Top Brahmen

Top Brahmen’s sound is smooth, groove-based RnB tempered by fearless improvisation and the relentless search for new sounds.

Top Brahmen is vocalist Katie Oberholtzer, guitarist/arranger Thomas Brown, bassist Kinnon Church, and drummer Matt Johnston. The band operates as a medium through which four unique voices can come together in musical conversation, using popular soul and R&B songs as their vehicle.

The quartet met while attending University of Southern Maine where they honed their skills, informed by the vibrant arts and music scene of Portland, Maine. Top Brahmen aims to celebrate the culture in which it was forged, paying tribute to the creative diversity and craft-pride that characterizes southern Maine’s central hub.

The band’s influences span centuries and styles, ranging from the composer through which Top Brahmen derives its name: Johannes Brahms, to Hiatus Kaiyote, to Bill Evans. Their live shows encompass the harmonic adventurism of jazz and the nuance of a classical chamber ensemble filtered through the lens of modern neo-soul.