Brian Wright & The SneakUps new album out May 8, 2020

Some artists are not made up of just one thing - as is the case with Texas-born artist, producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, rock n roll guitarist, independent label owner, psychedelic troubadour, Sagittarius, Brian Wright. With the highly anticipated release of Lapse of Luxury, Wright has realized yet another alter ego with his imaginary band, Brian Wright & The SneakUps. 

Drawing comparisons throughout his career to some of the greatest songwriters, Wright says, “I like Townes Van Zandt but I also really dig Brian Eno, Outkast, Velvet Underground and Slayer. I like really beautiful things, and I like really ugly things that draw out human emotions that make you feel something visceral - Fear, Joy, Sadness… you know you wanna have a fist fight and a dance party at the same time.” 

“Lapse of Luxury”, his seventh studio album, created in his own backyard shed, took three years to make, in between days home off the road while touring as guitarist for New West Records artist, Aaron Lee Tasjan. Without having the luxury of a full band on hand, Wright wrote the songs in the moment and recorded almost all of the instruments himself with the help of a few musicians like artist, Jon Latham, bassist, Tommy Scifress and drummer, Matty Alger.

Brian recalls, “I would send out a literal BAT Signal to musical compadres when I had an idea and often times Jon Latham would show up in the middle of the night. He’s the man of a thousand voices in our crew. The SneakUps are all the different musical voices in my head alongside my partner Sally Jaye (she’s the one with all the hooks) and engineer and co-producer Gabe Masterson.” 

Working with a humble set up in a literal shed, which is also headquarters of Wright’s independent label, Cafe Rooster Records, “Lapse of Luxury” was born in the late hours of musical experimentation (and sometimes the inspiration of psychedelics) with Gabe Masterson showing up in the mornings to “organize the proverbial musical mess I had made the night before,” says Wright. 

Songs like “High Rise”, “Poor Little Genius” and “Bells and Whistles” are full of surprises musically as well as lyrically profound humor, and showcase a psychedelic instrumentation that Brian and co-producer, Gabe Masterson, found through rich layers of guitars, keyboards and vocals. 

“Lapse of Luxury” also offers the kind of songs Brian has become known for on previous works, such as the stunning “What You Don’t Know” and the immediately addicting “Patrick’s Crossing”. 

While high energy grooves and hooks lay the foundation for this musical journey, there are moments in songs like “Heavy Metal Shed Kids” where Wright switches gears with a gut-wrenching personal story of troubled youth, or like in “Tractor Beam”, a live gang bluegrass vocal piece, where he humorously compares the likes of being saved by Jesus to an alien abduction.

In April of 2019, Brian began introducing Nashville live audiences to his new music and The SneakUps, a core unit of eight musicians and background singers, and a microcosmic example of his work creating collaborations with artists and musicians in the community, as well as his foray into producing and leading Cafe Rooster Records.

During a residency at East Nashville’s music community hangout, The 5 Spot, he packed the room every week. The live show took off and taking notice, music journalists such as Barry Mazor (Roots Now) and Craig Havighurst (The String, NPR station WMOT) dove deep into Brian’s musical exploration. Having set the stage as one of the most infectious shows around, the band showcased at the 2019 AmericanaFest, earning him Top Shows to See at AmericanaFest on NPR, and played several other events including the Cafe Rooster Records event that drew 600+ fans. In addition Wright was interviewed by Buddy Miller on The Buddy & Jim Show (on Sirius XM’s Outlaw radio station) and given a month interview/residency on WMOT Roots Radio in Nashville to talk about the growth of the label and his new creative direction with "Lapse of Luxury."

In the previous few years leading up to this album, Wright released two albums on Sugar Hill Records, spent time touring with artists such as LeeAnn Womack, Milk Carton Kids and Joe Purdy, while also co-writing with artists such as Guy Clark, Darrell Scott, Jim Lauderdale and Cordovas, landing their first single on ATO Records, “This Town’s A Drag.” He also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry with Elizabeth Cook, played two years on Buddy Miller’s Cayamo Cruise, and spent a significant amount of time on the road with New West artist, Aaron Lee Tasjan, where he was introduced to a broader audience as Tasjan’s guitarist and sometimes opening act. 

“Lapse of Luxury” will be released in May 2020. For more information, please visit Cafe  Rooster Records. The label has been featured in NPR, PopMatters, Nashville Scene and Rolling Stone for performances and top picks during the AmericanaFest music festival. For updates, please follow Brian Wright on Instagram, Twitter, Spotify and Facebook for news, music, and various thoughts and observations.

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