Although every note of Marfa Lights’ self-titled debut album is original, there is an unshakable sense of déjà vu — of the past colliding with the present.
According to Marfa Lights mastermind Daniel Hines, such vibes are intentional.
“The whole old technology-meets-new technology theme runs through the whole album,” Hines said during a recent conversation. “I went to an estate sale about a year ago, before we started recording the album, and I found an old Hammond drum machine from the ‘70s, I bought that and that became a big part of the album. Old Casio keyboards … there’s a lot of ‘80s and ‘90s references in the album.”
Taken together with the deliberately retro musical and lyrical flourishes are a distinctly border-flavored sensibility, exemplified by tracks like “Mexico City,” “Tulum” and “Fiesta de Mezcal,” resting alongside what Hines characterizes as “indie Americana” cuts like “Heart Like a Bruise,” “Dreams are Dreams” and “8-Track Cadillac,” the video for which KXT is premiering below.
Hines, formerly of acclaimed Americana-leaning act Left Arm Tan, assembled Marfa Lights with a handful of prior collaborators (LAT’s Brian Lee, Mark Belding and Shawn Light are on board here) as well as contributions from Pete Coatney, Aden Bubeck and Abel Casillas. Marfa Lights will celebrate the release of its debut on Oct. 26 at Fort Worth’s Ridglea Room.
“When Left Arm Tan ended, which was about a year and a half ago, I didn’t pick up a guitar for a month,” Hines said. “Then, one day, I picked up a nylon string classical guitar and the songs just started flowing. … After we had a good handful of the songs, I took a break and wrote a novella, and I wrote kind of the [album’s] whole story. … By the time we went into the studio, it was this incredible production guide, and everyone knew exactly what each song represented, and how it played in the story.”
Despite all that work on the front end, Hines and his collaborators still adhered to a shoot-from-the-hip approach, going so far as to eschew any do-overs in the studio.
“I didn’t want things to be perfect,” Hines said. “If someone was spending too much time on something, perfecting it, I’d be like, ‘Nope, erase it.’ Just move on from the gut — just play it from the gut and leave the mistakes in. Those are all my favorite parts.”
Marfa Lights album release show at Ridglea Room, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets are $20-$200.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
