Arthur Ahbez

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Recently I was able to connect with psych/folk songwriter, Arthur Ahbez, to discuss his new single called “Sister.” In this interview I asked Arthur about his band’s new LP, Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez, his key influences and inspirations, and what the future has in store for his band. The new LP will be available wherever you stream your music on November 6th.

What was your inspiration when writing “Sister”? Did you face any challenges while creating this single?

Sister was one of those songs that kinda just blurts itself out of you without too much effort. It’s actually quite old, I think I wrote it early 2013 or maybe it was 2012. I am not entirely sure. I do remember it being one of those songs that wasn’t a struggle to make, and it was born out of simply having fun and mucking around on the guitar, without having an agenda to “write a song”.

Are there any specific influences or inspirations in your music?

Around that time, I was repeatedly watching a Buffy Sainte-Marie video on YouTube—her performance on Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest, where she played ‘Little Wheel Spin and Spin.’ The restrained intensity of her performance truly astounded me. The look on her face made it appear as if she was in a trance, completely absorbed by the song she was playing. At the end, you can see Pete Seeger holding onto his chair in awe, not moving a muscle. With that dense nugget of folk history simmering in my creative resonance chambers, I was able to spontaneously unearth something on the guitar and start experimenting with a more intense vocal performance. ‘Sister’ was the first song where I really began to push the boundaries of my singing.

How does this song set the stage for your upcoming album Arthur Ahbez and The Flaming Ahbez? Are there any new directions you’re excited to explore?

My goal with this record was to capture the spirit that my band and I would conjure while jamming in my cottage, and commit it to tape. As a result of frequent rehearsing and playing shows, each of us knew the songs really well, and they still felt fun to play and jam over. I’m very glad we got to record them while they still had that sense of magic. ‘Sister’ is the first track on the album, and from there, each song has its own unique style and influences, yet they’re all drawn from the same well. I’ve got a lot of songs (old and new) I’d like to record. Once this album release is over and I have a bit more space in my brain I will get cracking on a new project. I’m really excited just to get back in the studio and start recording again.

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