Biography

Based in São João del Rei, a charming colonial town in Brazil with centuries worth of history, Churrus is inspired by the mountains and lively multicultural scene brought by the boiler plate of immigration in their region (Italians, Portuguese, Middle Easterners and many others). Churrus began in 2004 when Tulio Panzera started writing and performing dream pop songs with English friends in Bath (UK) during his PhD. Back to Brazil in 2006, Matheus Lopes, Bruno Martinho, Luís Couto and Daniel Mascarenhas came to consolidate the band, which then played in several festivals and opened for J Mascis and other great artists. Atlantic Railroad, their latest album, is an autobiographical reflection on long distance relationships and the difficulty of actually belonging when life takes us away from home. It follows Tulio's trajectory leaving his tiny city to study Aerospace Structures in Bristol and explores the historical connections between São João del Rei and England, from the colonial days up to the present. The album features several ambient sounds from São João del Rei — the famous bells of São Francisco de Assis church, the steam train whistle, the marching band, the famous local church orchestra. Quoting Adrian Dutt, from Rough Trade Bristol: “this is a special record. FFO Teenage Fanclub and anyone who has ever dealt with leaving someone / somewhere behind, finding a coping mechanism and turning it into love and art. Bristol transformed into a musical adventure.”