Arkansauce independently releases OK to Wonder, their 5th album, on April 21. Hear the melodies of the Ozark Mountains' rolling hills and raging rivers in this progressive string quartet’s distinct blend of newgrass. OK to Wonder is filled with songs of revelry, wonder, insight, and whimsy—inspired not only from their home state of Arkansas, but also throughout their travels.
Arkansauce is Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist Zac Archuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisational string leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Each member sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which offer authentic, intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks.
“We are a band that spends most of our time in the back of a van hurtling toward long nights, good times, and a destiny unknown,” says Ethan. “Our inspiration is gathered by events unfolding in our own adventures in real time.”
OK to Wonder‘s 11 tracks—ranging from upbeat and stimulating to contemplative and encouraging— were recorded in Fayetteville at Crisp Recording Studio with engineer Darren Crisp, James Tuttle [Leftover Salmon, The String Cheese Incident, Hot Rize, Michael Franti, Cary Morin] on the mix, and Brad Sarno [Son Volt, Jay Farrar] for the mastering.
The uptempo bluegrass number “My Home in Arkansas” is the album’s 2nd single and was premiered by The Bluegrass Situation. Andersen says, “The song came to me after a Bill Monroe bender. It’s a straight-forward bluegrass song about the road and the yearnings for home—with a few twists and turns on the arrangement, as any road worth traveling would have.”
Glide Magazine premiered the album’s 1st single (and album opener), “Up on the Shelf” and says, “Strong lyricism, warm harmonies, and impressive solos abound throughout this track.” Ethan describes it as, “a rowdy song about a wild night out and gradually became a much more in depth picture of the ups and downs of a relationship; I aimed to maintain the spirit of the original concept, while trying to depict the stress that partnerships may bring through an honest and unique lens.” After the song’s release on 3/3, “Up on the Shelf” was almost immediately placed into Spotify’s “Indie Bluegrass” Playlist.
“First Night of the Tour” sings the result of the band learning the “rules of the road” through trial and error on their first few tours. The stimulating “Coldiron” was inspired by a close friend of the band who uprooted himself at an early age to move to a remote, old family property where he didn’t know a soul and ambitiously forged a bountiful and fulfilling life.
A song of reflection and reminiscing, the title lyrics can be heard in the Hartford-esque “How Time Flies.” My oh my how time flies… Is this the way I wanted things to be… I simply cannot decide… Who in the hell is behind those eyes… I guess it’s okay to wonder until the day I die… Hold on to what you got for now and let time take care of the rest.” The song is meant to help us find some peace in the space between trying to chase down our dreams and deciding to alter our path.
“I'll Be Yours” gives encouragement to the underdogs of the world while the empathetic and anthemic “Early Bird” shines and welcomes you to join in. Zac says, “Written during the heat of the pandemic after my father-in-law, a truck driver whose CB handle was ‘Early Bird,’ passed away from covid. Everything seemed so dark that I wanted to write a song about light and hope with a lot of harmonies and uplifting melodies. My dad actually passed away a few months after, and it ended up being a song for myself in a way.”
“Big City Chicken” is the first of four instrumentals on the album, and it celebrates getting back on the road after the first year of the pandemic. Ethan says, “It was written while watching my chickens peck around my backyard during those first few weeks of quarantine. Performing on the road later felt as if I was finally weaponizing the creativity birthed in that time and space.”
Adams composed the other three instrumentals and says, "At some point, I became obsessively interested in how a four-piece bluegrass group might emulate various styles of drum grooves and rhythms. ‘Bim Batta’ is influenced by 80s electro and hip hop, while ‘The Funky Gorilla’ is influenced by Stanton Moore's New Orleans funk approach.” The delightful “Air Bender” leads the listener into a magical country western jaunt with its undulating banjo as the album's final track.
Previous albums include All Day Long (2015), Hambone (2016), If I Were You (2017), and Maybe Someday (2019). The band has extensive roots in their home state of Arkansas (winning the 2021 Arkansas Best Bluegrass Artist of the Year in the Arkansas Country Music Awards) as well as out in the wider bluegrass, Americana, and festival music scenes.
Music Mecca’s Spencer Nachman calls them a “fiery, finger-picking string band… What is apparent at any Arkansauce show is their positivity and desire to uplift the audience’s spirit, no matter the circumstance.”
Having played shows from California to Connecticut over the last several years in addition to two tours in Europe, the band is no stranger to the road and they have a hearty tour schedule lined up for 2023.
For more information, a full list of tour dates, and news from the road please visit www.arkansaucemusic.com, www.facebook.com/Arkansauce.Music, www.instagram.com/arkansaucemusic, and www.youtube.com/@arkansaucemusic314.
OK to Wonder Track Listing
1. Up on the Shelf 4:25 (Bush)
2. Big City Chicken 6:31 (Bush)
3. First Night of the Tour 3:29 (Bush)
4. Coldiron 5:42 (Bush)
5. Bim Batta 4:44 (Collins)
6. I'll Be Yours 4:32 (Bush)
7. Early Bird 4:58 (Archuleta)
8. The Funky Gorilla 5:09 (Collins)
9. How Time Flies 4:48 (Bush)
10. My Home in Arkansas 4:11 (Andersen)
11. Air Bender 4:58 (Collins)
