Slinky Vagabond, the duo of Keanan Duffty and Fabio Fabri, just released a new album called King Boy Vandals on May 6. The album features guest spots by Midge Ure, Richard Fortus, Dave Formula, David Torn, Tony Bowers and Martin Turner, each guest appearing on multiple tracks. Today we’re premiering a video for the acoustic version of the band’s song “The Beauty in You.”
The original version of “The Beauty in You” features Dave Formula and Tony Bowers, but this live acoustic version is stripped down to its rawest elements – a simple acoustic guitar played by Fabbri and the gentle, almost angelic vocals of Duffty. Because the two band members are on other sides of the globe under lockdown – Duffty in New York and Fabbri in Italy – the video was recorded via Zoom.
“The acoustic recording of our single “The Beauty in You” was conceived and edited by Fausto Fabbri. We wanted to capture a live, intimate stripped-down performance and since Fabio is in lockdown in Italy and I am in New York, we recorded it using Zoom,” said Duffty. “Fabio recorded his part in his Wolf Mountain Studio and I recorded mine in my apartment. Fausto spent about a week editing the performances and the song really lends itself to this spacious, simple ‘less is more’ approach. This modality, using Zoom is truly the result of the circumstances we all find ourselves in.”
“”The Beauty In You” is about the beauty in decay,” said Duffty. “Although it masquerades as a love song, it’s actually about abandoned ghost towns like Pripyat in northern Ukraine, which was evacuated after the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Also, The Salton Sea in California where the town of Bombay Beach was once a popular destination for Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby and it now is a derelict ‘living ghost town.’ I love that place. It’s like being in a deserted town on Mars.”
Duffty is known not only as a musician but also as an award-winning fashion designer. He’s worked with David Bowie, the Sex Pistols and more, writing a book called Rebel Rebel-Anti Style that exampines the roots of rebel style in the music scene. He formed Slinky Vagabond in the ’00s with members like Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols and Clem Burke of Blondie.
King Boy Vandals was recorded before the pandemic, with the fine-tuning and polishing of post-production happening during the lockdowns.
King Boy Vandals track list
1. “The Beauty in You”
2. “Prima Donna”
3. “Old Boy”
4. “I’m Falling Down”
5. “Fear No Evil”
6. “Euphoria”
7. “Absolutely Dark”
8. “English Country Garden”
9. “Black Leather Jacket”
10. “Rockin’ into an Explosion”
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