DCist

DC-Area Musicians To Watch in 2023

By: Elliot Williams

For the D.C.-based rock band Broke Royals, it’s all about keeping things local. In fact, their third and latest album, released in July, is called Local Support — inspired by a show they played at Songbyrd Music House in 2017. “I’m in the band playing local support,” Philip Basnight sings in the title track. “Your hands in the air as you dance through the floor.” (He was describing his wife Rebecca Silverstein, then an audience member dancing the night away. She’s now the band’s keyboardist.)

The five-member group recorded their upbeat, 10-track album at Ivakota Recording Studio near Capitol Hill; Bartees Strange (see above) produced the record; and they became the first signees to Byrdland Records, a vinyl label from the same team behind Songbyrd. “The record captures a transitional period for us as a band,” Basnight said over email. “The pandemic forced us to collaborate in new ways, which resulted in some exciting new sounds captured on the record.” Basnight says he’s confident there will be new Broke Royals music in 2023. In the meantime, check out their video series, “Alone, Together,” in which they created songs live on YouTube in the early days of the pandemic