Archie Powell & The Exports Head West

Archie Powell & the Exports West Coast Tour with Josh Berwanger

Shameless Chicago rockers Archie Powell & the Exports join Kansas’ Josh Berwanger, (formerly of popular rock group The Anniversary), for a series of shows on the west coast. Berwanger is hitting the road in continued support of his debut solo album Strange Stains. The Exports will debut songs from their 3rd album, Back in Black which has garnered praise from the likes of NPR, Popmatters and the Chicago Sun Times.

Josh Berwanger could easily be considered a veteran of the rock and roll wars. He first made a name for himself as a member of The Anniversary, a seminal Kansas band that released two albums on Vagrant Records (2000’s Designing a Nervous Breakdown and 2002’s Your Majesty), ultimately selling over 100,000 records before imploding in a breakup of Fleetwood Mac-style proportions while attempting to tour Japan.

Undeterred by the ups and downs that come with chasing one’s musical dreams, Berwanger decided not to hang up his guitar, instead pulling together his best tunes and a group of friends to make the best album possible. The result is his debut solo album, Strange Stains released via Milwaukee-based indie Good Land Records to great acclaim from critics and fans alike. Magnet Magazine loved his “sun-drenched, dreamy, power-pop jams”, Spin called it a “shimmering debut” and Rolling Stone proudly premiered the infectious first single, “Baby Loses Her Mind”. Even though his musical path as been strewn with a few left turns (and a couple of cliffs), he has always retained his ability to turn lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade.

Watch video for “Baby Loses Her Mind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OKZ2nxnUNo

Archie Powell is the son of a violin prodigy who played in both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Milwaukee Symphony. He started playing guitar at 11 and writing “awful” songs at around 15. With his college friends Ryan (keyboards) and Adam (bass) he formed the The Exports in 2009, later recruiting RJ (drums) and Alex (guitar). Archie began crafting a punchy, dance-y, rock n’ roll sound which was introduced to the world in Skip Work, their debut full length, which received critical acclaim across the country. Great Ideas in Action followed in 2012, and critics from Esquire, Billboard and NPR’s World Café were impressed.

Now with the release of their third full-length, Back in Black, Archie Powell & the Exports have created an explosive set that marries the melodic, hooky addiction of their previous albums with a new heavier, noisy backing. The new album, as audacious musically as in its title was described by the Chicago Sun-Times “a fast, furious and frantically fun exercise in manic rock that holds little back.” Thematically, the lyrics speak of heartbreak, longing and infatuation – they are presented in a sonically discordant way, creating a musical dichotomy that breathes fresh air into a time honored rock n’ roll tradition.

Watch “Holes”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvvnaAn5J0U

WEST COAST DATES
Thu August 7 Fort Worth, TX The Wherehouse
Fri August 8 Austin TX Scoot Inn
Sat August 9 Marfa TX Padres
Mon August 11 Phoenix AZ Crescent Ballroom
Tue August 12 San Diego CA Soda Bar
Wed August 13 Los Angeles CA Hotel Cafe
Thu August 14 Costa Mesa CA The Wayfarer
Sun August 17 Colorado Springs CO Ivywild