Songfacts®:

• "Brave as a Noun" follows the foot stomping opening of Andrew Jackson Jihad's first full length album, People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World. The song consists of several terse, wailed verses that enumerate the pitfalls of artists in the world in particular and the human race in general. The themes of the song are bitterly hollered by Sean Bonnette, the band's primary vocalist in the first verse as he screams, "I've got an angry heart/... if this is how you folks make art/ its f--king depressing." Bonnette, who is also the lyricist of the band (with upright bass player Ben Gallant handling most of the production and some vocals as well) volunteered at a suicide prevention hotline for teenagers for eight years, and worked with homeless men and women in the Phoenix, Arizona area. These experiences gave him a sometimes bleak, but at moments, hopeful outlook on life, often reflected in the band's lyrics. In fact, what often comes through most clearly, on this track and on others, is that Andrew Jackson Jihad is enamored with humanity. Undercutting the apparent sadness of the song are the sentiments, "we're not alone in this" and the finishing thought, "we can conquer anything." This song is practically a road map for People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World, laying out major themes to be explored throughout the album.
• Andrew Jackson Jihad is a folk punk band, sometimes characterized as "gloomy" from Phoenix, Arizona. The band members, Sean Bonnette and Sean Gallant, cite numerous and eclectic musical influences that have synergized to create the sound of Andrew Jackson Jihad. Their diverse taste in music is reflected in the inclusion of various instruments and an alternating line-up of musicians in the band's canon. The band has released numerous EPs and LP records that demonstrate a love for and adherence to the DIY aesthetic, which you can read more about in our interview with Chris Clavin. Andrew Jackson Jihad albums have been released on Plan-It-X and Asian Man Records.