MODERN ART

Modern Art was Art Brut's second single, our first on Fierce Panda.

Modern Art is a song about getting so excited about Art you want to run around in Art Galleries shouting about how amazing everything is.

It is also a song about Paris.

I went to Paris for the weekend of my Twenty Second birthday.It was my third time abroad.I'd previously been to Ibiza (as a tiny baby, so no raving) and on a school exchange to a place called St Lo, in France.I cant really remember those trips though so going to Paris was really my first time abroad.

I know its a bit of a cliche but I fell in love with Paris immediately and visited all the tourist attractions.

I climbed to the top of  Monmartre and the Eiffel Tower, I quietly and intently looked around the Sacre Couer and Notre Dame and I really did jump up and down and run around in both the Pompidou and  The Louvre.

I also chose the name for the band I am in Art Brut.On my birthday at Halle Saint Piere and scrawled "Art Brut Top Of The Pops" in their guest book.

When I got back to England I was unbearable.I could steer any topic of conversation towards how amazing Paris was and about how I wanted to live there. I had filled my mobile phone with lyrics and was intent on writing a song about my experience.Although it turned out Jonathan Richman had beaten me to it by about twenty years with his song "Give Paris One More Chance" I was gutted

Since I'd got back from Paris I'd been arguing with anyone that would listen to me that the Pompidou was much better than the Tate.

I had been told off in the Tate about a month before for excitedly jabbering about the paintings too loudly.I am definitely the sort of person that bares a grudge and couldnt let it go.In the Pompidou in Paris there had been children running about and people having fun.No one would have told me off there.

So because one old man had given me a telling off in the Tate.I decided I would leave the UK forever and live in Paris never to return.Well at least in my imagination.I cant actually speak French  so if I'd really attempted to do that I'd have come undone pretty quick.

 I wrote the words to Modern Art whilst I was making this huge postcard.Both the song and the painting are for the same stupid old man that told me of for enjoying art.

I addressed the Post Card to the house where I grew up though as I'd had similar running away fantasies when I lived there.I also didnt know the stupid old mans address and doubt that he'd care wether I moved to Paris or not

You can hear the Art Brut song Modern Art HERE

This postcard is made of acrylic paint and ink on canvas and is huge

FORMED A BAND

"Formed a band" was Art Brut's first single released on Rough Trade about four years ago.

This painting was the front cover of Art Brut's first single.

I love demo tapes of bands.I used to find them in charity shops when I was growing up in Poole.I'd always buy them and take them home to listen too.

There is something very exciting about an unknown demo tape especially if your presuming that its a bands first time in the studio as that makes it the sound of high hopes and massive expectations mixed with an intense nervousness,pregnant with possibilty.I always found something to enjoy on the Demo tapes of the long forgotten bands that I'd find in charity shops,even if the music was terrible.

Although I admit I'm probably projecting quite a lot of romantisicism onto the Demo tapes of unsuccessful bands from the Poole area of Dorset.

By the time I had my first band (The Art Goblins) Demo tapes were already non existent with studios putting everything straight on to CD for you.The only tapes I have of any music I've made are songs that were recorded into friends cassette players in our bedrooms from when I was growing up.

I made my formed a band painting before Art Brut went into the studio for the first time.It was definitely before I'd written the words for the song.The painting was supposed to represent the demo tapes I'd listened to growing up not anything we were going to record.

Art Bruts first ever recordings, our demos that were intended to be free on our website, became our first single.

I've always been proud of the fact the front cover was of a fictional demo tape that I had imagined was in a charity shop in Poole waiting to be picked up by somebody like me.

I have made some replica's of the Formed A Band painting they are made of car spray paint and acyrlic paint and are on 24 x 30 cm canvas.

They are £107.50 including postage.

If you are interested I can be contacted at eddie.argos.resource@gmail.com

You can hear the song Formed A Band HERE.

MOVED TO LA

Moved to LA is a new Art Brut song that will probably be on our next Album.

On Art Brut's first album we have a song called "Considering A Move To LA" I wrote the words to that song when I was working in a pub on a cold rainy day and was trying to imagine the best possible place I could be.

My girlfriend lives in LA so I'm there quite a lot now.I do pretty much live there although when I started writing "Moved To LA" I didn't realise I was writing it about Los Angeles.

I wrote it about something Archis Tiku from Maximo Park once said.

He had claimed "I could live here, Man" about Seattle when he was on tour with the Blood Arm they quote him quite a lot and the phrase got stuck in my head.

It made me think about how amazing it would be to run away and start your life over again surrounded by people who didnt know you.Which I'm almost certain wasn't what Archis was thinking about when he said it.

There have been many times in my life when I've fantasised about running away from any problems I have had, although I've always known that I'm too well behaved and dependable to actually go through with it.

If I ever were to attempt a "Reggie Perrin" I would ruin it immediately by sending a postcard back to my friends and family after I'm supposed to be missing at sea.Telling everybody exactly what I'd done.

This is a painting of that Postcard.

It is on canvass and in acrylic. Its about 50cm x 35cm

Its hard to see in the photo but the postcard has been written on and then tipexed over.

If I were to run away I would definitely write something in haste on a postcard that I was sending back,regret it immediately, change my mind and then tipex over it and write something a little more polite.

I've addressed it to my house as I presume thats where people would be looking for me.

I've not added a stamp yet as I'd probably carry it around in my pocket for about a fortnight before I got round to sending it.I will paint a stamp and add it in the next couple of weeks.

The best thing about Archis saying "I could live here,man" about Seattle is that when he said it he hadn't even been outside the venue yet.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

"Ignorance Is Bliss" is an Art Brut song.It was the B-side to our single Direct Hit.

I had to write the words and record the vocal at the very last minute so ended up doing both in the back of a van, in the underground car park of the Birmingham Academy.

We were on tour with Maximo Park.They were selling T-Shirts with "Ignorance Isn't Bliss" written on them.

I disagree Ignorance is definitely bliss.I would still be smoking forty cigarettes a day if I didn't know that it killed me, I still enjoy drinking, but I would enjoy it a lot more if I didn't know about the damage it was doing to my body and I'm sure my day would start a lot better if I didnt fill my head with worry reading terrifying newspaper stories every morning as I eat my breakfast.

I sometimes cant sleep because I am so full of concern.I would definitely sleep easier if I had nothing to worry about.That is why I wrote the lyrics to the Art Brut song as a lullaby,wishing you some sweet dreams as the song ends.

I've been selling replica's of this painting for £35 including postage They are in acrylic on a 12cm x 18cm canvas.

They are all handmade by me.I feel prints are impersonal and I like the fact that even though I'm re-painting the same picture again and again they can never be exactly the same.

If your interested in buying one you can contact me at eddie.argos.resource@gmail.com

You can buy a download of the Art Brut song HERE

I really miss smoking.