Brice Randall Bickford

Brice Randall Bickford has spent the past decade slowly refining his own strain of cerebral Americana as “The Strugglers”, recording two albums for the Madrid-based label Acuarela Discos and touring Europe and the States multiple times along the way before deciding to consign his old moniker to the millions of punk and cover bands currently populating the Internets.

Bickford’s songs straddle the space between literature and music, belonging ultimately to neither world. Almighty tastemaker Pitchfork once praised his writing, observing that his lyrics often “trace a single thought or sketch a single image throughout the winding course of several bars, building suspense and making you wait patiently for the pay-off”.

In 2010 he relocated from Durham, NC to the nation’s capital with his wife and two children, and this June will release a new album recorded by visonary producer Scott Solter under his (Bickford’s) given name. He is also currently recording a new album with some fellow Carolinian brethren.

Photo: Lara Khalil