Tucson singer-songwriter Brian Lopez once again delivers the sound of the American Southwest in his new single ‘Road to Avalon’. The song features Scottish singer KT Tunstall, with whom he has toured in the past, and the interplay of their voices is the highlight of the song. Beginning with the pair’s melodic vocals and moody guitar, before ethereal piano notes and accordion from multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Sullivan drift in, the song is immediately absorbing. Full of cinematic atmosphere, the song bursts with renewed energy halfway through when the powerful bass and percussion kick in and all those layers create a rich, full sound. The video for ‘Road to Avalon’ is an engrossing animation, directed and created by 10 Years Time (Charlie Elms), whose work can be seen here. It’s a visual psychedelic trip, a vibrant journey into the imagination that reinforces the song’s themes of mystical escape and companionship.
Lopez says of the song and working in collaboration with Tunstall: “It was just nice to work together again, especially during the solitude of a pandemic. I really enjoyed the challenge of writing a song that would fit into, not only a storyline of KT and I, but also a song that gave KT some creative license to do what she does best. And she delivered those beautiful vocal arrangements you hear that I would never be able to conceive of on my own.”
Lopez will be familiar to AUK readers as a frontman for XIXA and he has also been a member of Giant Sand and Calexico. After a few years writing and recording with Calexico and XIXA, Lopez is once again focusing on solo material and ‘Road to Avalon’ is taken from his forthcoming fourth album ‘Tidal’, due for release on 23rd June 2023. Expect more songs that blend the sound and feel of cosmic psychedelia with the mystery of the Arizona desert. Enjoy.
