Paper Relics are brothers Harry and Stuart Towell from the East Midlands in the UK. They both began their separate musical paths in the same family home during adolescence. Their journeys merged as Harry discovered Ambient music in the late 00’s, often sampling Stuart’s acoustic guitar playing in his early production work. In 2010 they began working on a collaborative project under the Paper Relics guise, releasing a short EP on Harry’s Audio Gourmet netlabel before their debut album ‘Over Exposure’ followed in the summer of 2011 on US label Time Released Sound. It was very much focused on memories of growing up and observing change. Seven years later in 2018 they released their second album ‘The Road Home’ on Harry’s Whitelabrecs label. This was more about forging their own version of a family home at a time when they became homeowners. In 2021 their Emersion EP was released on cassette, which was a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic. Paper Relics deliberately choose to take their time making music and place an emphasis on it meaning something. Everything is carefully curated, crafted and felt.

The Paper Relics sound draws influence of the brothers’ wide-ranging musical tastes, of electronic music, ambient, post rock, indie, blues, modern classical, folk and a whole lot more. The guitar will usually take centre stage, with Stuart’s compositions of electric, acoustic and bass guitar often providing the core song structures of their sound. The music is largely instrumental, but vocal pieces occasionally feature to add further narrative to their concept-rich music. Deep and cinematic atmospheres will often be a key component of their music, given Harry’s love for Ambient music. By accident, the Paper Relics albums have served as a collection of documentary artifacts, which capture the progress and lives of the Towell brothers. Yet it is also hoped that their music carries with it a message to the listener, that time is both precious and also, an opportunity.

This message is particularly embodied in their third album ‘Time to Start’. Time has moved on significantly for the brothers with six years passing since ‘The Road Home’ was released. Their music has shifted from a desire to build a home, to a place of creating an environment for their children to flourish. None of whom were here when their last album was released. Previous releases have been crafted around a perception of the past and nostalgia. Time to Start is a call to reflect but at the same time look forward, strengthened by the experiences of the past, whether positive or negative. Time to Start dwells upon the good in a moment. It is a celebration of new life and new beginnings. It’s about focusing on the triumph over the challenge and to remind that any given situation can be viewed as valuable in the fullness of time. Now is not the end. It might just be the time to start.