Former members include co-founder Sam Genders (vocals, guitar), who left the band before the release of "...And Then We Saw Land" (Mar 2010, Full Time Hobby).
Tunng started after Genders and Lindsay met, in the latter's Soho basement studio (below a clothes shop). Genders was a singer-songwriter and Lindsay had the studio (making electronica and living through advertising music production). They found that Lindsay's distinctive way with twinkling sounds, and tight production, significantly enhanced the folky songs they were writing - A signature sound developed.
Tunng's first album was "Mother's Daughter And Other Songs" (Jan 2005, Static Caravan) - However, since Genders made at first the choice not to play live, Lindsay found Jacobs and Bates. to help with live shows. Over time, Winter and Smith became part of the band and have all contributed more to recordings, first on "Comments Of The Inner Chorus" (May 2006, Full Time Hobby), then more so on "Good Arrows" (Aug 2007, Full Time Hobby).
The 2010 album, "...And Then We Saw Land", has been the most successful to date and was recorded in the semi-legendary Play Industries Studio, Shoreditch, with access to its vast collection of vintage synthesizers helping develop a more delicate and inter-woven production style. Glenister added live drums to the gigs, from 2009, for a heavier sound, a long way from the seated studio project Tunng once was.
On "Turbines": "...often beloved for its bucolic oddness and modernist gleam, Tunng's polyphonic future folk blossoms with enchanting melodies, simmering grooves, and found sound that has propelled the band into a paradise of exceeded expectations" (Absolute Punk).
Bricks
Tunng Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Send you away and off you go
Into the streets where all the pretty girls collect their thoughts for you
and pin them up to clouds and treees
and aggravate your paranoid
and shivering fears and rolling aches
Can you not see a star out there?
Where all the bricks are bright and elegant and free
The lizard skins around yourself
Drop off and let the others through
In reds and whites and blacks and blues
Each facet shines or breaks anew
And in a big tall building she lets out her hair into the street
Where cars and trucks career through it
Until the ends get wrecked and split
Where all the doors are bright and free
Where all the doors are bright and elegant and free
The sun revolves around the sun
And then around a bright black moon
And in a café by the sea you stir your tea and suck your spoon
And when your breakfast comes you're miles away
And all your eggs get cold
You're where the light is blinding bright
And all the windows tilt to you
Where all the bricks are bright and free...
The lyrics of Tunng's song "Bricks" paint a vivid picture of a dream-like world where the bicycles inside the singer's skull take them on a journey through the streets, encountering pretty girls who pin their thoughts up to clouds and trees. The singer is plagued by paranoid and shivering fears as they search for a star out there. The imagery of bricks features heavily in the song, where they symbolize bright, elegant, and free doors and buildings, offering an escape from the singer's worries.
The lizard skins around themselves fall off, revealing facets that shine or break anew in reds, whites, blacks, and blues. The image of a building is also introduced, where a woman lets her hair down into the street, which is bustling with cars and trucks tearing through. The singer then finds themselves outside a café by the sea, stirring their tea and sucking their spoon. As their breakfast comes, they are miles away, and their eggs get cold. They find themselves where the light is blinding bright, and all the windows tilt to them.
The song's lyrics appear to be open to interpretation, but it seems to convey a sense of existential angst, where the singer is struggling to find meaning and direction in their life. The bicycles inside their skull represent the singer's thoughts and desires, which take them on a journey through various places and encounters, but they are unable to find the answers they are looking for. The imagery of bricks as a symbol of freedom and escape suggests that the singer is searching for a way to break free from their fears and worries and find a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
The bicycles inside your skull
Your thoughts and ideas
Send you away and off you go
Your thoughts take you on a mental journey
Into the streets where all the pretty girls collect their thoughts for you
Your thoughts are inspired by the people and things around you
and pin them up to clouds and treees
Your thoughts become part of the world around you
and aggravate your paranoid
Your thoughts can cause anxiety
and shivering fears and rolling aches
Your thoughts can cause physical and emotional distress
Can you not see a star out there?
