I recently chatted with brothBoy after listening to his single “Bristolian Dynamite,” and I mean, why did I immediately get excited? Because his name is brothBoy. Obviously, my brain went straight to food. I was already thinking broths, stocks, maybe something slow-simmered and cozy. I had a whole direction happening. Then we talked, and I ended up making Banoffee Pie. I mean, when do I get an excuse to make Banoffee Pie? We’ll get to that — and the recipe — below. But first, let’s get into the artist.
“Bristolian Dynamite” is the first single from brothBoy’s latest EP, Foray, released on August 21. The five-song project was introduced through a series of singles, including “Bristolian Dynamite” and “Martinez,” giving listeners a taste of the different directions brothBoy explores across the EP. When it comes to making music, brothBoy has been at this much longer than the relatively new project might suggest. Looking back, it amazes him that his musical journey began nearly 20 years ago. His starting point was drums.
brothBoy Bandcamp
He started learning in school for about an hour a week, initially not interested. But around age 12, he fell in love with drumming, got certified, and taught drums. He wanted to make his own music but faced a problem: most songs aren’t just drums. He thought about finding musicians, but the area was not very creative-minded. So, he learned everything himself—bass, electric guitar, piano, and digital audio workstations. His experimentation turned into an obsession.
Fast-forward about 18 years, he’s still passionately working on his craft. Over time, he’s collaborated with talented people and found inspiration from many sources. Now, he’s confident in his music to share his name — and face — with the world. With Foray, his sound blends lo-fi pop and bedroom pop, influenced by Mac DeMarco, Her’s, Still Woozy, and Boy Pablo.
brothBoy’s sound is influenced by his time in Leeds, where he’s been immersed in a massive post-punk scene. He’s played with Dim Imagery, and members have started new bands like Fossick. Although heavier, those experiences influence his current work. After seven years in Leeds, he says all the music there inspires guitar-driven sounds, adding a unique edge to his style compared to typical bedroom pop. Songs like “Bristolian Dynamite” are bright and cheerful, while “Martinez” is moodier with punky electronic elements. Ultimately, his music is rooted in simple enjoyment.
Of course, he knows not everyone will love everything he makes. We’ve all been to shows or listened to music and thought, ‘This isn’t my cup of tea.’ But you can recognize when someone puts their heart into their work. Foray is very much brothBoy’s baby — a reflection of his time and effort. He hopes people enjoy it, but even if they don’t, he hopes they appreciate the care that went into making it.
And ultimately, his ambitions aren’t really about becoming some massive star. He’d simply like music to make ends meet. Leeds is filled with incredibly talented musicians who still have to work nine-to-five jobs, squeezing tours into their annual leave and making music whenever life allows. brothBoy knows that reality well. He’s been lucky enough to play shows in Europe with his previous band. Being able to return to some of those places, tour a couple of times a year, and dedicate a meaningful chunk of his life to music would be enough. He doesn’t want something he cares this much about to forever be relegated to Sunday afternoons simply because that’s the only time he has left for it. Sometimes the dream isn’t superstardom. Sometimes it’s simply having enough space in your life to keep creating the thing you love.
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When it comes to food, despite the name, our conversation did not lead me to broth. brothBoy will eat almost anything, with the exception of particularly seafood-y seafood. Squid? Hard no. Unusual seafood? Probably not. Basic fish fillets? He can work with that. Food nostalgia isn’t necessarily a huge thing for him, either. He grew up in a pretty big family, which meant meals were often a big pot of something placed in the middle of the table. Everyone ate. It was sustenance. When he moved out and went to university, though, food started becoming something more. He lived with some talented cooks, started cooking quite a bit himself, and developed a few dishes he still comes back to today.
One of his go-tos is a Jamaican-inspired chicken curry made with chicken thighs. And he has a process. First: marinate those thighs overnight. Then fry them skin-side down until they get really crispy. Add potatoes, onions, and carrots, fry everything together for a bit, add water, and let the whole thing simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Serve it with coriander rice — or cilantro rice, depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re reading this from. It’s comforting, practical, and exactly the kind of meal he likes to make.
Curries, in fact, probably account for about half of his meal prep. Anything he can make ahead, freeze, and pull out later is a win. On a normal day, though? He loves eggs. Fried eggs. Scrambled eggs. Omelets. Give brothBoy an opportunity to eat an egg, and apparently he’s going to take it. In the summer, especially when Europe heats up, he also loves Greek yogurt blended with frozen fruit and topped with seeds for a little crunch. Snacking is usually pretty simple — apples, bananas, and other fruit — although he does love making his own guacamole and pico de gallo with some plain tortilla chips. And this is where brothBoy and I found common ground because I personally love mixing my pico directly into my guac. It’s my favorite way to eat it.
But then came the information that completely derailed my original recipe plan for me. brothBoy loves banoffee pie. He actually had one sitting in his freezer while we were chatting. And suddenly, broth didn’t stand a chance. Banoffee pie is one of those desserts that doesn’t need to be complicated to be really good. Banana. Caramel. Whipped cream. A buttery digestive biscuit crust or graham crackers. It’s basically got that dulce de leche situation happening with bananas and cream, and for this version, I wanted to bring in a little ginger and espresso, too. No baking. Refrigerate it. Let everything come together. Perfection.
I could have made broth. His name practically handed me the recipe. But when do I get an excuse to make banoffee pie? Exactly. So banoffee pie it is. Check out brothBoy’s five-song EP, Foray, including “Bristolian Dynamite” and “Martinez,” on streaming platforms — and then check out the recipe below. Because sometimes the best Lhyme pairings are the ones I absolutely did not see coming.
brothBoy Bandcamp
Banoffee Pie
Serves: 8–10
Prep: 25 minutes
Chill: 2–3 hours
Bake: None
Ingredients For the Crust
- 2 cups (about 200 g) crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of sea salt
Ingredients For the Filling
- 1 ½ cups dulce de leche
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 3 medium ripe bananas
Ingredients For the Whipped Cream and Topping
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate, finely grated or shaved
Directions
- Combine the crushed digestive biscuits/graham crackers, melted butter, ginger and sea salt until everything resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish or tart pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Dissolve the espresso powder in 1 teaspoon of hot water. Stir it thoroughly into the dulce de leche.
- Spread the espresso dulce de leche evenly over the chilled crust. Slice the bananas into rounds and arrange them over the caramel layer.
- Beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft-to-medium peaks form. Spoon it generously over the bananas.
- Refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 2 hours before serving so everything has time to set.
- Just before serving, grate dark chocolate over the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
