Dublin's Bricknasty sign to independent label FAMM

Bricknasty arrive with new single ‘Fashion’ today, featuring rising Dublin alt-rapper KhakiKid. The latest single from the Ballymun genre-blending band following their signing to independent label FAMM, where they join the roster alongside Jorja Smith, Enny and Maverick Sabre.

The new track follows late-2022’s ‘Ina Crueler,’ a track which further signified them as a new force rising from the heart of the burgeoning Dublin scene.

‘Fashion’ centralises around their mutual disdain and distrust for trends in fashion and social media, with Bricknasty saying: “they aren’t worth the piss they’re printed on, it’s not something we give a shit about at all.”

The new video for 'Fashion' was directed by Willow Kennedy, featuring the band sporting their own merch in typical tongue-in-cheek fashion. Featuring interspersed snippets of the five-piece, the clip opens in black-and-white with Fatboy falling through the sky and landing in front of the Ballymun Flats.

"Stupid boy, you're worth more than your clothes line...you can call me 'dickhead' that's my pronoun...I see you got a closet full of demons and a whole load of Prada," fellow Dubliner KhakiKid raps, teaming up with his friends once again on another stellar collaboration.

With collaborations a key part of their craft, Bricknasty’s core iteration began after vocalist / guitarist Fatboy connected with producer Cillian McCauley via Soundcloud.

Expanding from 2020, they are now joined by Dara Abdurahman (bass), Korey Thomas (drums) and Louis Younge (sax/keys). As the band’s members have flourished, each individual contributes to both existing demos and the wider texture of the collective’s identity and vision.

This process is evident in gorgeous previous single ‘Ina Crueler’ - a distinctive, fully-formed display of the group’s obvious synchronicity. From infectious energy and soulful chords to soft, woozy vocals, Bricknasty’s music seamlessly traverses RnB, neo soul, jazz and psych citing influences such as D’Angelo, MF Doom, and Timbaland.

The outfit's live shows have caused a word-of-mouth buzz to spread in Dublin and beyond, featuring performances at Eurosonic, Other Voices, Cork Jazz Festival and a support slot for Cordae.

Central to Bricknasty’s story and anarchic approach is Fatboy’s experiences growing up in the Dublin suburb of Ballymun, a district known for its social problems including drug abuse, unemployment and high crime rates. With external prejudices further nourishing this notoriety, its residents were rarely granted the opportunity to present their own perspectives.

“It was coming off the back of the heroin epidemic in the 90s and there was loads in the news about Ballymun and the type of people who lived there”, he reflects,“But anyone what lived in them flats at that time will tell you they were unreal to live in and the sense of community was very strong.”

Photo credit Paula Trojner.

Built in the early 1960s to serve the city’s swelling population, the group of high rises known as the Ballymun Flats were unceremoniously demolished in the early 2000s to make way for new developments. The trade off for this ‘regeneration project’ was the dispossession and displacement it left in its wake. While the physical backdrop of Fatboy’s childhood was erased, the memory of its soundscapes pulses on - with everything from traditional ballads to hip-hop, rave and 90s garage blaring from its doorsteps.

Fatboy’s experiences inform and epitomise the central ethos of Bricknasty's craft - one that is unafraid to tackle heavy themes, yet forges ahead in a spirit of innovation, resilience, visibility and optimism.

As well as the collective wit and community pride which bonded Ballymun’s residents, and indeed many of Dublin’s working class areas, its rich creative undercurrents have spawned some of Irish music’s most influential acts, including revered hip-hop crew Urban Intelligence and the legacy of their label Workin’ Class Records.

Following in the footsteps of these predecessors and paired with a tight knit group of musical peers including Tebi Rex, Khakikid, Tomike, Ahmed With Love and DeCarteret - Bricknasty are at the forefront of a new wave in Ireland’s rich tradition of creative innovators.