Old Friends (Ben Rector song)

Last updated
"Old Friends"
Single by Ben Rector
from the album Magic
ReleasedMay 18, 2018
Genre Pop rock [1]
Length3:44
Label OK Kid
Songwriter(s) Ben Rector
Producer(s)
Music video
"Old Friends" on YouTube

"Old Friends" is a 2018 song by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector. It released as a single alongside "I Will Always Be Yours" on May 18, 2018, and is the fourth song on Rector's seventh studio album Magic , released on June 22, 2018 via OK Kid Recordings. The song is a reflective piece reminiscing on old friends and memories.

Contents

Rector was one part of the band Euromart in high school, one of his earliest musical experiences; the band consisted of Rector, Chris Wylie, Blake Studdard, Matt Wantland, and Austin Helm. Much later, inspired by a discussion with his mother about keeping up with old friends from high school, he would write "Old Friends" while being "flooded" with old memories and feelings of nostalgia. The associated music video for the song saw Euromart reunited, performing the song in Rector's childhood home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, released on June 8, 2018. "Old Friends" would be performed live and included in live albums from touring for Magic and later The Joy of Music , and is the title name of The Old Friends Acoustic Tour, where it was also performed.

Background

Euromart

Cain's Ballroom Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa OK USA - panoramio.jpg
Cain's Ballroom

In high school, Ben Rector was a part of a four-piece band during his attendance at the Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rector's home town. The band, Euromart, [lower-alpha 1] consisted of Rector on guitar and vocals, drummer Chris Wylie, bassist Matt Wantland, and guitarist Austin Helm. Rector, Wylie, and Wantland were 18 and attended Metro Christian Academy; Helm was 17 and attended Union High School. [2] [3] All four were seniors. Although not present at their first performance at a Battle of the Bands concert, Blake Studdard was also a part of the band on piano. At the time Rector was also performing as a solo act. All four of the members had been playing their instruments for multiple years, and formed a band together to compete in a Battle of the Bands competition held by Tulsa World magazine. The unique opportunity was the incentive to participate. [3] They had two practice sessions hosted in Wylie's game room where they recorded two songs: "Rome" and "Answers". During a lunch session they came across a store titled "Euro-Mart", a store that sold imported goods from Europe, and also where they "met a really nice Ukrainian guy with a beard, a leisure suit, everything" according to Wylie. They found the experience fascinating and decided to name the band after the store. [3]

The Battle of the Bands was held on February 12, 2005 at Cain's Ballroom. 47 bands participated and Euromart was selected to be among the seven finalists to perform. [4] Wantland, who was not at the lunch session where the name Euromart was coined, was unaware the band was his own when asked if it was. [3] Tulsa World specified Euromart had "a strong fan presence" at the event and noted that "Rector even managed to mix things up by dropping the guitar and jumping on the piano, an obvious crowd pleaser." [4] Euromart did not place; Xanadu, Three Godfathers, and Stoneface Norman were judged to be the top three, and Xanadu won both the grand prize and the People's Choice award. [3] In retrospect Rector could recall specifics about Xanadu's performance and looks on it fondly. [4]

The appearance at the event resulted in the band's recognition throughout the town, and they would record an extended play (EP) and continue to perform shows in Tulsa until the end of the school year. [4] [5] Following one more performance, the band separated when the members began attending college. Rector would continue writing music and performing during his attendance at the University of Arkansas. [5]

Concept and composition

Ben Rector in 2016 Ben Rector Performing a Live Performance at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.jpg
Ben Rector in 2016

Rector penned "Old Friends" after a conversation with his mother, [6] Bette Rector. [7] The conversation was about the importance of keeping up with one of Rector's best friends from high school, and his mother closed with saying "you know what they say, you can’t make old friends". [8] It inspired Rector to immediately sit down and begin writing the song, and was "flooded" with feelings of nostalgia and recalled memories from growing up. He missed both the feeling of childhood naivety as and the childhood friends he grew up with, [6] and got emotional writing the song. Although Rector noted that his feelings toward old friends might have been different had he not moved from Tulsa to Nashville, Tennessee, he explained that "it’s hard to replicate the relationships with people that have known you your whole life". It was a song he felt he could not write until recently, a point where he was truly an adult and reminiscing on the past. [4]

