Music / Spotlight
Foreign Affairs: Two brothers bringing the sound of America to the city of Bristol
Foreign Affairs is the name of the duo Adam and Lawrence Purnell, two brothers whose love of music has influenced their unique sound of Nasville blues and soft rock.
Since the release of their debut EP, The Old Fire Station, in 2018, the duo have received radio play from both Dermot O’Leary and Bob Harris on their BBC Radio 2 shows.
They have toured with the likes of The War and Treaty, Striking Matches and with Grammy nominated artist Larkin Poe.
is needed now More than ever
Foreign Affairs will be performing a headline hometown show at The Louisiana on October 13.
Where in Bristol are you based?
We both live in Horfield, but were raised just outside of Keynsham.
How would you describe your music?
It’s a blend of blues and rock with some intricate harmonies thrown in for good measure!
What influences your music?
Growing up we were heavily influenced by music coming from Texas, Nashville and the Southern states; the honesty and emotion that we heard from that music really grabbed us.
Outside of that it’s just life, the highs and lows that we all go through.
What’s your favourite memory of your career so far?
For Adam it was probably returning to his university town of Brussels in 2019 to play a show at La Madeleine with Larkin Poe, a full 360 experience from his days studying guitar in Belgium.
What’s the response been to the music/art you’ve put out there so far?
In short, really good.
Our fans online and live have alway been so supportive of the music and just want more of it, so now it’s our time to deliver that album!
How have you found breaking into the music industry for grassroots artists?
We have had as many artists experience ups and downs since starting out but we like the Nashville template of a ‘10 year town’ the hard work we’ve put in over the previous years is starting to show with the size of the festivals, headline shows and success at national radio we are now seeing.
We have to just keep our heads down, keep writing and knocking down doors to keep getting Foreign Affairs to as many audiences as possible!
Where’s your favourite place to perform and attend a gig in Bristol?
Our answer will always be The Louisiana, it has our heart. Whether we play in bigger venues to bigger crowds we always love coming back to Bristol, to The Louisiana where it all started!
Who’s your dream artist to work with?
For Adam: It would have to be Nashville songwriter extraordinaire Mr Rodney Crowell.
For Lawrence: The Black Keys
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Who have you got your eye on at the moment?
So we’re both listening to Zach Bryan a fair bit at the moment, he’s just released a new single that features our pals The War & Treaty, so that’s been on a fair bit.
Are there any artists you think deserve more appreciation/acknowledgement?
Our parents brought us up listening to a singer songwriter called Will Kimbrough, his lyric writing and guitar playing are just phenomenal.
I first saw him playing at the old St Bonaventure’s social club in Bishopston, I must of only been 11 or 12 but that concert really lit a spark for me.
What’s next for you?
We’ve just this last weekend finished our summer festival run with a show in Odense, Denmark and are now back in the U.K. for two headline shows in Bristol (October 13 at The Louisiana) and London (October 17 at The Green Note).
Following that, it’s into the studio to record our debut album!
Tickets for the duo’s gig at The Louisiana are on sale now and can be found at https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Bristol/The-Louisiana/Foreign-Affairs/36322388/?sktag=14871
Main photo: Foreign Affairs
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