Quality Americana

A vintage style photo with a bright smile greets us for Marshall Anderson’s new release “R.D.A.C.S (Running Down A City Street).” The image captures the San Marcos based songwriter’s bright personality perfectly as a beautiful melody plays and layered vocals please the ears.

Just like the photo, the song has a time-capsule feel and vibrant instrumentation that invokes pleasant memories for the listener. Anderson got the idea for the song while watching the 2021 film “Licorice Pizza” that showed a coming of age tale in the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley.

A scene in the movie shows the main characters running through the valley and it gave Anderson the idea of capturing that feeling. The idea danced around in Anderson’s head for several months and started to come out at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Anderson was part of the volunteer staff and was tasked with guarding the main stage overnight.

“I volunteered to work the night shift,” Anderson said. “I pulled an eight hour all-nighter and you just sit there in a chair and make sure no one sneaks in, which no one’s awake, so I just sat there all night and thumbed around on the guitar and wrote this song overnight at Kerrville.”

“R.D.A.C.S” will appear on Anderson’s upcoming album Scales that was recorded by Bryce Brown in South Austin. As the album reaches the final stages in production, Anderson is embarking on a tour of the Northwest.

Anderson has an extensive history of over twenty years on the Texas music scene, performing in historic Deep Ellum, Rubber Gloves in Denton, and he currently performs in the Hill Country. Off the stage, Anderson works with fellow songwriter Dustin Welch to give veterans access to instruments and coaches for their writing with non-profit organization Soldier Songs and Voices.

The single really captures the excitement for life and really makes you open up inside while listening. It has a youthful feel and carefree atmosphere soaked in vintage atmospheric sounds. The way the track is mastered compresses all of the instrumentation into a lo-fi vibe or tape feel in the best way.

More information about Marshall Anderson can be found here.

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