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ART BRUT’s Eddie Argos Launches Bob Dylan Covers Side Project HAUS BAND

10th June 2021

Enigmatic Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos is pleased to announce that he will “begin his Bryan Ferry period” with a full album ofBob Dylan covers under a new side project titled HAUS BAND.

To celebrate the legendary songwriters 80th birthday, Haus Band are pleased to reveal a wonderful cover of the 1965 B-Side to ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’, ‘She Belongs to Me’, released 24th May 2021 via Alcopop! Records and Anomic Records.

Check out the Brooklyn Vegan premiere here.

The track is the first to be taken from a forthcoming album of Dylan covers to be released later in the year via Alcopop! Records and newly-minted German label Anomic Records—the by-product of hearing band practices through the wall, feeding the neighbours’ cats, and lucky circumstance thrown together by the pandemic.

It’s been an interesting few months for Eddie Argos, illustrious front man of sardonic indie art pioneers Art Brut. In echoes of that seminal hit, he’s only gone and ‘Formed A Band’ (look at him, he’s formed a band!)…a Bob Dylan covers band at that – with fellow Berlin artist’s Olga Karatzioti-B. and Leonard Kaage (of Errorr and The Underground Youth fame)

I’ve always wanted to make a Dylan covers album,” says an enthusiastic Argos, “but the opportunity really came up when, during Lockdown, I heard my neighbours practicing their songs through the floor, and thought to myself they sound like they need a singing partner. I’d heard them practicing Pixies the week before so I knew they were awesome dudes. We’d also been looking after each others cats.”

We started playing Dylan songs for fun in the evening because we had nothing else to do. Leo and I love Dylan (Olga is a recent convert). Olga is a photographer and filmmaker, and was learning the bass. Leo has a band called Errorr and Olga plays in a band called The Underground Youth, and they both have a new record label together, so the idea of turning our fun into an album and doing everything ourselves came together very quickly.

We called ourselves Haus Band because besides the trip to Leo’s studio, everything was done in the house where we live. I can be quite lazy so just having to go up a flight of stairs to rehearse has been great for me.”

Luckily for us all, Eddie made it up the stairs, and the resulting cover is a wonderfully warm tribute, which sets the tone for the rest of the album, which will be dropped throughout 2021. As for the exact track listing, we’re sworn to secrecy, but we hear that ‘Queen Jane Approximately’ and ‘Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again’ will definitely feature.

People seem to be surprised that I love Dylan so much,” says Argos quizzically. “I’m not sure why…? He’s not just an amazing lyricist, hes also an hilarious dude. A lo fi punk rock motherf*cker that seems to do whatever he pleases, which are all qualities that I look for in new friends. Im sure there are lots of Bob Dylan covers albums about to come out. We didn’t even know it was going to be his 80th birthday when we started, so I hope ours reclaims him a bit from the AOR he sometimes gets mistaken for, and reminds people he’s a lot more mischievous than that.”

Was it fate that brought this magnificent union together? Yup, seems so… “I was just really lucky that I got locked down underneath the exact people I needed to be with to make this record,” enthuses Argos. “Im glad they spurred me on to record it with them, its been a blast. With my solo album coming out later this year, I guess I am now entering my Bryan Ferry period.”

Olga from Haus Band adds: “Whenever Leo, Eddie and I were having drinks we would talk about the idea of forming a covers house band. It just made so much sense. We all play music, live in the same house, and we were locked in that house because of COVID. Leo is a recording engineer, Eddie paints and writes, I make videos and photos, we didn’t need anyone else! Eddie wanted to start with Bob Dylan as he always wanted to do a Bob Dylan covers album. It happened to be his 80th birthday this year so I thought ‘OK, whatever’….

… And what a decision it was!

She Belongs To Me’ is released on Bob Dylans 80th birthday, 24th May 2021, via Alcopop! Records and Anomic Records

Tagged: Art Brut