By: Jason Young
Now and then, a phenomenal guitar picker such as Marcus King emerges. Just as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Healey, whose meteoric rise to fame during the eighties and early nineties influenced a multitude of guitar-playing hopefuls, King also will leave his indelible mark.
Arriving in 2014, the Grammy award nominated artist turned heads immediately with his debut album, Soul Insight, which announced his vocal and guitar mastery alongside his accompanying band (The Marcus King Band).
In a short time, he has been featured in Rolling Stone magazine, played the Grand Ole Opry, and gained the attention of producer Rick Ruben, who signed the young guitarist to his label, American Recordings.
The 27-year-old Greenwood, South Carolina guitar player’s 2022 release Young Blood, available on American Recordings, explores mixing heavier sounds with his Southern roots. Drawing inspiration from groups he grew up listening to, such as Bad Company and ZZ Top, the album reaches across generations of listeners.
With Young Blood, King collaborated with Black Keys guitarist and frontman, Dan Auerbach. The chemistry between the two musicians/songwriters was outstanding.
With only six days to record eleven songs, the two started with a musical idea that the South Carolina guitarist had been toying around with during shows. What would transpire with the addition of a new chorus is “Lie Lie Lie,” the song that set the direction for his new record.
“That song, for me, really sparked the idea of doing a heavy rock ‘n’ roll record. And, you know, Dan’s always the guy for that,” King revealed, during an interview with Catherine Walthall, in American Songwriter, Oct 13, 2022.
King revealed in a conversation with comedian and music interviewer Dean Delray that the album is very personal, as he retold his struggle with co-dependency and a tough breakup in the recent past. The guitarist refers to it as his redemption album and is now sober and happily married to singer and Tic Toc influencer Briley Hussey.
Straight out of the bullpen, the album drives hard with the opening song “It’s Too Late.” With scorching guitar riffs, Young Blood fuses Southern rock with groups like The Robin Trower Band, Free, and Black Sabbath.
Tracks like “Good and Gone,” “Hard Working Man,” “Blues Worse Than I Ever Had,” and the Desmond Child Co-write, “Blood on The Tracks,” show the young guitarist’s penchant for turning trials and tribulations into songs.
Throughout, Kings’ vocals are soulful and penetrating and are equally matched by his skillful guitar playing. Recorded at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville, it features acclaimed musicians Chris St. Hilaire on drums and Nick Movshon on bass. Joining King and Auerbach are writers Angelo Petraglia and Desmond Child –famous for their work with Aerosmith, Kiss, Kings of Leon, and many others.
When asked by Dean Delray how the guitarist decides whether or not to use his band for an album, King said that he allows the process to determine that decision, going on to say that Dan Auerbach has specific ways in which he likes to work, which shapes the undertaking.
In another interview with Spin, the guitarist explained that songs for Young Blood had already been recorded in the studio by the time he was playing them live. King goes on to say that Auerbach had them mixed by the time he came off the road. (Interview by John Cohen August 23, 2022.)
A departure from his previous soul-rock sound, the 2022 release takes a us in a different direction. Driven by hardship, Marcus King wrote a rock album, full stop. It’s plain to see that Young Blood is a testament to loss and the battle with demons that will either kill you or make you stronger. Marcus came out victorious on this album.
About Jason Young: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jason is a forty-year music veteran. A guitar prodigy at the age of eight, he dedicated his life to writing music, audio engineering, and becoming fluent in drums, piano, mandolin, banjo, dobro, and bass. Also a singer and performer, he and his brother formed the band The Young Brothers. Writing a song with Kid Rock for the Rebel Soul album adds to his list of music accomplishments. Jason’s love of music spans rock ‘n’ roll, country, blues, and jazz. Passionate about music history, Jason is knowledgeable in many genres and enjoys writing about performers. Today, Jason focuses on writing articles for his Blue Railway Podcast website.
