. I would describe our sound to be more of an alternative rock vibe? We’re passionate about music and seeing people react to our art.”

When did this all happen? Where does your passion for music come from?

Thalys De Paula: “I met the brothers when I was going to school with them, and we quickly became close friends. My family had grown up in the church, and I was constantly surrounded by music. It’s something that my mom had ingrained in me. When I met the boys, we had a lot to bond over. I would come over to their house, and we would just jam for hours and hours and hours… Wait, what was the question?”

Andre Borin: “She asked where you first started.”

Melania Zilo: “Your first memory playing music or something? Does anything come to mind?”

Thalys: “Growing up, when we lived in Massachusetts, my mom was doing housekeeping, and this one lady was going to throw away an old keyboard that she had. My mom saw it and asked if she could bring it home for me instead. We couldn’t afford music lessons at the time, so I would sit there and watch Youtube tutorials, trying to learn a bunch of different stuff. I first realized that I was passionate about music when I learned My House by Flo Rida. It was the first song I ever learned on the keyboard.”

An eruption of laughter explodes from the couch as Thalys starts humming the opening to everyone’s favorite 2015 banger.

Melania: “What about you, Daniel?” Daniel Borin: “Probably seeing people play the guitar at different shows or even church. I was really drawn to the sound of the guitar.”

How did the band come to be?

David: “My dad just texted me one day in March asking us if we were ready for our first gig, and we weren’t even a band yet; we were just friends playing music. Next thing you know, the four of us are in rehearsal, getting ready for our first show. Honestly, it was confusing.”

Daniel: “We were ready for it; it was just a matter of time.”

How did you figure out what you wanted to play?

Daniel: “We started with John Mayer covers because, at the time, we only had one original song that I had written separately. Slowly we began to incorporate more rock. A little alternative but honestly just really loud music.”

Andre: “I think we’re still kinda figuring it out.”

You put out your first single, Middle Seat, today. How does that feel? What was the process like?

David: “I started writing the song because my dad had shown me this picture of my brothers and me, super young, sitting in the middle. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with that, so I just started writing about being caught up in the middle of something. It’s about confusion and finding your way out of a situation.”

Thalys: “David came up with the idea and got the chords and lyrics, and then we would all get together and rehearse and work on the song together. It came easy, which was surprising. I’d be working on the second verse while David was working on another part, but the four of us just came together and worked on everything here and there.”

David: “The most surprising thing about the songwriting process was how quick it was. It took two minutes.”

Daniel: “I remember exactly when we were trying to find the bridge for the song, and we just stumbled upon it.”

Andre: “Yeah, we all went crazy. Daniel: “A little modulation for you.”

Melania: “You’ve been playing quite a lot of shows more recently.”

David: “Yeah, this third show we did, we tried to go all out with the stage and the lights. I remember getting on stage and seeing, I kid you not, maybe 250 people out there; it was a crazy feeling.”

Andre: “The cops shut us down after the second song, so we moved it to our backyard.”

What has been the general reaction from your friends and peers after starting the band?

David: “The girls dig it.”

Daniel: “Nobody didn’t love what we were doing. Even the people you would least expect to enjoy our music supported us.”

David: “I was surprised. Even our high school principal was into it.”

Andre: “What’s not to like? We’re young, and we make good music.”

What’s a pre-show ritual that you have? David: “For the boys and me, we surf.”

Andre: “Yeah, we try and make it out to the ocean. Surfing is great because you can get lost in your thoughts, and it’s really peaceful. Until you see a shark; then maybe not so much. Right before the show, my stomach is going crazy because I am so anxious to perform. But then we just say our prayer and go out there and have a good time. Everything melts away, especially after the show when we talk to everyone who came out to support us. Knowing that people are enjoying our music is a big motivation to keep moving forward.”

How would you describe the band’s fashion style?

Daniel: “I don’t know exactly. I feel like our styles tie into each other, but we’re all very different at the same time. I would say it’s a little distressed and grungy.”

Andre: “No skinny jeans.”

Andre: “But seriously, you have to feel comfortable in what you’re playing in. You gotta play the part, too; you gotta dress like the music you are playing.”

What are you most excited about in 2023?

Daniel: “Getting in the studio really, really soon. We want to work on the quality of our sound.”

Thalys: “I’m looking forward to growing as a band and finding our sound. I’m excited to show people what we can do.”

Andre: “Also, just feeling good about the music we are putting out there. Pretty cliche, but I want as many people to hear our music as possible. I also want to play at cool venues if we can.”

David: “More shows! Every time we do it, it’s the best time.”