The release of ‘Brutalism’ on Balley Records in May 2017 followed a performance at SXSW and a sold out UK tour for Bristol punks Idles.
They describe the new record, which was named BBC Radio 6 Music album of the day, as ‘a necessary epitaph to the addictions, shadows and women in our lives’.
Originally from Devon, they’ve been playing together for a few years and have moved up the M5 to Bristol.
Singer Joe Talbot said: “It’s gone well because we stuck to our guns for seven years kept our heads down, enjoyed ourselves and each other and worked fucking hard. I think our ethos and tone has a more pertinent ring to it in this current time and place which has helped us get heard.”
The first run of 500 copies of ‘Brutalism’ sold instantly via the website and at gigs, the second run is on sale now.
“The record is called ‘Brutalism’ and it was a necessary epitaph to the addictions, shadows and women in our lives. There was a heap of weight we were carrying and we didn’t even know it, the album carried it away for us.” – Joe Talbot
Joe continued: “The sleeve has an original art piece by my old man and me, page two is an open letter to my mother, the third page is a list of gratitude to the people that helped us build this ship and the back cover is a track listing imposed on an image of my partner’s vagina. All are relevant to us as a family and what the record became.
“We released it on vinyl because people want it as a format. If you want it on mp3, it’s because you want the songs or album but if you want it on vinyl it’s because of the relationship the listener has with records, the physicality or the sonic individuality vinyl has. Also, it sells better as people respect it more.”