"Old Friends" is in the key of A-flat major, and uses a syncopation method that is driven by a full-time pattern but invokes the feeling of a half-time rhythm. [9] The lyrics of the song mention several memories of Rector with his childhood friends. For example, he mentions Wylie and Studdard, and noted memories of listening to Jimmy Eat World in Studdard's bench seat car. [6] The album from which "Old Friends" appears, Magic , discusses themes of reminiscing and nostalgia, [10] and Rector felt the song was a good introduction to the album. [6] Rector hopes the song inspires people to call their old friends. [6] The song is piano-driven. [6]

Release

In May 2018, Rector announced that his seventh studio album Magic would release on June 22. Ahead of the album Rector released two tracks, "I Will Always Be Yours" and "Old Friends", on May 18. [10] "Old Friends" premiered via Billboard . [6] Rector returned to Tulsa November 10, 2018, to perform a show at the Tulsa Theater, and felt pressure while performing because some people in the audience knew him personally from his past. [4] He was excited to sing the song on tour. [11] "Old Friends" was performed in his future touring efforts for Magic and The Joy of Music , and included on their respective live recording albums, Magic: Live from the USA and Live from Atlanta. [12] Rector's acoustic tour, The Old Friends Acoustic Tour, is also named after the song; the song was performed at the tour as a mashup with "Forever Young" by Alphaville. [13] [14]

Music video

The band members of Euromart performing in the music video. From left to right: Matt Wantland, Blake Studdard, Chris Wylie, Austin Helm, and Ben Rector. Ben Rector Old Friends Music Video.jpeg
The band members of Euromart performing in the music video. From left to right: Matt Wantland, Blake Studdard, Chris Wylie, Austin Helm, and Ben Rector.

A music video for "Old Friends" released on June 8, 2018. The music video is one moving shot of Rector performing alongside the band members of Euromart, in the garage of his childhood home in Tulsa. [15] His parents had moved out since then, [9] and it was the first time Euromart performed together in 13 years. [4] The recording was done in about 3 to 4 takes; one of the recordings was faulty because the spring on the camera stabilizer broke and the shot turned sideways. As the takes progressed, people in the neighborhood began to hear and notice the film crew and began gathering to spectate. [9]

In the music video was additional details about Rector's childhood and friendships. Displayed on the screen is a first-name list of women Wylie once dated; Rector insisted the list be included in the video, and Wylie agreed, although he had second thoughts later. [4] Other displayed text included a list of friends Rector has in the present day, followed by the same list asterisked of whether or not he's seen their parent's back porch. [16] He discussed how to approach this list with his wife Hillary, and she compared inviting people to a birthday party, and he also made the list relatively small simply for the aesthetic. He originally had the list be three names long, but he felt people would misinterpret this as him only having three friends. [9] The video closes with the text "now go call your old friends". [9] Rector is typically not a fan of doing music videos; about the music video for "Old Friends", Rector said, "getting to film that with those guys in my parents’ house was the most fun I have ever had getting to make a video, and it was just so fun to see them again and kind of get to relive hanging out together and playing music together. That was just a joy. It was such a fun day." [4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Earliest mentions of the band refer to the name as Euro-Mart, although it's referred to as Euromart in retrospect.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Light Orchestra</span> English rock band

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. From this point until their first break-up in 1986, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanson (band)</span> American pop-rock band

Hanson is an American pop rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, formed by brothers Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson, and Zac Hanson. Supporting members include Dimitrius Collins (guitar) and Andrew Perusi (bass), who have toured and performed live with the band since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Folds</span> American musician (born 1966)

Benjamin Scott Folds is an American singer-songwriter from Greensboro, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the eponymous frontman and pianist of the alternative rock trio Ben Folds Five from 1993 to 2000, and again during their reunion from 2011 to 2013. He has recorded a number of solo albums – the most recent of which, What Matters Most, was released in June 2023. He has also collaborated with musicians such as Regina Spektor, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and yMusic, and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with actor William Shatner and authors such as Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman. Since May 2017, he has been the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Studdard</span> American singer

