Interview: The Scarlet Goodbye

By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

Hailing from Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota, rock and roller music veteran mash-up Dan Murphy—former Soul Asylum guitarist and member of supergroup Golden Smog—and singer-songwriter Jeff Arundel, known collectively as The Scarlet Goodbye, have just released a new single titled: “She’s A Fire.”

The song, quoted as being “a sharp, melodic cut with classic harmonies, searing guitars, and a subtle nod to Carnaby Street-era pop,” is part of their upcoming third full-length album.

The indie-alt force to be reckoned with duo, which formed in 2020, are launching a tour in the UK and Ireland starting this Wednesday, March 11 in Edinburgh.

In this OOTB Interview with both Jeff and Daniel, they discuss the new song, upcoming album, tour, plans for the rest of the year and more.

With your third album set to release later this year, in what ways did you approach the upcoming album similarly and differently from your previous two albums (Hopes Eternal and El Camino Adios)?

Jeff:

Our new record has no title yet—we are working on it and releasing singles; first in the UK and then the US, with the idea of a full album release being slated for late this year or early next year.

In some ways we are approaching it similarly, by creating in our attic studio, but we have been at this for five years now, so I think our creative mojo is at its highest for this batch!

I think we are finding our most authentic creative voices now.

What is it about the song “She’s A Fire” that made you choose that particular song as a single to release from the new album?

Jeff:

Somehow, it tumbled right out of the box with a swinging '60's feel—it started with a riff that I brought, and Dan immediately layed his riff over my riff, and we were off.

What has your experiences in Soul Asylum and Golden Smog brought to the table for The Scarlet Goodbye as a collective?

Daniel:

It is a continuation of some sorts.

Recording with The Scarlet Goodbye is fun and stress free and pretty spontaneous. We are always writing and recording new music these days.

Making twenty records prior got me good in understanding and believing in the process and striving to make good music without a lot of contemplation from the heart.

What music genres or music eras have influenced your band’s sounds and approach and why those?

Daniel:

Well, when I was a kid, I taught myself how to play guitar by playing along to Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones’ records.

In 1978 I saw The Clash—that changed everything for me, both in aesthetic and in the sounds I wanted to emulate that were now playing in my head.

With your upcoming tour in the UK and Ireland, what can fans expect from your live performances?

Daniel:

Tuneful playing, plentiful vocal harmonies and low key, but searing serious fun. Jeff usually wears nice shoes as well!

What are your post-tour plans?

Jeff:

We will be working on writing and recording when we return from our UK tour—we have six songs in various stages of completion, and we'll want to have around 10 for the record.

We have some nice shows coming up this summer; so, we will be playing live while we are recording, and we will be releasing singles all the way up to the release of the record, which will likely be later this year or early next year.

Listen To “She’s A Fire”

https://ffm.to/tsg-shesafire