More than half a decade after their acclaimed first collaboration, singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck have reunited to release their long-awaited second album, Arthur Buck 2.
The new release, out now through Lonely Astronaut Records, marks the duo’s first project together since their self-titled 2018 debut, a record celebrated for its raw energy and seamless fusion of indie rock, folk, and alternative textures. This time around, the pair have teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Jacknife Lee (R.E.M., U2, Taylor Swift) and an all-star backing band including Scott McCaughey and Linda Pitmon (The Baseball Project, The Minus 5, Filthy Friends) alongside Gregg Foreman (Cat Power, Jesse Malin).
The first taste of Arthur Buck 2 came earlier this year with the release of “Sleep With One Eye Open”.
That was followed by the shimmering second single “Fall In Love With Me”.
Now they’ve unveiled the official music video for “Where Did You Go?”, directed by Arthur and Amelie Chopinet, a nostalgic yet forward-looking track that showcases Buck’s trademark chiming guitar sound and Arthur’s emotive vocal delivery.
Arthur and Buck’s friendship traces back to the year 2000, when the young New York-based Joseph Arthur opened for R.E.M. on tour. Their musical chemistry was immediate, and over the next several years, Buck would often join Arthur on stage for impromptu performances.
In 2016, Arthur was invited to play at the Todos Santos Music Festival – an annual event founded by Buck near his home in Mexico. A chance mishap would reignite their connection: Arthur accidentally left his Dobro guitar behind and returned a year later to retrieve it. That reunion led to long afternoons of ocean swims and spontaneous jam sessions that birthed eight new songs in just three days. The duo played them live the following evening at a local benefit concert, debuting as Arthur Buck.
Their debut album came together in much the same spirit – recorded in just seven hours at a Portland studio and polished by legendary mixer Tchad Blake (Elvis Costello, The Black Keys). The record’s rough edges and urgent tone struck a chord with critics. Record Collector called it “a finely-crafted guitar pop record” that “rarely puts a foot wrong.”
Arthur Buck toured the record across the U.S. and Europe, cementing their reputation as one of rock’s most organic modern partnerships – two veterans whose shared love of melody and experimentation created something wholly original.
Now, Arthur Buck 2 captures the same lightning-in-a-bottle magic that made their debut such a standout, while expanding their sonic horizons. The nine-track set balances grit and grace, with Arthur’s introspective lyricism intertwined with Buck’s jangly riffs and layered textures.
Tracks like “Where Did You Go?” and “Not So Modern Now” tap into both nostalgia and reinvention. The latter, complete with a searing, psychedelic guitar solo from Arthur reminiscent of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain, stands as one of the duo’s most adventurous pieces yet.
The album was recorded with the same collaborative spontaneity that defines both artists’ careers – Buck, a cornerstone of alternative rock through his work with R.E.M., and Arthur, a prolific solo artist whose catalogue includes acclaimed albums like Redemption’s Son and Come to Where I’m From, as well as visual art exhibitions and poetry collections.
Arthur Buck 2 ultimately serves as both a continuation and evolution – a celebration of creative freedom, mutual respect, and the enduring spirit of rock collaboration.
Arthur Buck 2 tracklist
Sleep With One Eye Open
Where Did You Go?
Love At First Sight
No Answer
Fall In Love With Me
Average Ghost
Don’t Try To Understand
Not So Modern Now
Pow Muscle Shoals
Arthur Buck 2 is available now on all streaming platforms.
