Kid Carpet - Bristol, UK - Autumn 2007
By: Sian Norris
"I don't see any important musical cities anymore," Kid Carpet explains, sipping a drink by the fireplace in our local pub. "With the MP3 interweb superhighway system of information, where you come from no longer matters. You don't have to live somewhere cool, as long as you are making something good and interesting, people can listen to it."
And Kid Carpet, known as Ed Patrick to parents and friends, is no stranger to the world of Web 2.0. With the forthcoming release in November of a video album available for free on YouTube, here is an artist fully embracing musical accessibility. Accessible not only by its medium, but also in that the video album will feature skits that haven't been seen elsewhere, giving the viewer greater access than ever before to Ed's work.
Over the last few years, and since the release of 2005 'Ideas and Oh Dears', Kid Carpet has become increasingly renowned for his Bristol-centric, politically aware pop songs, played with the aid of toy guitars, toy keyboards, and, well, simply toys - almost exclusively. When questioned on his choice of instrument, Patrick explains they're "lighter and cheaper". He has used everything from a furbie ("long lost," he sighs) to a Fisher Price guitar engineered to play the sample of Van Halen's "Jump!". It makes for a startling live performance, with a seemingly endless array of buttons and instruments accompanied by energetic singing and dancing from the man himself. But the playfulness of the instruments and the upbeat tempo of the tunes belies the more poignant and political aspects of the lyrics.
"It's a funny, dark world," Patrick muses. "So I try to speak frankly in a humorous way."
The songs range from tackling our obsession with surface and the superficial in 'Make It Look Good', eco politics in 'Green & Pleasant Land' and the rich-poor divide and dole culture in 'Nelson Street Space Invaders.' (To non Bristolians - Nelson Street is the home of the job centre in these parts...)
It isn't just political though, as Patrick also approaches the personal in his frank style. 'Your Love' (featuring the aforementioned Furbie) tracks the upbeat blissful feeling of a new love affair, whilst 'One Trick Pony' plays with his critics and detractors.
"If songs aren't political, they're still dealing with issues," he explains.
Although in the upload and download world we live in today, where music can be accessed at the click of a mouse, place and scene has indeed become less important, Bristol has had a huge impact on Ed Patrick's music.
"Bristol has influenced me," he agrees. "But I think wherever I live would influence me. When I move to the beach, you can expect me to start singing sea shanties! The culture, the politics; again it's the rich poor divide, singing about charity shops, how things are changing... I don't really see a 'scene' in Bristol anymore. When you travel around, and tell people you are from Bristol, they always comment on the amazing music scene, but they're talking about trip hop and drum n bass, fifteen years ago! Now, everyone is doing everything, there are loads of different nights and lots of different things people are listening to. Instead of one scene leading the way, you've got bands making rock and nu-rave and indie, you've got people putting on techno nights, reggae nights, hip hop nights...I'm not really aware of there being one sound."
In an eclectic musical city, Patrick aims to represent Bristol as a whole, rather than side himself with one aspect of the musical culture. He's toured all over the world, taking his cover of 'Bristol Carpet Factory' (originally a radio advert bassed up, but still featuring the voice of the salesman) with him, belting it out anywhere from Glasgow to Japan. And as well as doing his own tours, Patrick has played with musical shining lights Willy Mason, Arcade Fire, Electric 6, the Go! Team and Badly Drawn Boy, and starring as one of the main acts at last year's Ashton Court Festival.
"That was my stadium rock moment," he laughs. "But I've had loads of amazing gigs, and for different reasons. I've had great times in Manchester, in Glasgow; Japan was so beautiful. One great gig was after finishing the Willy Mason tour and then playing at the Croft, about twelve people turned up and we all ended up getting totally trolleyed."
With next month heralding the release of the video album, Patrick is also about to put out the EP 'The Kid's Back' on the Tired and Lonesome label, which will be in the shops on 12th November. This will be followed by a "rock n roll tour" throughout the rest of the year, before heading back in to the studio to get the new album ready for May 2008.
And with that, Ed grins, finishes his drink, and pulling on a fisherman's oil slick, makes his way out of the pub to cycle back to his Bristol home.
Artists in this article: Kid Carpet