Henry and Pierre Beasely—the Auckland, NZ-born duo of brothers, co-vocalists, co-writers, and co-producers a.k.a. Balu Brigada—craft multi-dimensional alternative pop layered with levels of lush live instrumentation, cinematic soundscapes, and festival-ready hooks. After piling up hundreds of millions of streams, selling out shows, and garnering widespread praise from People, Rolling Stone, i-D, and many
more, the band elevate to another stratosphere altogether on their debut full-length album, Portal. They consciously decided to swing for the fences with their first proper LP, defying genres without apology, exceeding expectations, and making an eclectic, edgy, and enigmatic statement. It’s the sound of two brothers realizing a lifelong purpose that they’ve committed themselves to.

“The record dives into deep examinations of doubt, recklessness, and loss in an effort to map out previously uncharted territory and emerge with a fuller sense of self on the other side,” shares the band. “By traversing a bold range of sounds and warping the boundaries of genre, Portal balances ethereal soundscapes with hard-hitting stompers to create a rich sonic environment for the listener to pass through. Our love for the swirly, warping echoes of psych music made a lot of the album sound like a portal to another dimension. Thematically, this is the Portal from our past lives to where we’re at now.”
Henry and Pierre took quite the trip to get here. Over the course of three years, the guys notably created songs around the world, working back home in New Zealand as well as in New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, and beyond. Each location left its imprint on the music, yielding “heavier and grungier energy” for the NYC recordings and “a softer and calmer” vibe for the NZ material.

 Living out of suitcases between sessions and tours, the pair wholly devoted themselves to pushing the envelope musically and delivering a debut album worthy enough to stand the test of time. As such, the creation of Portal was far from pretty, yet it was honest and cathartic soaked in blood, sweat, and tears. Rather than rely on outside collaborators, Henry and Pierre continued to write, produce, and record every note themselves. By challenging one another, they bottled the tension, vulnerability, and understanding between them into the music.

So, the record often plays out like a deep discussion among two brothers, best friends, and bandmates all at once.