Prolific singer-songwriter Ron Brunk has stories to tell—and an inexhaustible arsenal of ways to tell them.
Raised between opposite poles of West Virginia, he grew up on a changing diet of coal-miner’s tales, Yankee folk, rock n roll, and poetry. Skipping class to go to the library, he consumed the classics and internalized their ability to communicate human truth. After memorizing hundreds of chords on a guitar sent to him by his troubadour father, he combined his music and lyrics and never looked back. His songs tell our common stories through stories from his own life: the death of a friend at a young age, couples dissolving and rekindling love, epic tales of war and ruin…
Now, with over 20 albums under his belt that range from folk to rock to electronic to country, Brunk still unearths new ways to holler at the wind, mourn for the victims, and cherish the subtleties of life. Find yourself in his music, and know there’s always more to discover down the Ron Brunk rabbit hole.
With exuberant abundance, Ron Brunk comes to us with three thought-provoking pieces from his massive catalog of songs. First up, the literate, electro-punk groove “FIVE LIGHTS” riffs on a theme from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. While the world begs us to submit to the truths it constructs, Brunk proposes an equally resilient internal revolt. Where they say there are five lights, we’ll always know there are four. Let yourself trance along with the music video for “FIVE LIGHTS” as you explore your unquestioned biases. Splicing together war footage and high-tech dystopian imaginings, Brunk explores the potential consequences of allowing ourselves denial of our personal truths.
In an interlude from the intensity of “FIVE LIGHTS”, Brunk offers us some delightful respite in the visual for “TUB OF LOVE”. With playfulness reminiscent of Randy Newman, Brunk jams out piano chords over horns, while musing on a metaphor of love as a cleansing tub. The musical atmosphere succinctly reflects not just the whimsy and joy of the lyrics, but also the floating feelings of falling in love. The music video adds an extra element of fun, as we watch Brunk and his merry band bounce out their tune in glee. Approachable and relatable, “TUB OF LOVE” will uplift even the darkest of hearts.
Back once more to his contemplative side, Brunk wraps up this trio of releases with “NOW REPEATING”. A sobering reflection on the vicious cycles of greed and violence represented by the military-industrial complex, this spoken word track allows ample room for listener participation. Over a harrowing crescendo of musical ambience, Brunk builds tension with his poetry, prompting listeners into a sense of futile urgency. The music video for “NOW REPEATING” utilizes old war footage to display the haunting similarity between modern times and the bloodiest wars of the past. Meant to wake up his audience, Brunk’s poem pushes its violent imagery to the brink, with allusions to the Bible and Greek mythology. Steep in this eloquent message, and share all three songs with the thought-partners in your life.
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