Singer-songwriter and guitar supremo, Marcus King, has announced the release of his debut solo record, ‘El Dorado’ on the 17th of January next year, following which he heads to the UK for a six date tour ahead of further dates throughout the rest of Europe.
Released on the Fantasy Records label, ‘El Dorado’ is described as “a contemporary sonic exploration of classic rock, blues, southern R&B and country-soul where subtle acoustics and pedal steel shines bright alongside raucous electric guitars and blistering solos.”
The new album is produced by Grammy Award winner and member of the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, and follows their previous collaboration on the song ‘How Long’. The duo co-wrote twelve songs for ‘El Dorado’ in only three days in Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studio. On working with Marcus King, Auerbach stated, “Marcus is known by so many as a phenomenal guitar player, and rightfully so. He’s regularly the best player in the room, hands down. I was equally blown away by the way he can sing – so effortless, so soulful, straight from the heart. He’s a naturally gifted writer too, which was clear right away. Everything for him is so innate – that’s why he can always go right to the heart of a song and connect in a deeper way. He’s really one of a kind and I’m proud I got to work alongside him on this record”.
Marcus King is a fourth-generation musician who followed in his family’s footsteps. His grandfather was a country guitarist, and his father continues to perform live. Although his pursuit of music is said to have made him feel like something of an outsider, it’s also provided him with comfort, especially when he was thirteen and lost a friend during a tragic car crash. Marcus stated, “She was the first girl I had feelings for, that was a really heavy moment, and writing songs was my expression. I also had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and my appearance and interests were not embraced by my educators and their pupils. They were good folks but it kind of felt like being in prison and all I really needed to learn was music.”
23-year old King established himself as a guitar playing prodigy from an early age, playing professionally since he was 11. He made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry and recently performed with Chris Stapleton on a US arena tour, Crossroads Guitar Festival, and at sold out headline shows, including his namesake festival, The Marcus King Band Family Reunion.
‘El Dorado’ features songwriting contributions from legendary writers including Paul Overstreet, Ronnie Bowman and Pat McLaughlin. Auerbach also enlisted studio musicians, including drummer Gene Chrisman and keyboard player Bobby Wood. Their renowned work as members of the American Sound Studio band included Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’, Elvis Presley’s, ‘Suspicious Minds’, and hits by Bobby Womack, Joe Tex and many others.
In advance of the new album and tour fans can check out Marcus King’s latest single ‘The Well’. According to Marcus King, the song’s lyrics reflect on hard work and hard times. “When you have a $70 check go bad, you know times are tough,” Marcus recalled and added, “The Well for me symbolises the source of all my influences. It is everything that has happened to me to make me the man I am today.”
Marcus King Tour Dates:
FEB 21 FRI – The Wardrobe, Leeds
FEB 22 SAT – Oran Mor, Glasgow
FEB 25 TUE – Electric Ballroom, London
FEB 26 WED – Academy 3, Manchester
FEB 27 THU – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
FEB 28 FRI – Thekla, Bristol
