Brown Kid hails from Peru, but is nowadays based in Alabama, where the singer songwriter has released his new EP, ‘Rusty Strings’. With a laid back folky sound which reminds the listener a bit of Jack Johnson, the EP is both fresh and infectious.
The tracks are as biting and philosophical as the singer’s performing name – a nod at his heritage as well as a comment on how he is sometimes considered in Alabama. Recorded in Nashville, ‘Rusty Strings’ also includes a track called ‘Jamaicamecrazy’, an ode to island culture which features a rap section by MC Tio, and was written on a beach in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Brown Kid, with his Master’s in Spanish Literature from Auburn University, writes with deep philosphy and humour, and keeps his music succinct and to the point, while maintaining an attitude of wit, exuberance, and thoughtful reflection.
“I mix all the genres that inspire me. My thinking behind writing is, I want to write the song I wish existed, or was on in the radio, or about a topic I wish someone would talk about. Sometimes they’re heartfelt like ‘Complacency,’ others are funny like ‘Jamaicamecrazy.’ But clearly they would appeal to two different crowds. That’s what I aim for. Whether I’m singing about immigration, struggle, happiness, good times, contentment or philosophy, I feel like after you listen to Rusty Strings you have a pretty good idea of who I am.”
Brown Kid touches a wide range of subjects, such as in, ‘Welcome To My Funeral’, where he’s speaking from the “other side”, pointing out those hypocrites who attended to voice their love for him, but didn’t really like him while he was alive; ‘La Farra’, which roughly translates to mean “the festive atmosphere”, is an upbeat celebration, with a distinct Spanish vibe, and that provides a nice contrast between his laid back acoustics and his fast paced vocals.
‘Rusty Strings’ follows on from two LPs and one live album, and the title track tells a heartfelt tale of an immigrant’s experience, the story based on that of his father, who moved to the USA in order for his family to have a better life. Brown Kid’s father also found solace in playing music, and the singer works his father’s favourite phrase, “I swear”, into the song.
The overall sound of ‘Rusty Strings’ is hard to describe: it’s somewhere between beach folk and psych rock. There’s a SoCal feel in songs such as ‘Hole In The Wall’, and the beachy reggae, slash calypso feel in ‘Jamaicamecrazy’. It makes sense then that Brown Kid describes his music as “mult-cultural”. Speaking in a radio interview he said,
“That’s 100% true, from reggae to folk, to rock, to a bit of hip-hop and punkish attitude.”
No matter the genre, no matter the song, the music of Brown Kid is fresh and fun and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
Find out more about Brown Kid online on Reverbnation, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. ‘Rusty Strings’ is available to stream and download from iTunes, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
