by Although the slogan was originally tied to the city of Austin, Texas, thanks to a guerrilla marketing campaign by a community radio station, the phrase ‘Keep Bristol Weird’ is one that has lived on and echoed the original sentiments with gleeful abandon.
In the southwest of the United Kingdom, Bristol stands out as one of the few culturally significant locations that have managed to infiltrate the mainstream and establish its strangeness in ways that have connected with a wider audience. You might want to argue that Falmouth, Cornwall, has a thriving art scene, and that Totnes, Devon, is a town overrun with hippy mysticism, but those are curiosities only those within the vicinity tend to be aware of. Bristol is on the map for its weirdness, and for good reason.
It’s thanks to the continual emergence of acts like Looney Bergonzi that help perpetuate the idea that Bristol is a hotbed for peculiar art, and while many modern bands try to eschew genre categorisation by inventing new terminologies for their sound, the ‘post-art-school-jangle’ and ‘non-pop’ labels that the six-piece have established for themselves are fitting for such a stylistically restless project.
Spearheaded by songwriter Eadie Young, initially with assistance from bassist Cat Davies and guitarist Alfie Desbruslais, the band is now rounded out with drummer Teilo Cadogan, percussionist Euan McCaughan and violinist Ewan Ferguson, and the varying musical backgrounds of the six members only lends to the somewhat chaotic merger of their sounds. Balancing art punk with freak folk sensibilities, all while layering field recordings and ambient soundscapes over the top, the band, who take their name from a character in Bugsy Malone, gleefully warp audience expectations over the course of a song, crafting fantastical worlds from mundane and relatable experiences.
Their debut single, ‘Year 6 Disco’, is less about the burden of having to pretend to enjoy yourself at a school party, and sees Young zoom in on the disappointments that come with the emergence of the summer months, and the pressure placed on us to ‘fit in’ in social situations. It’s the first taste of their debut EP, Looney Bergonzi, EP1, produced by Louis O’Hara and set to be released via new Welsh label, BWGiBWGAN, and while somewhat off-kilter, it’s a delightful invitation into the mythic world of the collective.
Eager to learn more about the oddities of Looney Bergonzi, Far Out caught up with the group to ask them the most pressing questions, finding out more about what captures their imaginations and whether they’d be willing to dismiss any chance of turning their hands to a genre.
Quick-fire Questions with Looney Bergonzi:
1. What song would you like played at your funeral?
Eadie: “‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell, in case people weren’t crying enough”.
2. Can you describe your music as though you’re speaking to a small Victorian child?
Cat: “Picture this, lad; a scrappy little gang from Bristol”.
3. What song sums up your experience of being at a year six disco?
“It has to be ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas. Runner-up is ‘Dynamite’ by Taio Cruz”.
4. What do you think Looney Bergonzi, the character, would make of Looney Bergonzi, the band?
“He’d probably say that anyone not listening would have his knuckles to answer to, and to meet him at the corner, 5pm sharp”.
5. Which member of the band would survive longest in a Lord of the Flies-type situation?
“Our consensus is that it’s definitely Alfie. He knows a lot about bugs and could eat them. He’s a very relaxed, eyes closed at the party kind of man. He might take a nap when things get tough out there”.
6. What’s the most terrifying nightmare you’ve ever had?
Eadie: “I had recurring nightmares as a child. I would wake up crying with the taste of blood in my mouth and the colour red in my eyes, but I couldn’t ever remember what it was”.
Euan: “Elmo ate me”.
7. Who is the best band in your local scene right now?
“Ex Agent! No wave, free jazz, post-rock excellence, and wonderful people. But this was a hard choice! There’s so many incredible bands on the scene at the moment: Foot Foot, Horsefair, Broadsheets, Limited Ltd, Dogsbody, to name a few”.
8. What’s your favourite album of 2025 so far?
“Down By The River by Alfie Demos”.
9. What’s the most unusual record in your collection?
Ewan: “‘I Love Beer’ by Tom T Hall. It does what it says on the tin”.
10. What’s the best venue in the world?
“Strange Brew, Bristol! We have an obvious bias, but it’s an incredible venue. You can see some insane off-kilter performances, dance into the night, watch your favourite band on tour, and be among hundreds of strangers or everyone you know. It always keeps a community feel, no matter how big the night”.
11. If you could remove one genre from existence, what would it be and why?
“We hate to be too diplomatic, but none of them. All of them bring people joy… okay, maybe electro swing”.
12. Who is someone you’d love to collaborate with that you think would complement your sound?
“The Legendary Stardust Cowboy. David Bowie named himself after the guy (Wikipedia fact-checked)”.
13. If you could add a new instrument to the band, what would it be?
“An accordion. Let us know if you see any good ones on Facebook marketplace under £100”.
14. What TV show do you think you could rewatch for the rest of your life?
“The Simpsons (seasons 1-10), Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Young Ones”.
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
Eadie: “I was banned from listening to The Beatles growing up”.
Teilo: “It’s not the best music ever made”.
Alf: “No, but listen to ‘Fuh You’ by Paul McCartney and you might start to question things”.
