Dirty Brain offers a cathartic rock experience filled with nostalgia and urgency. Their sound blends humor with heartfelt emotion, creating an invigorating and memorable listening experience. Drawing on the energy of post-grunge, Dirty Brain’s modern yet nostalgic vibe delivers a refreshing twist on a classic sound. Produced by Nick Morzov, known for his work with Blink-182 and Animals as Leaders, their music has been praised by Roadie Music Mag for its "intense and full of fabulous atmospheres that are striking and very original.” Their single, “All Billionaires Go to Space” showcases their signature intensity, complete with a stunning music video directed by acclaimed music video director, Robyn August. Their roots stretch back to high school, where childhood friends Will Schmidt and Ian MacKenzie discovered a shared passion for music. The true vision for Dirty Brain began to take shape, as they collaborated with Philadelphia music scene veteran Paul Buondonno and later recruited Mike Zajac and Aidan Riess. Dirty Brain is more than just a band; it's a close-knit unit committed to offering a unique, powerful, and relatable experience that is impossible to ignore.
WILL SCHMIDT
Vocalist/Guitarist Will Schmidt began his musical journey writing and recording music in 2012. Since starting his first few projects in GarageBand on a school-distributed iPad, Will went on to study music composition and production at the collegiate level. He has shared the stage with acts such as Smile Empty Soul, A Killer’s Confession, and The National Parks. In addition to managing, composing for, and performing in his own bands, Will began producing other artists around the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, most notably, Jessica Ricca. In 2022, his productions amassed 300,000+ streams/views. His goal with Dirty Brain is very simple -- to create high quality productions and an environment where people can be unapologetically themselves.
PAUL BUONDONNO
A veteran in the Philadelphia music scene, drummer Paul Buondonno has played hundreds of shows in the tri-state area, and has his eyes set on many more. Paul’s journey started at age 15 when his father bought him his first electric guitar. Paul became obsessed with learning and playing as many instruments as he could and at age 16, he bought his first drumkit. Paul co-founded the Philadelphia-based band Siravo. From 2007-2020, they went on to write and record three full-length albums, receive playtime on the biggest rock radio station in Philadelphia, 93.3 WMMR and open for Shinedown, Limp Bizkit, Pop Evil, Papa Roach, Bullet For My Valentine, Evanescence, and many more. Like many other musicians, the Covid-19 pandemic brought Paul’s journey to a screeching halt. After two years of being away from the music scene, Paul reconvened with longtime friend and fellow musician Will Schmidt. The two were starting to jam and write together on a side project when Will asked Paul to fill the drummer role in his new band, Dirty Brain. With eagerness and very little deliberation, Paul accepted the role. Now reinvigorated and with a fire in his eyes, Paul looks to the future with his new brothers and plans to make a return to the big stage.
AIDAN RIESS
Raised in the vibrant music scene of New York City, bassist Aidan Riess developed a passion for music at a very early age. Aidan co-founded Villanova based progressive-rock band, Vasey Hall, releasing their first album Desert Sun in 2018. The release of their heavier and increasingly progressive album, Deeds of the Blessed soon followed in the ill-fated year of 2020. During the pandemic, Aidan joined forces with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Ray Jho for the disco-funk band Retro Future, whose self-titled album was released in Fall 2022. Aidan joined Dirty Brain in August 2022, and is looking forward to what lies ahead.
MIKE ZAJAC
Guitarist Mike Zajac's interest in music began at an early age, starting with a drum set gifted to him at age 3. His parents later opted to buy him a guitar at age 10, reasoning that "You can turn off a guitar, but you can't turn off drums." Mike became interested in all different types of music including rock, pop, classical, jazz, and hip hop, but discovered his love for metal at age 10 when he began playing "Guitar Hero III." From that point on, there was only one mission: to shred. In addition to his exploits on guitar, Mike also played Trombone with the La Salle College High School Competition Jazz Band, which won 3 Duke Ellington Division Championships during his 4 years in the band. In college, Mike took classes about music production and recording, and has been working on writing/recording various studio projects over the past few years. Mike joined Dirty Brain in September 2022, and is excited to create bad-ass tunes and play shows.
IAN MACKENZIE