Houston artist Adam Bricks used his break up to fuel new songs and he will be throwing an anti-Valentines Day show with the release of his new single, “Funeral,” February 13 at the Continental Club. The single will be available for streaming the next day. Bricks will be joined by good friends and fellow Houston musicians, Ancient Cat Society and Hearts of Animals.
Bricks previously released City Songs and Revelations, two distinct albums with Revelations taking Bricks into a more indie rock direction than his previous folk-driven City Songs. Bricks is currently working on his third album titled Trials and for this record, Bricks is taking control in the studio and letting out the feelings left over from a two year relationship that ended.
“It was a very hard breakup and the songs were kind of my outlet for everything that happened afterwards. “Funeral” was definitely part of that super angry period,” confessed Bricks. What do people do when they know something is doomed? Do they choose to pretend they don’t see it and trudge along or call it quits?
Bricks hits this sentiment head on with “Funeral” and he does not mince his words. He fully expresses his frustration and anger while taking listeners along for the ride of his own emotional digestion. “Funeral is probably the most cathartic song on the record.”
He admits that in the past he has held onto songs for years but with his recent batch of songs felt an urge to let them out quickly. Breakups are hard and complicated and without giving away too many personal details, Bricks describes how he felt pressure to be married and comply with some set standard of a societal norm.
He has since learned to go easy on himself saying wisely, “What's the point of making yourself feel terrible?” Bricks also identified the importance of allowing himself to feel. “Everybody wants to be very grown up and it's not like that, you harbor the feelings of anger and maybe remorse and they are valid too. It’s not just about being a perfect human being, you can let yourself be messed up for a while. That's how you get through it in my experience.”
Another single off the upcoming album is “Try”, released with a clever video featuring Bricks himself experiencing a hellish groundhog day and slowly training himself to do better until he finally gets it right. The video was directed by Sergio Trevino of Buxton and Ancient Cat Society.
When discussing the decision to release singles versus waiting to release and entire album, Bricks assures he has a plan. “People get latched onto songs more than records these days so I just feel like putting out singles is more of a smart thing to do.”
“People are going to want to hear more. We definitely have close to an album, we are getting there.” Bricks is working with local label, The What of Whom Records run by Detroit native and now Houston resident, Kim Hill. “Kim’s a really good guy. He has a really good ear for music and he has good taste which is super important if you're helping artists, not to just push them because they look like they could be marketable,” says Bricks.
Bricks may have written this album about a very personal experience but he realizes that artists have to take into account their audience and tell their stories without losing others by using personal metaphors. His writing is accessible poetry, telling stories that flow without isolating the listener.
“I wouldn't want to write anything that I wouldn't be able to stand up in front of people and say. Having other people there
is so important, it's what makes the songs.”“I wouldn't want to write anything that I wouldn't be able to stand up in front of people and say. Having other people there is so important, it's what makes the songs.”
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Adam Bricks will perform with Ancient Cat Society and Hearts of Animals, February 13 at the Continental Club, 3700 Main, doors open at 10 p.m. $5.
