Beefheart & McQuinn is the new project from UK artist Moby Beefheart, aka William Murray (formerly of UK outfit Fur), and Melbourne / Naarm musician Winter McQuinn (Sunfruits, jade imagine). Coming together after a chance coffee meetup, the two artists share a palpable musical connection. Sharing a love for the folk and rock sounds of yesteryear without pastiche obsession, Beefheart & McQuinn make contemporary psychedelic folk / soft rock, a rich sonic tapestry of vocal harmony blends and deft musicianship/production.
Midtown Downtime is a debut album which explores the tensions of time and productivity in late-stage capitalism. The album is a collection of 10 songs that explore contemporary psychedelic folk/soft rock, with stacked harmonies over syncopated guitars and occasional synth/drum outbursts.
The album has a sound that is familiar yet unique, harkening to both Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and Luke Temple/Carole King. Lyrically, the album covers a lot of ground with songs about the squeeze of capitalism coupled with the feeling of isolation and anxiety that the modern world’s political landscape can engender, alongside songs of love, friendship and nostalgia.
There’s a high-energy feeling that runs through the 27-minute album’s core, an energy that goes hand in hand with the modern era’s ever-changing focus & diminishing attention spans. The record asks you to sit down and listen to it all in one go.
The album will be in stores on June 12. Catch the duo on tour in the UK this May.
May 12 – London, UK @ Shacklewell Arms
May 14/15 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
May 16 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers
May 17 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
May 19 – Liverpool, UK @ EBGBS
May 20 – Manchester, UK @ Gullivers
May 21 – Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
May 22 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
May 23 – Glasgow, UK @ Nice n Sleazy