In the early stages of their career, most artists race to make a name for themselves, rarely devoting their energy to craft a fully-fledged album for their first few songs. Typically, a few singles or even a mixtape does the job well enough of introducing a band to their local scene. So imagine my surprise upon finding a full debut record put out by Brewster Durbin, a name I heard once or twice before it grabbed the attention of the wider Baton Rouge area. Durbin released his record Rookie on May 17, 2024, and it was towards the beginning of 2025 that I finally gave myself the opportunity to sit down and give it a listen. After I finished my first listen, I wondered how it was that I had managed to miss such an ambitious, engaging piece of local music.
Hailing from Lafayette, Durbin is quickly popping up in local venues with “Brewster Durbin All-Stars” consisting of Dayton Parfait on lead guitar, David Hochkeppel on tenor saxophone, Alex Pipkins on bass and Judah Williams on drums. Durbin is the son of local UL professor and main creative mind behind the popular children’s band Imagination Movers. Don’t let his musical roots fool you, though, Brewster is eager to set himself apart as a unique voice in local music. For such a new artist, he’s already asserted himself as quite a proficient songwriter.
Durbin’s penchant for storytelling amidst catchy hooks and well-assembled tracks is perhaps his biggest strength. Rookie tells the story of a fictional UL football player who suddenly disappears in the middle of a successful season, taking on the character of an urban myth. The tracks are filled with imagery rooted in time and place from Lafayette to New Orleans that anyone familiar with them is sure to appreciate how seamlessly Durbin’s details are worked into the larger narrative. References to the Cajun Field, I-10, the Superdome and other southern Louisiana specificities are littered throughout the album and paint such a vivid picture of the area that only someone who’s lived in the area can fully appreciate.
Another one of Rookie’s strengths that extends to Durbin’s music as a whole is the versatility he displays with the genres he dabbles in. This talented group of performers give audiences a wonderful blend of indie rock with hints of indie pop, electronica, and jazz that is uniquely their own. On the song “New Orleans Dreaming” there’s even a bit of trap thrown in for good measure , highlighting the daringness Durbin has to venture into genres that aren’t his usual bread and butter. Rookie goes through ups and downs with moments of explosive, climactic bombast and others of soft, quiet contemplation all while maintaining steady pacing. It’s a pretty tall order to craft an album that paces itself as well as what Durbin and company have managed with their first release.
Though Durbin doesn’t have much music beyond what Rookie has to offer, he and the Brewster Durbin All-Stars remain optimistic for the future, and why shouldn’t they? Not only did their album turn heads with its aforementioned qualities, but they’ve been keeping the heat going with their live shows and the release of the single “I-10 Sniper”, which is filled with the southern LA imagery, storytelling, and blend of indie-pop and electronica that fans have come to appreciate. Having the privilege to not only get a front row seat to see him and the all-stars perform at the KLSU studio but also conduct an interview was quite a highlight for me. I also learned more about his influences ranging from the soft indie folk pop of Sufjan Stevens to the pulsing pop rock of The 1975 and the lively electronica of Porter Robinson.
The group has remained bound to one another for years now as musicians and friends, and they’ve devoted themselves to putting out music that reflects the environments they grew up in, in a coming-of-age way that evokes feelings of displacement, wonderment, and the search for what’s next to come. Luckily, Durbin and company are quite content with their growing status in local southern Louisiana music and are assured in their ability to give listeners a modern-sounding, likable and down to earth sound that reflects not only their home, but all the hopes and fears that come with it.
Be sure to check out the interview and live show performance linked to this article!
