Luke Bell's Unreleased Recordings Arrive On 'The King Is Back'
(MPG) Thirty Tigers releases The King Is Back, Luke Bell's only posthumous album that compiles all of the unreleased recordings he left behind after tragically passing away in 2022.
Tracked between November 2013 and August 2016, the collection captures Bell in his artistic prime, spinning stories about blue-collar workers, heartbroken ramblers, and the personal struggles that bind us together. The album was assembled by Luke's mother Carol Bell and manager Brian Buchanan, with assistance from his sister Jane Bell and Tiffany Buchanan, and produced by Andrija Tokic, Stephen Daly, Justin Frances and Luke Bell, who wrote all 28 songs.
The King Is Back is now available for purchase digitally, on CD, and double LP pressed on cloud colored vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket, and includes a 24-page lyric booklet with photos and heartfelt liner notes written by Carol Bell. To celebrate the album's release, Grimey's is hosting an in-store performance today at 5:00 pm featuring performances of Luke's music by Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jaime Wyatt, Joshua Hedley, Riley Downing, Gowa Gibbs, Rachel Baiman, as well as a very special word from Carol Bell. Stream or purchase here
Last week, Rolling Stone published an extensive feature chronicling Luke Bell's life and music, featuring interviews with Carol Bell and some of his closest friends and collaborators. About the new album, Marissa R. Moss noted, "It shows an incredibly gifted songwriter and vocalist with an empathetic touch, who often recognized the unease in his brain and used music to articulate it."
The Nashville Scene's Bobby Jean Sawyer also spoke with Carol and some of Bell's close friends and fellow musicians J.P Harris and Riley Downing and said the album "showcases Bell's spirit, featuring blue-collar anthems ('Roofer's Blues,' 'Irrigator's Blues'), witty, Roger Miller-esque ditties like 'Orangutang,' and haunting tunes like 'Black Crows.'" The album was also featured in Holler, No Depression, Americana Highways and Bell's hometown newspaper, The Cody Enterprise.
All proceeds from the album release will support The Luke Bell Memorial Affordable Counseling Program, a non-profit organization founded by Carol and Jane Bell that supports Big Horn Basin residents by providing vouchers for up to ten sessions with a therapist of the individual's choice
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