By Keith Walsh
Playing his guitar in a sunlight window in Spain during the pandemic, singer/songwriter Kurt Baker came up with the initial chords for his new single “Anchors Up” and thought they were a bit too happy for a punk song. He got feedback from his pal Steven Van Zandt, and further refined the tune with his co-writer Geoff Palmer. The end result is a mischievous, rebellious take on the seafaring life.

“Anchors Up” is the first single from Baker’s upcoming album release Rock N Roll Club, and with its raucous sing along chorus and pleasantly abrasive guitars, it’s a promising point of departure. Be they pirates, or seafaring men of better intentions, it doesn’t matter – the protagonists of the song are out to “set sail on a course to kill the pain,” while the captain’s drunk.

Baker is associated with his pop punk sound, primarily in The Leftovers and The Kurt Baker Band, with songs featuring catchy melodies, smooth vocals and skilled guitar work. His previous album was 2020’s After Party, which was preceded by in the same year by the omnibus Brand New Beat: Complete, a 26-song set that compiled tracks from other albums along with his 2012 release, titled simply Brand New Beat. Fans of classic power pop and rock and roll will enjoy the sounds of this underrecognized artist.

The video for “Anchors Up” was shot at Voramar Beach, Benicàssim, in Castellón, Spain, and directed by Wyatt Funderburk, featuring the boys in the band and some cool Spanish sites. Luis Sánchez operated the camera and Evan Sprague edited. Rock N Roll Club is due in September on Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records.  Baker, who is from Maine, will be touring around the East Coast of the U.S. in June and July, with a Japan tour happening in October. 

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Wicked Cool Records on Bandcamp

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