The Brute Chorus

The Brute Chorus are a group from Whitechapel, United Kingdom, active since 2008 and led by James Brute. They combine garage, blues and folk music with references to Biblical stories, nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Their sound is described as resisting easy genre classification, and their reputation develops largely through live performances.

Early activity and live shows

The band begins by building an audience through a monthly residency at the Hawley Arms in Camden. Their live dates include Glastonbury’s BBC Introducing stage, Camden Crawl, The Great Escape, Secret Garden Party, Belladrum, Standon and Kendal Calling. They also tour with Vincent Vincent & The Villains, Martha Wainwright, Rumble Strips, Ida Maria and Peggy Sue, and play numerous headline shows across the UK and Europe.

Recordings and releases

Their first releases are Chateau and The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart, psyched-out garage-folk recordings issued on Bumpman Records, the label backed by the Hawley Arms. The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart includes a duet with Tigs, frontwoman of Chew Lips. These early recordings draw praise from Steve Lamacq, Zane Lowe, NME and The Fly.

The band’s debut album is recorded in one take at The Roundhouse’s FreeDM studios in front of 300 fans, with producers Victor Van Vugt and Choque Hosein. It is issued in a handmade wooden sleeve made by the band and receives five-star reviews from Clash, Artrocker, BBC, Drowned in Sound and others. The band also appears in a Channel 4-screened JD set.

Second album and later work

After a period of lower-profile shows, the band signs to East London indie label Tape and records a second album in a village hall in the Lake District. The album, How The Caged Bird Sings, receives strong press and online reviews, with Clash, Artrocker and Bizzarre calling it a must-have release. It appears in an unusual seven-inch format folded into a poster designed by tattooist Mo Coppoletta of The Family Business.

Singles from the album receive radio play, and in January 2011 the band serves as Artists in Residence on John Kennedy’s XFM show and performs a live session for Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music. The videos for “Heaven” and “Birdman” are directed by David Fishel and receive rotation on websites in Europe and America as well as airplay on MTV Iggy.

Other projects and line-up changes

During the 2010 World Cup, the band records Ennio Morricone’s The Man With The Harmonica under the name The Bottomless Pit Orchestra for an Adidas boot campaign featuring Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi. Later, after touring England and France again, the band writes new material with drummer Mark Austin, formerly of Camden groups Captain Black and The Border Surrender.