The fast-rising Marcus King Band have announced their new album, Carolina Confessions, set for release on October 5th via Snakefarm Records.
Produced and mixed by Grammy award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton / Sturgill Simpson) at Nashville’s iconic RCA Studio A, this third album sees 22-year-old Marcus and his band taking a major leap forwards in terms of song-writing, production, musical dexterity and emotional weight. The featured tracks, including lead UK single ‘Welcome ’Round Here’, a potent mix of blues-soaked guitars and intoxicating crescendos, find the group’s trademark sound buoyed by a new narrative depth, as Marcus delves into heavy themes: absolution, guilt, leaving home, yearning, love and other affairs of the soul.
Today, the band debuts two new tracks as ‘instant grat’ recordings – ‘Homesick’ and the aforementioned ‘Welcome ’Round Here’.
The album showcases 10 brand new songs, all penned by Marcus except for ‘How Long’, a co-write with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and veteran songwriter Pat McLaughlin. Whether it’s the searing rock exorcism of ‘Confessions’ or the propulsive road-bound soul of ‘Where I’m Headed’, Marcus – born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina – exhibits an almost Southern gothic sensibility in his songs, owning up to failed relationships, portraying his complex connection with his hometown, and generally displaying an expansive musical firmament in the process.
A Blue Ridge Mountain boy, King has been writing songs and performing onstage for half of his lifetime and fronting his own groups for nearly a decade. Since he was a teenager, he’s been trading licks with famous fans and mentors Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks – indeed, so blown away was Haynes by the then-19-year-old that he signed King to his Evil Teen label, releasing the band’s debut album, Soul Insight, in 2015 and producing the self-titled follow-up a year later.
Simply, Marcus and his five band-mates – drummer Jack Ryan, bass player Stephen Campbell, trumpeter / trombonist Justin Johnson, sax player Dean Mitchell and keyboard player DeShawn ‘D-Vibes’ Alexander – are on a mission to create a fresh musical experience effortlessly combining rock, blues and soul into a dynamic and atmospheric sound.