The Romantic Satire

Elgin, Ill. – The Romantic Satire is the sadcore project of Brian Sutherland.

Dissatisfied by playing guitar in a conventional band, Sutherland began experimenting with writing his own music in 2000. Early The Romantic Satire compositions were instrumental, featuring only a guitar, bass, and drum machine, but Sutherland did introduce vocals, eventually.

Demands to perform forced Sutherland to explore methods by which an artist could simulate a full band live. He was introduced to looping, which transformed his songwriting process. With no formal education in music, Sutherland abandoned an interest in writing formal, structured songs. Instead, invigorated by delay and looper pedals, he improvised sonic panoramas out of single loops. The Romantic Satire became a project to be experienced live, each performance new and inimitable.

Before recording an official album, Sutherland shelved The Romantic Satire in 2012 when the first of his three children was born, but the death of his father in 2014 and mother in 2017 compelled him to return to his art. In early 2018, Sutherland set up a studio in the basement of his late parents’ house and recorded seven emotionally stark tracks about life, death, and a human conflict between seeking and avoiding intimacy.

The Romantic Satire’s debut, “Polaroids” was released at the end of 2018.