Kansas 'roots blues' band Moreland and Arbuckle release new album

Courtesy of Moreland and Arbuckle

Roots blues band Moreland and Arbuckle will be playing Wheat State Grille on Friday.

The roots blues band, Moreland and Arbuckle recently released their new record ‘1861’ and have dedicated the album to their home state.

“We are lifetime Kansas boys and wanted to spread the love of that,” said guitarist Aaron Moreland. “We are proud of our Kansas heritage. ‘1861’ is the year that Kansas entered the Union. We wanted a theme relating to Kansas.”

Moreland and Singer and harp player Dustin Arbuckle feel like they have really hit their stride as musicians and are ready to bring their new album to the masses.

“I think that ‘1861’ finds us at our strongest in song writing, musicianship, and recording quality,” Moreland said. “We hope that every record is a step forward in all ways.”

Moreland grew up in Madison but lived here in Emporia for seven years. He also graduated from Emporia State in 2000.

“Emporia holds a lot of fond memories for me,” Moreland said. “It was there that I discovered my deep passion for blues, met my wife, had my first son, and began to seriously embark my blues journey.”

According to Moreland, he was initially drawn to the blues music’s “sincerity, grit, and power.”

“Having grown up on classic rock, it was a natural progression for me to move toward the genesis and influence of that style,” Moreland said. “Nearly everything we know in American music is coming from blues in one way or another.”

Moreland and Arbuckle now have three records under their belt and they reached the finals at the International Blues Competition in 2005.

“There is plenty of overproduced and cheesy blues out there,” Moreland said. “But when you dig and find the good stuff, it moves mountains unlike any other.”

The Dewayn Brother’s Josh Finley is a good friend of the band and provided the album art for ‘1861.’

“Josh is a great artist in every aspect, I love working with him,” Moreland said. “He does nearly all of our posters etc. I think the album art on ‘1861’ is very compelling and makes potential buyers even more interested in the music because the artwork is so cool looking.”

The band is releasing their record through the Canadian record label Northern Blues.

“We were looking to work with a label that was well established and respected in the industry,” Moreland said. “Our manager sent them our music and they became interested in working with us.”

Drummer Brad Horner joins the duo when ever the band plays electric shows.

“Brad has played with us off and on since the beginning and exclusively for the past one and a half years,” Moreland said.

After a few shows here in Kansas, the band has dates scheduled across the country.

“Making music that I love with people that I love,” Moreland said. “Getting into that zone and hitting our stride is quite possibly one of the greatest feelings I ever experience. It’s like the best drug ever, only safe and legal.”

Moreland and Arbuckle will be performing at Wheat State Grille, 707 Commercial, at 9 p.m. on Friday.