Arkansauce is excited to independently release their 5th album, OK to Wonder, on April 21st. The melodies of the Ozark Mountains’ rolling hills and raging rivers can be heard in this progressive string quartet’s distinct blend of newgrass. Arkansauce is Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist Zac Archuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisational string leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Each member sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which offer authentic, intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks.
OK to Wonder is filled with songs of revelry, wonder, insight, and whimsy—inspired not only from their home state of Arkansas, but also throughout their travels. “We are a band that spends most of our time in the back of a van hurtling toward long nights, good times, and a destiny unknown,” says Ethan. “Our inspiration is gathered by events unfolding in our own adventures in real time. These days, the desire to create, inspire, and redefine within our scene seems to be the main driving force behind our music. From a young age we were huge fans of live music and were introduced to a lot of great music by our families.”
OK to Wonder‘s 11 tracks were recorded in Fayetteville at Crisp Recording Studio with engineer Darren Crisp, James Tuttle [Leftover Salmon, The String Cheese Incident, Hot Rize, Michael Franti, Cary Morin] on the mix, and Brad Sarno [Son Volt, Jay Farrar] for the mastering.
Today Glide is excited to premiere “Up on the Shelf,” a tune that is sure to make instant fans of the likes of Yonder Mountain String Band, Split Lip Rayfield, the Kitchen Dwellers and Billy Strings. Indeed, the band seems to channel all of these acts and more while also lending their own special touch to the bluegrass and jam grass foundation that they have grown from. Strong lyricism, warm harmonies, and impressive solos abound throughout this track, which also feels like a proper vehicle for extended jams. The simple thumping bass line keeps this track moving forward at a comfortably fast clip while each member gets a chance to grab the spotlight, ultimately reminding us that this is a band to catch on the festival circuit this summer.
“It took a long time to complete ‘Up On the Shelf,’ but we couldn’t be happier with the finished product. It feels like a song that the fans will relate to on a few different levels and I can’t wait to see how it evolves on stage as they become familiar with it.” —Ethan Bush
LISTEN:
Arkansauce Tour Dates
3/01 Wed – Central Standard – Wichita, KS
3/02 Thu – Zoo Bar – Lincoln, NE
3/03 Fri – Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis, MN
3/04 Sat – Appleton Beer Factory – Appleton, WI
3/08 Wed – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
3/09 Thu – Golden Dagger – Chicago, IL
3/10 Fri – Granada Theatre – Mount Vernon, IL
3/22 Wed – Hop Springs Beer Park – Murfreesboro, TN
3/23 Thu – Barley’s – Knoxville, TN
3/24 Fri – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
3/28 Tue – The Camel – Richmond, VA
3/29 Wed – The Southern – Charlottesville, VA
3/31 Fri – Best Booth Bash – Ridgeway, IA
4/2 Sun – Parkway Brewing – Salem, VA
4/13 Thu – Belly Up w/ The Brothers Comatose – Solana Beach, CA*
4/14 Fri – Crescent Ballroom w/ The Brothers Comatose – Phoenix, AZ*
4/15 Sat – 191 Toole w/ The Brothers Comatose – Tucson, AZ*
4/16 Sun – Yucca North w/ The Brothers Comatose- Flagstaff, AZ*
4/21 Fri – Beer City Music Hall – Oklahoma City, OK
4/22 Sat – Backwoods Music Festival – Ozark, AR
4/27 Thu – 123 Pleasant St. – Morgantown, WV
4/28 Fri – Some Kind of Jam – Kempton, PA
4/29 Sat – Private Wedding – Roanoke, VA
4/30 Sun – House Show – Lynchburg, VA
5/06 Sat – Record Bar – Kansas City, MO
5/12 Fri – Sustain Art & Music Festival – French Lick, IN
5/19 Fri – FreshGrass – Bentonville, AR
5/25 Thu – The Lariat – Buena Vista, CO
5/26 Fri – Cervantes Other Side – Denver, CO
5/28 Sun – McAwesome Fest – Castle Rock, CO
6/02 Fri – Dixie Center for the Arts – Ruston, LA
6/15 Thu – Ozark Mountain Soul Fest – Eureka Springs, AR
6/17 Sat – Survivor’s Ball – Lonedell, MO
6/23 Fri – Argentina Vibes – North Little Rock, AR
7/14 Fri – ABQ Biopark Zoo – Albuquerque, NM
8/5 Sat – Keystone Bluegrass & Beer – Keystone, CO
8/6 Sun – Rhythm on the Rio – Del Norte, CO
8/11-12 Fri-Sat – Lovegrass Music Festival – Wilson Lake, KS
One Response
I’ve enjoyed this band from their early days when I lived in AR. They just get better and better as the years go by. Someday, I hope they will have a show north of Boston.