MUSIC: A new band, The Arcs, emerges from the collective collaboration of three talented musicians.
By Malik Alexander, Staff Writer
Good new bands are a hard find in today’s music-inundated society, but a new band called The Arcs is one of those few worth listening to. The Arcs is composed of musicians Dan Auerbach, Richard Swift and Leon Michels, and each of these talented musicians brings his own unique sound to create that bluesy R&B garage rock vibe that has become incredibly popular in recent months.
Front-man Dan Auerbach is the lead vocals and primary lead guitarist for the Arcs. Fans have feared the worst, wondering if the Arcs means an end to the Black Keys. But Dan puts to rest these rumors in an interview with the popular music magazine, Pitchfork: “The Keys are not finished, I just wanted a break from the commercialism and both me and Patrick are already making plans for our next creation.” Anyone worried of never hearing a new single from the Black Keys on the radio need not panic.
Richard Swift is the drummer for The Arcs, a man who brings that indie pop rock sound you can hear on a number of their tracks. Collaborating with Dan isn’t new for Swift, in recent years he has been the Black Keys’ bassist. Leon Michels is the Arcs’ keyboardist who can take responsibility for a bluesy feel that will help define The Arcs.
Many wonder if there is someone running the show: someone writing their lyrical masterpieces, someone producing their work. The Arcs are not a typical band, however. The only way to describe the dynamic contributions of each member is a musical symbiosis. All three are talented musicians and successful producers in their own right, and each propose ideas as they see fit. In an interview with Pitchfork, Michels revealed that “all of us [the members] trust each other enough that any idea is good. Or worth a shot. So that’s kinda how we work.” The band is a machine of constant partnership and communication, which explains their diverse sound. “When we’re together, everyone is a producer. And everyone is equal on everything,” Auerbach expressed.
Their first single, “Stay in My Corner,” a song based on the 2015 Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao fight, was released in June of 2015. This single set the note for the rest of their soon-to-come album. A month later, they released their next single “Out of My Mind” which has been climbing it’s way up the alternative charts. A couple other singles and non-album tracks were released before they dropped their album Yours Dreamily on September 4th. This album is a full set of blues, soul and psychedelic rock tracks that help deliver that “weird and unique” sound Dan had been hoping to achieve. On this album you may hear more than just Auerbach’s angelic vocals and Swift’s and Michel’s instrumental genius, featuring collaborators drummer Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon and even a New York based all-female mariachi band, Mariachi Flor de Toloache. Fans have described the album’s sound as “creepy carnival meets bonkey blues” which if you have listened the album you could definitely agree.
This is only the beginning for the Arcs. In an interview, they revealed that they have recorded roughly around 80 songs while they’ve only released about 18. You should expect to be hearing the rest soon. Dan even noted that, “We’ll slowly release some of that stuff or work on it some more.We have a ton of things still to release.” Originally a group of talented friends just having some fun, the Arcs have become a band to watch.