Do you not see the beauty in the world around you?
Where all the bricks are bright and free
In a place where everything is open and joyful
The lizard skins around yourself
The aspects of yourself that you shed and leave behind
Drop off and let the others through
You let go of old parts of yourself and allow new ones to emerge
In reds and whites and blacks and blues
In all colors and forms
Each facet shines or breaks anew
Each aspect of yourself has the potential to shine or be destroyed
And in a big tall building she lets out her hair into the street
A woman freely expresses herself and her beauty in public
Where cars and trucks career through it
Where the hustle and bustle of life flows around her
Until the ends get wrecked and split
Occasionally, her beauty and expression are damaged by the world around her
Where all the doors are bright and free
In a place where one can enter and leave easily, unrestricted
The sun revolves around the sun
The cycle of life and time continues
And then around a bright black moon
And the extraordinary and mysterious aspects of life emerge
And in a café by the sea you stir your tea and suck your spoon
In a peaceful and beautiful location, you enjoy simple pleasures
And when your breakfast comes you're miles away
You are lost in thought or daydreaming, and the present moment slips away from you
And all your eggs get cold
You miss opportunities and experiences because you are not fully present
You're where the light is blinding bright
You are in a place of intense illumination and clarity
And all the windows tilt to you
The world around you bends to accommodate your clarity of mind and purpose
Where all the bricks are bright and free...
Again, in a place where everything is open and joyful
Contributed by Anna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Micah Lawrence
The bicycles inside your skull
Send you away and out you go
Into the streets where all the pretty girls collect their thoughts for you
And pin them on to clouds and trees,, and aggravate your paranoid
And shivering fears and rolling eggs, can you not see a star out there
Where all the bricks are bright and free
Where all the bricks are bright and elegant and free
The lizard skins around yourself
Drop off and let the others through
In reds and whites and blacks and blues
Each facet shines or breaks anew
And in a big tall building she lets out her hair into the street
Where cars and trucks career through it
Until the ends get wrecked and split
Where all the doors are bright and free
Where all the doors are bright and elegant and free
The sun revolves around the sun
And then around a bright black moon
And in a café by the sea you stir your tea and suck your spoon
And when your breakfast comes you're miles away
And all your eggs get cold
You're where the light is blinding bright
And all the windows tilt to you
Where all the bricks are bright and free...
Gabriel Alighieri
Gracias por esta música tan hermosa❤️
MiniMoo53
Found this when I was 10... loved it since = w =
KiraKira2k
I'm 14. My Mum's boyfriend listens to Tunng constantly. This is now my favourite song xx
sarahc00kies
I was searching for old comments. In all of my old playlists. And idk why but i’m glad to have seen your comment 🤟
Micah Lawrence
The bicycles inside your skull
Send you away and out you go
Into the streets where all the pretty girls collect their thoughts for you
And pin them on to clouds and trees,, and aggravate your paranoid
And shivering fears and rolling eggs, can you not see a star out there
Where all the bricks are bright and free
Where all the bricks are bright and elegant and free
The lizard skins around yourself
Drop off and let the others through
In reds and whites and blacks and blues
Each facet shines or breaks anew
And in a big tall building she lets out her hair into the street
Where cars and trucks career through it
Until the ends get wrecked and split
Where all the doors are bright and free
Where all the doors are bright and elegant and free
The sun revolves around the sun
And then around a bright black moon
And in a café by the sea you stir your tea and suck your spoon
And when your breakfast comes you're miles away
And all your eggs get cold
You're where the light is blinding bright
And all the windows tilt to you
Where all the bricks are bright and free...
Zachary Crutchfield
I saw this music video on a yahoo newsfeed when I was a kid, listened to it everyday for like a month
edurocha05
Starbuck!
Micah Lawrence
DNTEL remix
Chuck Daring
In reds and whites and blacks and blues...
Sam Geldman
god bless pandora