The Balance

The Balance is a rock and roll band from Durham, NC.

Jim Brantley plays the guitar, sings, and writes the songs so far. Before the Balance, Jim played guitar in the Ashley Stove. The Ashley Stove released two albums on Merge Records and did some touring. When the Ashley Stove wound down, Jim started writing a whole lot of songs in his newfound free time and eventually recruited…

Wes Philips to play the bass and sing some loud parts. Wes had recently moved to NC from Iowa, where he played a lot of jazz and had a great band called Speed of Sauce. Wes currently also plays in the brilliant atonal folk pop band Ticonderoga and also with Raleigh NC’s most beloved popsters, the Rosebuds. Next the Balance needed drums, so after much harassment, in spring of 2003 they convinced…

Matt McCaughan to play the drums and sing the high parts. Matt also occasionally plays in Portastatic, the Mighty Burners, the Rosebuds, the Proclivities, and “Who is Bad?” (the world’s best Michael Jackson tribute band). Matt also happens to be a pretty darn good jazz drummer, and has played in some of the best jazz combos in NC.