Singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur and former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck form spontaneous new band, Arthur Buck.
(photo by Dean Karr)
Joseph Arthur and Peter Buck. Both names conjure up a wealth of stand-out collaborations through their careers. To name a few – RNDM, Fistful of Mercy, The Lonely Astronauts (Joseph Arthur) and Filthy Friends, The Baseball Project, The Minus 5 (Peter Buck). So add these two artists together and you just know the result is going to be good.
To find when the pair first became acquainted we reverse back to 2004 when Arthur was tapped to support R.E.M.‘s Around the Sun tour. Their roads and musical circles continued to cross. Arthur has been a frequent participant in the Todos Santos Music festival that was founded by Buck, while Buck has backed Arthur live on several occasions. Accelerate to late 2017 when Arthur needed to retrieve a Dobro that he’d left in Mexico. A chance call to Buck while he was in town led to several days of jamming sessions and a couple of impromptu performances in Todos Santos. So Arthur didn’t only find the mislaid guitar he was seeking, he also found a new band – Arthur Buck.
(photo by Dean Karr)
The free and easy creative abilities of Arthur and Buck made for a good partnership and once they’d started they found it difficult to put on the brakes. Recordings were soon being laid down at Type Foundry Studio in Portland, OR with Arthur then producing at his home studio in Brooklyn, NY. After further mixing by sonic genius Tchad Blake eleven tracks were ready to form Arthur Buck‘s eponymous debut album.
The first track I Am The Moment is available to listen to now. Upbeat and optimistic, it opens with a distinctive Buck guitar jangle and shifts up into lushly instrumented riffs with deftly layered vocals and psychedelic electronica. The spiritual journeys that Arthur has been undertaking of late are reflected in the lyrics “Just ask yourself ‘Am I aware?’ and see what happens next”. There’s a delightful video to accompany the song featuring the band’s promo photos being graffitied over with Arthur’s artwork. I Am The Moment, with its inventive melody and catchy chorus, is one that will stick with you.
There’s not long to wait until the full Arthur Buck album drops on 15th June 2018 and then we can all buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Arthur Buck will be available as an Indie Retail Translucent Blue & Red Split Coloured Vinyl Edition, a limited edition Autographed Barnes & Noble Vinyl Variant, Standard Black Vinyl, Compact Disc, and across digital platforms. The album is currently available for pre-order via New West Records.
Arthur Buck Track Listing:
1. I Am The Moment
2. Are You Electrified?
3. The Wanderer
4. Forever Waiting
5. If You Wake Up In Time
6. Summertime
7. American Century
8. Forever Falling
9. Before Your Love Is Gone
10. Wide Awake In November
11. Can’t Make It Without You
https://rockshotmagazine.com/20170/feature-joseph-arthur-welcome-family/
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