Armchair Boogie emerged from the central waters and woods of Wisconsin, after meeting at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2015. In the spring of 2018 Armchair Boogie moved to Madison and released their debut self-titled album, followed by 2019’s What Does Time Care?, and a 4-track EP in 2021—The Western.
Nowadays Armchair Boogie continues touring and climbing their way up notable festival lineups. Over the years and through the shows, they’ve had the honor to share the spotlight with The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, The HillBenders, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Kitchen Dwellers, Pert Near Sandstone, and jammed with many more.
Armchair Boogie is Augie Dougherty on banjo and Ben Majeska acoustic and electric guitars backed by tight, driving rhythms of Eli Frieders on electric bass and Denzel Connor on drums. This unconventional lineup enhances their lightning-fast bluegrass, allowing them to freely venture into the realms of funk or country.
With Hard Times & Deadlines (due March 15th, 2024) they want to help you boogie down in your living room, your car, on your phone, or wherever you listen to music when you’re not at a show. The ten original songs that make up Hard Times & Deadlines were recorded at Lunar Lava Audio—who specializes in classic recording techniques and organic-sounding results— in Fort Atkinson, WI. It was mixed by Jeffrey Peterson and mastered by Collin Jordan.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the standout tune “Liquor Store,” which features special guest Ernest Brusubardis IV on fiddle and was written by Dougherty to address the nostalgic feeling of looking back on his youth, “reminiscing on the younger days of love and liquor.” The song is a hyper-paced work of alt-country-laced bluegrass that balances impressive picking with strong lyricism that could just as easily fit in a work of quiet folk. Propelled by Dougherty’s banjo, the music careens forward with a lively energy that you can imagine turning into an explosive jam onstage.
Augie Dougherty says, “‘Liquor Store’ is a tune that taps into the early memories of adulthood. I started partying and drinking with my buddies pretty early on in high-school but it wasn’t always easy to get beer. The song started as an ode to my young self trying to get someone to buy me beer. Along with that comes nostalgic thoughts on days with little worry or care and the only concern was what your friends were doing. But as I continued writing, I started feeling like it was actually a song about young love and learning how to operate as an independent man. I also key into a few natural themes at the beginning of the song. I grew up in the country and around small towns so that’s the image I was trying to paint with the first verse. To me, no matter what, it all comes back to nature.”
LISTEN:
