Marcus King found a path through his darkest impulses and away from the brink of self-destruction to deliver his third solo album, Mood Swings. Out April 5th via American/Republic Records, his follow-up to 2022’s Young Blood hears the venerated guitar gunslinger team up with famed producer Rick Rubin. Along with Thursday’s album announcement, King also shared news of an international tour of North America and Europe.
Mood Swings picks up King’s rise, fall, and redemption story where Young Blood left off. The album full of hard-driving, classic rock mayhem witnessed the titular Young Blood (only 26 at the time of its release) confronting the reality that, if he didn’t change his hedonistic ways, he would wind up suffering the same early death as the late classic rockers who inspired the album’s style. While Young Blood was simply admitting that there was a problem, Mood Swings takes the next step as King dives deep into critical self-examination.
King’s paradigm shift is exemplified in the album’s title track, available now. The artist who built his reputation on his ferocious blues guitar playing relegates his six-string to the darkened corner of the hazy lounge where he croons his soul for all to hear. On “Mood Swings”, the song and the album, King makes a conscious decision not to hide behind his guitar playing and instead puts the focus on his smooth Southern voice and introspective lyrics.
King said of the track and the album’s inception,
In the early summer of 2020 I arrived at Shangri-La for my first meeting with my hero, the legend, Mr. Rick Rubin. As soon as Rick & I met it was like a spark in the room! I immediately felt welcomed, appreciated and mutually admired. Rick and I had a wonderful first introduction and he left me in the capable hands of his Ace engineer Jason Lader, an incredible engineer who would become a dear dear friend. Jason and I toured the space and just for fun decided to track something, what we tracked was the title track “Mood Swings.” I laid down guitar and vocals, we added Rhythm Ace R77 drum machine with tape delay to achieve the swing we desired, added bass & piano and after half an hour the track was finished. The track and album title “Mood Swings” is a play on the swinging nature of the material while also referencing my up and down shifts in mood while I was either abusing the wrong substances, in between mood stabilizing meds and anti-psychotics, self-medication on top of that, along with a foot locker FULL of repressed childhood trauma all being taken out on my relationship at the time.
While he was out promoting Young Blood, King secretly holed up with Rubin for Mood Swings sessions in Italy and at Shangri-La in Malibu, CA. Juxtaposed with the thundering rock riffs of Young Blood, King crafted a complete departure that allows him to embrace his inner soul, paying homage to greats like Al Green, Bobby Womack, and Marvin Gaye while adding his own signature blend of styles. While King was still battling many of the same demons that haunted him during Young Blood, Rubin encouraged a perspective and sonic shift that resulted in Marcus’ most revealing work to date.
“Without this assembly of songs, I don’t think I’d be around,” King said. “I hope this album can act as a safety blanket, a rescue, or a refuge for anybody struggling with mental health, substance abuse, or relationship issues. That’s what it is for me.”
Related: Marcus King & Duane Betts Team Up For “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” In Florida [Watch]
Check out the title track for the new Marcus King album Mood Swings below or on your preferred platform and scroll down for the album artwork and tracklist. Mood Swings is available here for pre-order.
Marcus King – “Mood Swings” [Lyric Video]
King will take Mood Swings on the road this year with an impressive slate of new tour dates, beginning on May 6th in Seattle. He will perform from coast to coast in the United States and throughout Canada through October before heading overseas for dates across the U.K. and Europe into November. Tickets for the North American dates go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 16th at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation, with various pre-sales happening earlier in the week. See below for a complete list of tour dates.
