MAGNETIC EAST:
THE DEER TICK SESSIONS

Ben Vaughn is no stranger to a musical experiment. Some of his most notable work is born from an off-the-wall idea– there’s Rambler 65, the album he recorded entirely in his vintage car, as well as 12 Golden Country Greats, the legendary album he produced for Ween backed by unsuspecting members of Nashville’s A Team.

Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions (Yep Roc), his new album with Americana rockers Deer Tick, brings the same spirit of curiosity through experimentation. This time, the gimmick seemed simple: Ben would just sing, and the band would handle the rest. For an artist known for his many talents in songwriting, musicianship, composing, producing, and broadcasting, “just” was a fresh concept.

“I wanted an opportunity to hear my songs come out of the speakers in a way that didn’t sound like anything I would come up with myself,” Ben said.

Deer Tick, who covered Ben’s “Too Sensitive For This World” on their 2019 album Mayonnaise, invited Ben to singer/guitarist John McCauley’s home studio in a Rhode Island mule barn to track the record. McCauley’s wife, GRAMMY-nominated singer and songwriter Vanessa Carlton lends her voice on two tracks. The band produced the album in tandem with Vaughn, with drummer Dennis Ryan engineering from behind his drum kit.

“It was a thrill to create these songs with Ben,” McCauley said. “As big fans of his songwriting, we were honored to be a part of this collaboration.”

In Ben’s 40+ year career in music, he has rarely been seen without a guitar. In the spirit of experimentation, however, he went without it, and “surrendered” to the unorthodox recording process.

“I would pick up a copy of the Providence local newspaper in the morning and I would be reading that in the control room while the band worked out an arrangement,” Ben explained.  “A lot of times, I would mute the speakers because I did not want to know where they were headed. I wanted to be surprised. And finally, they would give me a sign, I would unmute, and we would cut a tune.”

Ten genre-bending tracks later, Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions was born. The title, with a nod to Michael Nesmith, captures the unavoidable pull of Ben’s native East Coast. The same pull of nostalgia weaves through the memories of a past love in “Imitation Wood Grain” and the cozy simplicity of the baroque-flavored “Rain Songs.”

The album features a new original from Ben’s songbook, the bold rocking “Danish Modern.” Inspired by the puzzling behavior of a Garbo-esque woman, Ben played the song on an octave mandolin through his iPhone and sent a demo to the band. After translation through the Deer Tick experiment, “Danish Modern” became a driving rocker, with booming drums giving way to two growling guitar solos, resulting in a roaring jam that feels as psychedelic as it does gothic. 

“When Love Returns” shines as a highlight, pairing thoughtful and hopeful lyrics with bright guitars. A perfect example of the unexpected nature of the Deer Tick recording experience, Ben had composed the track as an Engelbert Humperdinck-esque ballad, and the band delivered a searing guitar solo instead– a total surprise to Ben, who now can’t hear the track any other way.

“It’s rare in life to go into an experience with total innocence, but that’s what it felt like,” Ben explained.

Magnetic East marks a new high point in Ben Vaughn’s career. The mutual respect and obsession with music that Ben and Deer Tick share shines on this thoughtfully crafted collaboration.