Alt folk artist Brick Turpin – releases new single ‘Like Natural Materials Do’

One of the most unique voices coming out of the UK music scene right now Brick Turpin’s sound is built on authenticity and truth. His music comes steeped in tradition both from the 60’s folk artists he draws influence from and from his chosen profession of bricklayer. The two bleed into each other so much that it would be impossible to separate them, especially given that the muse for Brick’s music is his tradesman lifestyle. Carrying the momentum form his debut single ‘White Van Man’ which caught the sharpened ears of The Sounds Wont Stop, Rock N Load, The Otherside Reviews and a range of folk, americana and indie folk playlists. Brick now returns with second single to be taken from the album ‘Like Natural Materials Do’.

 As Brick began to compose music for his forthcoming album ‘Workday’, the theme he decided to write around was ‘small people, big city’. A collection of songs written by a tradesman for tradesman, all the while shining a light on the quiet lives of tradesman that, in no small way, make everyone’s lives possible. Brick’s song writing vastly focuses on his voice and an acoustic guitar, with a focus on words and storytelling in the true folk tradition. Brick is responsible for the writing, performing and recording the track but turned to punk rock royalty, Rat Scabies of The Damned to mix the album.

On new single ‘Like Natural Materials Do’ Brick pits tradition against modern life, a theme which runs throughout the album. Over the course of a lean two minutes the song encapsulates the struggle felt by tradesman as they strive to maintain and preserve traditional methodologies, approaches and materials. All in the face of the seemingly omnipresent interior design show or influencer pushing the latest trend with lowest common denominator appeal. The song opens on acoustic guitar before being joined by some percussion. Keeping in the theme of the song, the percussion comes from pieces of wood and metal from Brick’s van. There is no posturing here, this is life lived and breathed, with an intense pride in the work and music. Brick sings ‘The height of fashion, they want you to emulate, from influencers on TV and in cyber space’ before following it up with ‘in money they put all their trust’. A scathing point of view on wanting the latest disposable trend for the lowest price, as long as it looks good in the pictures. He follows this up with ‘So fill the whole house with, plastics and mastics and goop, breathe in the gases, swim in the chemical soup.’ As he protests against the cheapness of modern life and in the process the eventual loss of heritage. While Brick’s music focuses on a tradie’s position, this can be extrapolated out across all modern life, cheapest, fastest and now while quality, design and history become casualties of instant gratification and internet validation.

Capturing authenticity and truth are at the heart of Brick’s music. Hidden underneath the jaunty music, and clever lines are a sincere message and one reflective of a life spent serving a nation of people. The symbiotic nature of his music and trade are a unique perspective on the world, even down to the vocabulary his choses to use, Brick says ‘I use earthy and natural words common to describing the world around us rather than cold scientific rational descriptors’. The stories being told here aren’t of orcs or excess, there’s no melodrama for likes, these are the stories of normal, everyday people and the history and traditions of working people. A unique voice, in another wise increasing homogenised landscape.

Photo credit – press photo