Pushing the Boundaries: The Enduring Artistry of Field Music

For over two decades, brothers David and Peter Brewis have been captivating audiences with their unique brand of art rock as the duo behind Field Music. Their journey, marked by a constant evolution and a refusal to be confined by genre, has resulted in a remarkable catalog that defies convention and showcases their unwavering commitment to musical exploration.

Redefining the Boundaries of Collaboration and Creativity

Embracing the Unexpected: From Flailing to Flourishing

The Brewis brothers' path to becoming each other's closest collaborators was anything but straightforward. In the early 2000s, both were pursuing their own musical projects, with limited success. As David reflects, "It was our period of flailing, where we were trying to do things and didn't know how to do them." However, this period of uncertainty ultimately paved the way for the formation of Field Music, as the brothers realized the power of trusting each other and working things out together.Peter remembers the pivotal moment when they decided to pool their ideas and collaborate: "We got to the point where it was like, 'Why don't we just pool our ideas and see if we can work together?'" This decision marked the beginning of a fascinating process of trial and error, one that has continued to shape the duo's musical journey over the course of nine albums.

Embracing Diversity: From Commissions to Collaborations

While Field Music has been the primary focus of the Brewis brothers, their creative endeavors have extended far beyond the confines of their own band. Through their studio space in Sunderland, they have taken on various commissions, collaborations, and solo projects under the banner of Field Music Productions. This multifaceted approach has allowed them to explore different artistic avenues, keeping their creative juices flowing and their musical palette ever-expanding.The brothers have also deliberately taken breaks and pursued other projects as a means of rejuvenating their creative energies when they return to Field Music. This strategic approach has been a key factor in their extraordinary longevity, as they've managed to avoid the pitfalls of creative stagnation that often plague long-running musical acts.

Navigating the Industry: Charting Their Own Course

Throughout their career, the Brewis brothers have had occasional flirtations with commercial success, including a Mercury Prize nomination for their 2012 album, Plumb. However, their primary focus has been on honing their unique brand of art rock, often at a geographical remove from the "wider music industry" that David Brewis describes with a hint of suspicion.This distance from the industry's machinations has allowed the duo to craft an idiosyncratic yet eminently accessible catalog, one that subverts clichés and challenges conventions. As David explains, "If you're gonna use a cliché, you have to subvert it in some way, but definitely don't do that thing where you just construct music out of the clichés of pop music."

Embracing the Unconventional: From "Collage Rock" to Improvisation

The Brewis brothers' approach to music-making has been marked by a willingness to experiment and push the boundaries of what is considered conventional. From the early days of Field Music, when they described their sound as "collage rock," to their later forays into improvisation and unconventional song structures, the duo has consistently challenged the status quo.As Peter Brewis reflects on the creation of the track "In Context" from their 2007 album Tones of Town, he describes a process of recording and then chopping up the material, putting it back together in unexpected ways. This approach, inspired by the work of Wilco and Jim O'Rourke, made the song "incredibly impractical" to perform live, further cementing Field Music's reputation as a band unafraid to embrace the unconventional.

Navigating Nostalgia and Personal Growth

The Brewis brothers' musical journey has also been shaped by their own personal experiences and growth. After the success of their 2012 album Plumb, the duo took a step back, exploring diversionary projects that allowed them to delve into specific ideas and themes.David Brewis' solo project, School of Language, for example, was a "Timbaland/Neptunes style-album about when I was at my most shy and socially anxious, which was in the run-up to meeting my wife." This introspective exploration of his past self and its relationship to his present-day identity as a performer and father was a crucial part of the brothers' creative evolution.Similarly, the duo's work on the soundtrack for the 1929 silent documentary Drifters, titled "Music for Drifters," was a spontaneous and immersive experience that challenged them to respond to visual cues in real-time, creating a "wild experience" that could only be played in the moment.

Embracing Collaboration and Mentorship

While Field Music has been the primary creative outlet for the Brewis brothers, they have also embraced opportunities to collaborate with other artists. One such collaboration was the formation of the band You Tell Me, which saw Peter Brewis teaming up with singer-songwriter Sarah Hayes.This experience of working with Hayes, whom Brewis describes as having ideas he "wished he'd thought of," was a liberating one, as it allowed him to step into a mentorship role and help bring someone else's musical vision to life. This collaborative spirit has been a hallmark of the Brewis brothers' approach, as they continue to seek out new creative partnerships and challenges.

Reflecting on the Past, Embracing the Future

As Field Music prepares to release their latest album, Limits of Language, the Brewis brothers reflect on the themes that have come to define their work. David Brewis notes that "almost all of the songs on the new album are about everything around us crumbling," a poignant commentary on the passage of time and the impermanence of the world around us.The album's title track, "The Waitress of St. Louis," serves as a metaphor for this sense of loss and change, as it mourns the closing of a beloved cafe that had been a constant in the brothers' lives. This bittersweet exploration of the past and its connection to the present is a hallmark of Field Music's artistry, as they continue to navigate the complexities of life and creativity.Through their unwavering commitment to musical exploration, their embrace of collaboration and mentorship, and their ability to find inspiration in the personal and the universal, the Brewis brothers have cemented their place as one of the most compelling and innovative acts in the contemporary music landscape. As they embark on the next chapter of their journey, the future of Field Music remains as unpredictable and captivating as the duo's past.