An Englishman In New York: Art Brut

They’ve made one of the most acclaimed albums of 2005, their singles 'Emily Kane' and 'Good Weekend' have made them (reasonably) famous, and they’re huge… in Germany. As you may not already know, Art Brut's name is derived from the German for “Outsider Art,” have had one hell of a year. Since their early days on Angular Records to their current U.S. tour, Art Brut have always been a bastion of originality and wit amongst a sea of Sam Endicotts and James Blunts. So tonight, in the crowded lounge of New York’s Bowery Ballroom, we had the chance to talk to lead singer/songwriter Eddie Argos, and probe the depths of his mind regarding impressionists, The Black-Eyed Peas, and the American road trip.

As the final strains of porno-pop cheerleaders Bling Kong draw to a close, and we find ourselves in a dark corner of the Bowery. The concert tonight is in many ways a celebration, as Art Brut’s debut will be released in the U.S. (“It’s nice to finally have a record deal,” Eddie says) and his stage behavior reinforces this - between teasing the microphone cord and urging spontaneous band formations, he seems a man on top of the world. He’s also surprisingly tall, and thinner than the photos would have you believe.
 
But then again, maybe his band’s relentless schedule may have something to do with the thinness. In the past few months, Art Brut have seen England, The United States, Germany, and more. Eddie grins when Deutschland is mentioned (“We were on German Top of the Pops! It still counts”), and perhaps it’s the closest he’s gotten to his desire to appear on the well-known program. The current U.S. tour (complete with “loads of drinking”) left him surprised by American geography (regarding the Western U.S.: “I’ve never seen nothing before…It’s just hills!”) yet confident in the American audience.

But Eddie seems defiantly English at heart, even asking me to explain TOTP to my fellow Americans (“You can just say it’s like CD USA”). And it’s understandable why there might be something lost in the Anglo-American translation. After all, his band draws on the great “clever” British singers before him - comparisons to men like Jarvis Cocker are inevitable. There’s even a resemblance to Mike Skinner, in Art Brut’s casually delivered stories of rejection and clumsiness - it’s no wonder a there’s a connection. “I like the Streets,” Eddie says, before laughing. “But I’m too busy to listen to things, really.”

But to Eddie himself there’s more than the influences constantly tossed his way (The Fall, Wire). “I love Van Gogh,” he says when asked as to other inspirations for his music. “I’m obsessed with him.” A Renaissance man at heart, he says that he both paints and writes “stories and things” when he’s not busy writing the song to make Israel and Palestine get along.

So with all these credentials, it’s surprising how Art Brut are viewed. After all, general consensus seems to be that they’re either clever enough to play it simple, or just simple enough to seem clever. Call us crazy if we vote for the former. “I can see why people think we’re joking,” Eddie admits. “but just cause we’ve got a sense of humor doesn’t mean we’re a ‘joke band.’” Just as he once exclaimed “This is my singing voice. It’s not irony, it’s not rock’n’roll,” he now sticks to his sincerity. “[I’m] just trying to be myself,” he claims.