On Friday 14th November, Sunderland’s Fire Station hosts a very special gig: 20 Years of Field Music. To mark two decades since their debut, brothers David and Peter Brewis will return to their hometown stage, revisiting songs from their first two albums. Ahead of the show, Liza-Lou Campy caught up with David to talk about the journey so far, how the industry has changed, and what lies ahead.
Twenty years in, if you could give your younger selves one piece of advice, what would it be?
I’d say, on the off chance you ever get nominated for the Mercury Prize, don’t play the straightforward single. Play one of the weird, elaborate songs with the string quartet. It was one of the few occasions where we tried to be palatable, and we should’ve gone the whole hog.
Looking back, what’s been the defining moment for Field Music?
Probably coming back after our first break. After the first two records, we couldn’t keep the original version of the band going, so we made solo albums. Coming back to make a third record, figuring out how to be a different kind of band – that’s basically why we’re still here.
How have the big changes in the music industry affected you?
Not so much in how we make music – we’re pretty insular. We follow our own ideas and while that’s happening, we’re not really part of the industry. But the release side has changed: it used to be videos and press, now it’s all about social media content. Thankfully, our label knows we’re terrible at that and are very patient when it comes to Instagram hand-holding.
How has your sound evolved over the years?
Our approach hasn’t changed much. We’re still looking for combinations of ideas that haven’t been tried before. We’ve always had that mix of confidence that it’s worth doing, and anxiety that no one else will think so. With every album, we push against what we did last time, so the sound keeps shifting within our own boundaries.
Touring has been a big part of the story. Do you have any standout memories?
The strongest memories are when things go wrong. Me and Peter screaming at each other in the middle of Oslo because our van broke down on a tram track. Or driving from Málaga to Bordeaux only to find the hotel closed and struggling in bad French to get someone to let us in. But there have been lovely moments too, like meeting Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, Paul McCartney) in Boston. He was an absolute gentleman.
Any standout acts you’ve shared stages with?
In 2007, just before our hiatus, we supported Deerhoof at Leeds Irish Centre. They were amazing – unique and charming.
Your upcoming Sunderland show is a big hometown moment. What does it mean to play The Fire Station?
Honestly, I don’t know yet. Our bigger local shows have usually been in Newcastle. We weren’t sure we could sell enough tickets in Sunderland to justify a Fire Station gig. At Pop Recs or The Peacock, we’d know almost everyone in the room. But with 700–800 people at The Fire Station…surely we can’t know them all? I’ll report back.
Can fans expect surprises, or more of a classic Field Music experience?
The focus is on the first two records, so it’ll be classic – if you saw us in 2005! We’re playing songs we haven’t touched in nearly 20 years.
How has Sunderland shaped your identity as a band?
Back then, Sunderland didn’t feel like it had much musical heritage. Kenickie were whisked off to London before we really noticed, and punk bands like Leatherface were terrifying to a shy teenager. In the late ’90s and early ’00s, we had to build a scene ourselves. There was just the right mix of people – us, The Futureheads, James McMahon, This Ain’t Vegas, Brilliantine. We were all spiky, ambitious, and determined.
Tickets for Field Music’s Sunderland date, priced at £20.00 in advance, are available at thefirestation.org.uk.
