Pop punk for people figuring it out the hard way. Fairly Brief blends big hooks, late-night anxiety, and growing pains into loud, honest songs that hit somewhere between nostalgia and burnout. Their debut album “Death, Taxes, and Dryspells” is streaming everywhere on 09/25/26.

Brian Ripple: When was Fairly Brief formed?

John Terzi: After a year or so of tossing the idea around, we got in a room together for the first time in October of 2020 and never looked back.

BR: Who was most influential in the formation of the band, and whose concept?

JT: Ryan Winterholler, who plays bass and sings, and I had played music together in different forms for years. I would say we were equally driven to get this project started. As far as the concept, I’d say the pop punk roots probably run the deepest for me.

BR: Can you tell us a little more about the players in the current line-up?

JT: Ryan Winterholler plays the bass guitar and sings. He was the first friend I made in Bozeman when I moved here more than a decade ago, so it’s kind of a dream come true to get to do this together. I play guitar and sing, and Austin Belluscio plays the drums. He’s actually our second drummer, replacing our friend Tim Brown, who founded the group with us and departed about six months in. We didn’t have many connections in the music scene here when Tim left, and we weren’t sure how to replace him. I think it was a Facebook add that Ryan made that helped us find Austin, though we like to joke at shows that we matched on Tinder. Austin is the best.


BR: What was the influence for the songs on the new album, and who is most responsible for the songwriting?

JT: Our debut album “Death, Taxes, and Dryspells” is out as of 09/25/26, and we are stoked to share it. The songs were a very collaborative effort between the three of us as well as our producer, Erik Eng. As a whole, the album is based in pop punk like Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, etc., but I like to think it explores elements of indie rock/pop, some jazzy stuff, and other things.

BR: Where did you record the album? Who mixed and mastered the album?

JT: We recorded everything in makeshift booths inside a cold, dark warehouse. It was a really cool experience. The album was mixed and mastered by Erik Eng, who’s an electronic artist by the name Default. He also did all of the recording engineering as well as an honorary fourth member when helping decide on the best ideas. He really brought the absolute best out of all of us.

BR: What are the best streaming platforms for people to listen to your music?

JT: “Death, Taxes, and Dryspells” is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and about anything else you could possibly imagine.

BR: Who are a few of your favorite contemporary/modern artists?

JT: Within our genre, there’s a really cool band called Super Sometimes, and PRINTS who are local and great. Outside the genre and more mainstream, I love Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Noah Kahan.

BR: If you could see any bands/artists, living or dead, who would you go to?

JT: Beastie Boys or Sum 41 would be cool.

BR: How do you think (these) artists influence your music, and where do you think the future of Fairly Brief will take you?

JT: I guess they’d just remind me to stay grounded in authenticity and to keep having fun. I just see us working on more music and having a great time playing songs with our friends.

BR: What do you think is your favorite part of playing live music with a band?

JT: The kind of music we perform is inherently fun to play, but I’d add that we’re always trying to make each other laugh while performing, and that’s a blast.

BR: Does Fairly Brief have any local upcoming live shows you would like to talk about?

JT: Yeah! We’re playing on October 4th at the Filling Station, opening a show for a tour that’s coming through with Sygnal to Noise, Drift Mothership, and Juniper Kills.

This album explores themes of mental health & hard times and is really close to us. I’d just say take care of each other, and if you need to talk, call your friends, your parents, or your Dr. You matter, and you’re not alone.   

John grew up in Alaska and relocated to Bozeman in 2014. He owns and operates a small renovation company called Terzi Home Solutions since 2019.