While any true Anglophile is likely familiar with the name Brinsley Schwarz, it’s probably due to the pioneering pub-rock outfit bearing his moniker. Formed from the ashes of their earlier incarnation, Kippington Lodge, the band went on to be the springboard for the careers of Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm, each of whom loaned their considerable skills to a series of albums released from the late 1960s to the band’s breakup in 1975.
While Schwarz himself seemed more than willing to allow his colleagues to take center stage, he continued to contribute his talents on guitar and saxophone to other outfits — among them fellow pub rockers Ducks Deluxe and Dr. Feelgood. However, it was his contribution to Graham Parker and his longstanding backing band, The Rumour, that effectively rebooted his career.
Surprisingly though, he appeared reticent to strike out on his own until 2016, which marked the release of his first solo album, aptly titled Unexpected. More recently, his sophomore effort, Tangled, appeared, a set of songs that suggests once again that Schwarz is more than capable of standing solidly on his own. The music is unceasingly melodic, with songs such as “He Takes Your Breath Away,” “Game On,” “You Drive Me to Drink” and the title track bringing to mind his namesake band’s earlier efforts. The same goes for the feisty rocker “Storm in the Hills,” which wouldn’t seem out of place on any of their initial albums. Notably, it includes “Love Gets You Twisted,” a song written by none other than his pal Parker.
Goldmine recently spoke with the ever-humble Schwarz, who in turn offered us the opportunity to catch up on his whereabouts over the past several decades and get his perspective on how it all began.
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