The Marcus King Band – Darling Blue
South Carolina-born singer and guitarist Marcus King was 18 when a YouTube video of him playing at a guitar store went viral. From there, he caught the attention of Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule who helped promote him, and musician/producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys who produced his 2020 album El Dorado and the 2022 follow-up Young Blood. He went on to tour with Phil Lesh and Friends in 2022 and 2023.
King's new album, Darling Blue, credited to The Marcus King Band with members he’s performed with for the better part of a decade, is as close to a country album as he’s released to date. It includes guest appearances with Kaitlin Butts, Jamey Johnson, Noah Cyrus, Billy Strings and Jesse Welles and songs co-written by country singer Hillary Lindsay. It was produced by Grammy winning producer Eddie Spears who has worked with Sierra Ferrell and Zach Bryan.
In addition to the electric guitar work we’ve come to expect from King, he also plays acoustic and 12-string guitar, banjo, electric mandolin and bass on Darling Blue, showing the depth of a now veteran musician. For fans of his previous work, there is plenty of his signature blues and Southern Soul on this new record. Carolina Honey and No Room for Blue, are big band soul/blues tunes that sound like they could be on a Tedeschi Trucks Band album. Levi’s & Goodbyes is a straight up Southern rocker.
Darling Blue further cements King's place on the contemporary blues/soul scene and will also attract new audiences to his work.
