Description

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A striking and thought-provoking book collaboration between IDLES frontman Joe Talbot and artist Magda Archer, containing all the lyrics from IDLES’ first album Brutalism alongside provocative artwork by Archer.

"I want to move into a Bovis home and make a list of everything I own. And ride into the amber setting sun, marching to the beat of someone’s drum. I’m done" —IDLES, "Heel/Heal"

In this celebration and reinterpretation of IDLES' critically acclaimed first album, Brutalism (2017), Magda Archer’s artwork enters a joyful and liberating shouting match with Joe Talbot’s lyrics to create an explosive, emotive, comedically sardonic, and inspiring collaboration between two like-minded artists.

Typographic layouts inspired by the style of concrete poetry create a visual conversation between lyrics and illustrations on the page. IDLES' first-ever book marks a new and exciting form of creative collaboration for the band. Breathing a different kind of life into Talbot’s fiery lyricism—with expressive typography, hot-pink ink, and Archer’s unique artworks—IDLES x Magda Archer Brutalism shows that a book can be a work of art in itself.

About the Author

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Joe Talbot is the lead vocalist for British rock band IDLES. Originally from Newport, Wales, Talbot moved to Bristol to study, where he formed the band in 2009 along with Adam Devonshire (bass), Jon Beavis (drums), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Mark Bowen (guitar). Passionate and vulnerable, with political lyrics that criticize right-wing media outlets like The Sun and songs that examine social issues such as mental health, struggles with addiction, and grief, the band have rejected genre labels of punk rock and postpunk.

Magda Archer is an artist who creates nostalgic paintings and collages accompanied by phrases suggestive of an anxious and disillusioned temperament. Archer works to create meaningful juxtapositions in the content of her paintings—bringing stark truths together with ironically innocent scenes in her bold, colorful, and kitsch artworks. Archer’s work has been widely exhibited and she has recently collaborated with major fashion designers, including Marc Jacobs, Comme des Garçons, and Jenny Packham.