Biography

Field Music's David Brewis' solo project mines some of the same brainy art-rock territory as his regular band, only with a more personal lyrical perspective and a tendency to add nervy funk and new wave to the proceedings. Jump-started amid the hubbub over Field Music's rumored 2007 breakup, the project is just a touch gutsier and guitar-heavy, but still exhibits his meal ticket band's fascination with Laurel Canyon-esque vocal harmonies and ambitious time signatures. School of Language's debut full-length, Sea from Shore, was released on Thrill Jockey (U.S.) and Memphis Industries (U.K.) in 2008. Brewis hit the road in support of the album soon after it came out, touring the U.S. throughout the spring of that year backed by Tortoise's Doug McCombs on bass and Euphone's Ryan Rapsys on drums. After finishing up the tour, Brewis turned his attention back to Field Music, and the group cranked out two excellent albums in relatively quick succession, 2010's Field Music (Measure) and 2012's Plumb. Once finished with this burst of band energy, Brewis threw himself into a crazily busy schedule of collaboration, production (most notably working with Maximo Park,) scoring silent films, and remixing, while also finding time to tour with Eleanor Friedberger's band. Somehow, Brewis also managed to squeeze in School of Language's second album, Old Fears, which was released by Memphis Industries in April of 2014. In 2019, after issuing a pair of lauded Field Music LPs in 2016 (on Common Time) and 2018 (on Open Here), Brewis returned to School of Language and released 45, a funky and furious farce about the political rise of Donald Trump. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi