Turin Brakes

Turin Brakes

Turin Brakes are an English band from Balham, London, formed in 1999 and active to the present. The group centres on the original duo of Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, with long-term collaborators Rob Allum and Eddie Myer. Their listed membership also includes Lounge at the End of Town.

Style and context

The band is associated with folk, indie folk, indie pop, indie rock, pop, acoustic and alternative music. They are linked to the New Acoustic Movement and are compared with bands from the late 1990s scene such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot and Kings of Convenience. I Am Kloot also support Turin Brakes on the Ether Song tour.

Albums and singles

Their debut album, The Optimist LP, appears in 2001 and is nominated for the Mercury Prize that year. In 2003, Ether Song reaches number 3 in the UK album chart and produces the top 5 single “Pain Killer”, while “Painkiller (Summer Rain)” becomes a UK top 5 hit in the same year. Later releases include JackInABox in 2005, Dark on Fire in 2007, Outbursts in 2010, We Were Here in 2013, Lost Property in 2016 and Invisible Storm in 2018.

Later activity

JackInABox marks a shift towards a fuller, more varied sound, while Lost Property is recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton. Dark on Fire is preceded by the download-only single “Stalker”. The band also releases a download-only live album from a London Palladium show after a UK acoustic tour. Their 2005 single “Fishing For A Dream” reaches number 35.