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Bio

In the cutthroat world of music, where friendships fade like one-hit-wonders, emerges Motel Breakfast. These Midwest misfits navigate adulthood through emotional anthems that live somewhere between Hot Mulligan, Dr. Dog, and Bruce Springsteen. But Motel Breakfast is more than a band; they're a tight-knit crew of small-town souls who found solace and lifelong connections in their shared passion.

The indivisible bond between Motel Breakfast’s members is what sets them apart. Led by vocalist and guitarist Jimmy Denovsky, alongside lead guitarist Mick O’Donnell, Conor Brennan’s keys, Drue deVente’s bass, and Jesse Nasadowski’s drumming, together they are an unstoppable force and seamlessly blend the gravity and playfulness of life through their output.

Formed in 2017, the members of Motel Breakfast didn’t live in the same place for the first 7 years of the band. Despite the geographical divide, with members scattered across Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago, they thrived in conquering the challenges of growing a band that can’t even have regular weekly practices. As a result, every time they get together, it is intentional. When members aren’t at their day jobs, they’re pouring their nights and weekends into Motel Breakfast, and so, their story is not one that is entirely their own. It’s a story of community, a vibrant ecosystem of friends, artists, and peers who have rallied behind them, affording the band their own platform of creative expression. From meticulously curated cover art to captivating photography and more, every detail helps foster inclusivity and the growth of those around them.

Simply put, Motel Breakfast is the kind of band you want to hang out with. Together they can silence a packed bar with anthemic vulnerability and then crack a dad joke mid-set. Balancing humor with poetry, they’re not afraid to take their craft seriously while staying true to themselves, too––and it’s working! Fans are drawn in by Motel Breakfast’s charisma and camaraderie, magnetically pulled into this world where authenticity, dedication and genuine magic coalesce.

- Jamie Coletta, NoEarbuds

 Music

I Promise I’m Having Fun. (2024)

Live from Lincoln Hall (2023)

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Left On Deming - EP (2020)

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Motel Breakfast (2020)

Motel Breakfast on Audiotree Live - EP (2022)

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Weekends & Holidays - EP (2017)

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Irish All The Same (2021)

 

Press

Motel Breakfast celebrate a diverse but cohesive post-lockdown album

“[They] weren’t trying to make a cohesive album from their post-lockdown material, but by tackling each song as it arose, they ended up binding together alt-country, emo, and blue-collar rock.”

MOTEL BREAKFAST SOUND LIKE CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH ON “WONDER YEAR”

“These dudes are highly skilled musicians, and they unselfishly let each other become the focal point”

Motel Breakfast: I Promise I’m Having Fun

“Motel Breakfast’s sophomore album is a fun, introspective and melodic indie rock record that plays to their strengths.”

Motel Breakfast Interview

“Currently celebrating their five year anniversary as a band, they discuss the band's musical origins and founding, their ethos around giving back…, how their writing style has evolved while being spread across the Midwest, and recording digitally versus on analog.”

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Getting Personal with Motel Breakfast’s Jimmy Drenovsky and Photographer Michael Heinz

“Motel Breakfast, (is) a true Midwestern band, with members split between Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison,…Jimmy Drenovsky… sat down with long time friend and photographer, Michael Heinz, to chat about the single and the process of putting personal music out into the world.”

Motel Breakfast capture a live analog sound on their self-titled debut

“‘Motel Breakfast’ is the band's longest and most expansive release to date. More than a collection of songs, the album offers a clear narrative divided into two chapters, thanks to a clever and welcomed instrumental track, ‘ADHD’ set in the middle.”

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Motel Breakfast Raises over $5,000 for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin through Virtual Concert

“With everyone quarantined on the weekends, one local Milwaukee band found a new way to reach their fans at home… and they decided to make a difference while they did so. “

Motel Breakfast share a gorgeously achy new tune, ‘My Head’

“This one's all about the ache. Soothing pianos and shimmering guitars allay some of the sting of a song about being unable to silence your thoughts. Fans of The Walkmen are going to find a ton to love here.”

Album Review: I Promise I’m Having Fun

“The sophomore album from Chicago’s Motel Breakfast…captures an indie rock spirit in the same vein of bands like Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog and The Menzingers.”

15 Top Milwaukee Albums and Songs to Check Out in June 2024

“A contemplative piano and slow simmer serves as the introduction on Motel Breakfast's latest album via opening song "The Call," but the indie rock band quickly substitutes scaling grandeur for fizzy jams like ‘MB (as in Modern Baseball),’ resulting in an album that's a lot of fun (I promise).”

Album Review: I Promise I’m Having Fun (5 stars)

“I Promise I’m Having Fun, is a melodic, introspective album that deftly encapsulates the throws (sic) of living through your twenties. Its 11 tracks are free and high-spirited, with lyrics crafted to capture the quarter-life era with poetic humor and resonating melodies.”

Artist Spotlight: Motel Breakfast

“Motel Breakfast’s eclectic indie rock sound does not stick to one lane; the band’s members are all influenced by different styles ranging from singer-songwriter to Midwest emo to pop punk to art rock.”

New year, new single, new direction for Motel Breakfast

“On new single ‘So Long,’ lead vocalist Jimmy Drenovsky steps aside so bassist Drue deVente can lend his lower register to a song that seems to call for just such an approach. There’s an unhurriedness to the track, both musically and lyrically, and deVente’s voice only reinforces the feeling.”

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PREMIERE: "Tell Me" by Motel Breakfast

“Ahead of Motel Breakfast’s self-titled album release on February 7th, we’re giving you the first listen of the debut record’s second single, ‘Tell Me.’”

Motel Breakfast offer a respite from stressful times with ‘Yelling at the Moon’

“(The song) is a meditation on growing both into and away from a relationship;”

8 Milwaukee albums and songs you have to hear in February, from Willy Porter, Field Report and more

“‘Torches,’ the opening track of its debut album, recalls the stripped-back anthemic drive of the Lumineers. But instrumental, psychedelic, trumpet-kissed retro-soul rocker ‘ADHD’ indicates the band's versatility, while Drenovsky, on ‘Strangers to Ourselves’ and ‘Hope,’ shows how powerful, and raw, a singer and songwriter he can be.”

 

 Photos

All photos by Tommy Moore + Conor James

Videos


Music Videos

Live Sessions