Turin Brakes is an English band comprising original duo of Olly Knights and… Read Full Bio ↴Turin Brakes is an English band comprising original duo of Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, and long-term collaborators Rob Allum and Eddie Myer. Hailing from Balham, London, they had a UK top 5 hit in 2003 with their song "Painkiller (Summer Rain)" on Cooking Vinyl.

Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.

Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.

In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.

The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.

Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".

The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".

Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.

On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.

Real Life
Turin Brakes Lyrics

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I woke up lost, along the road
My body burned by the sun, burned by the sun
As I defrost beside the fire
I contemplate my escape
Played my mistakes
Around and around and around

It's just like real life

Tastes just like real life
Feels just like real life on the road

I'm alive, scream alive
My body sprays out a spark
Sprays out a spark
Burning a hole in the dark

It's just like real life
Tastes just like real life
Feels just like real life

My body sprays out a spark
Sprays out a spark

Yeah let me burn in the sun
Burn in the sun oooh

It's just like real life
Tastes just like real life

Feels just like real life
On the road

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Turin Brakes's song "Real Life" depicts the struggles and triumphs of a person who finds themselves lost along the road, physically and emotionally burned by the sun. The beginning of the song seems to present a kind of physical struggle, where the persona wakes up dazed and disoriented, with his body burning under the sun. He then tries to warm himself up next to a fire, while reflecting on his past mistakes and contemplating his escape. This struggle is relatable to the lot of anyone who wants to get to a destination, but faces roadblocks, and despite setbacks, they keep pushing on.

However, as the song progresses, the pain and struggle give way to a hope for the future. The persona acknowledges the spark in his body, and this spark is enough to light up the way in the dark. The pain of the burning sun becomes a source of inspiration, and the persona now feels alive, screams alive. He does not want to shy away from the pain or discomfort; instead, he is willing to burn under the sun and feel the heat. The persona recognizes the similarities between his life on the road and real life; both present their own unique challenges, and it is up to him to embrace them and forge a path to success. The song ends with the persona still on the road, but this time, he is not lost; he is in control, and he is ready to face whatever comes his way.

Overall, the song is about resilience, the courage to face adversity head-on, and the recognition that the struggles we face in our lives are just like real life. No matter what happens on the road, we must not lose hope or give up on our dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

I woke up lost, along the road
I found myself disoriented on a path

My body burned by the sun, burned by the sun
My skin is damaged by the heat of the sun

As I defrost beside the fire
As I thaw out next to a flame

I contemplate my escape
I reflect on my route out

Played my mistakes
Reviewing my faults and wrongdoings

Around and around and around
Repeatedly reflecting on the past

It's just like real life
This scenario is similar to reality

Tastes just like real life
This experience is as authentic as actual life

Feels just like real life on the road
This sense of realism is typical being on the road

I'm alive, scream alive
I'm alive and screaming it out

My body sprays out a spark
My body is projecting energy