Ruben Studdard is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of American Idol and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of "Superstar". In the years following Idol, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful, and the top-selling gospel follow-up, I Need an Angel. He is most well known for his recording career, which has produced hits including "Flying Without Wings", "Sorry 2004", and "Change Me", but he has also segued into television and stage work. Most notably, he starred as Fats Waller in a national tour revival of Ain't Misbehavin', which spawned a Grammy-nominated soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pretty Reckless</span> American rock band

The Pretty Reckless is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2009. The band consists of Taylor Momsen, Ben Phillips, Mark Damon (bass), and Jamie Perkins (drums). In August 2010, the band released their debut studio album, Light Me Up. The album spawned three moderately successful singles, most notably "Make Me Wanna Die". The band released the Hit Me Like a Man EP in early 2012. In March 2014, the band released their second studio album, Going to Hell, which included the singles "Heaven Knows" and "Messed Up World", both of which topped the US and UK rock charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asking Alexandria</span> English rock band

Asking Alexandria are an English rock band formed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and now based in York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarist Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Rector</span> American singer-songwriter

Benjamin Evans Rector is an American singer, songwriter and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has released seven studio albums, including Brand New (2015), which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, and Magic (2018), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart.

The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, formed in 2006. They are currently a duo consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich. During live performances, they are currently accompanied by touring members, including guitarist and backing vocalist AJ Peacox, bassist and backing vocalist Natalie Newbold, and bassist, guitarist and backing vocalist Erik Kase Romero.

<i>Something Like This</i> 2011 studio album by Ben Rector

Something Like This is the fourth studio album released by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector. It was his first album after graduating from the University of Arkansas and relocating from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Nashville, Tennessee. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums charts and No. 41 on the Billboard 200, and charted 1st on the Singer-Songwriter chart on iTunes and 4th overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10 Years (band)</span> American alternative metal band

10 Years is an American alternative metal band formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist Jesse Hasek, lead guitarist Brian Vodinh, rhythm guitarist Matt Wantland, bassist Chad Grennor, and drummer Luke Narey. The group has gone through multiple line-up changes since their inception, with Vodinh and Wantland being the only remaining founding members. To date, they have released ten studio albums, their most recent being Descontructed in 2022.

<i>The Walking in Between</i> 2013 studio album by Ben Rector

The Walking in Between is the fifth studio album released by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector, released in 2013. It was partly produced by Jamie Kenney and Charlie Peacock, and partially self-produced. It is the first release by Rector on his self-founded label, Aptly Named Recordings. In recent years Rector found his high levels of success to be overwhelming. He expected the success to satisfying, though found it instead in "walking in between" moments of daily life. This would inspire the direction of The Walking in Between. The album was built around accessibility and honesty in Rector's feelings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song for Someone</span> 2015 single by U2

"Song for Someone" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track from their thirteenth studio album, Songs of Innocence, and was released as its third single on 11 May 2015. It was produced by Ryan Tedder and Flood. Lyrically, "Song for Someone" is a love song dedicated by lead vocalist Bono to his wife Ali.

<i>Brand New</i> (Ben Rector album) 2015 studio album by Ben Rector

Brand New is the sixth studio album by Ben Rector. It was released on August 28, 2015. It is the second album he has released under his own record label, Aptly Named Recordings. The first single "Brand New" which was produced by Ed Cash & David Hodges, debuted at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and then peaked at number 9.

<i>Magic</i> (Ben Rector album) 2018 studio album by Ben Rector

Magic is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector, released on June 22, 2018 through OK Kid Recordings. Rector co-produced the album alongside Tony Hoffer, John Fields, Chad Copelin, Jeff Pardo, and Konrad Snyder. It was the longest gap between one of Rector's releases due to the success of the previous album, Brand New. After completing tours for Brand New Rector found time to reminisce on the progress of his music career, being overwhelmed by feelings of nostalgia. Themes of nostalgia and reminiscing would, as a result, be the theme of Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Rector discography</span>

The discography of American singer, songwriter and record producer Ben Rector consists of eight studio albums, three live albums, one compilation album, three extended plays (EP), sixteen singles and seventeen music videos. He has been featured on five songs and has credits on eight others.

<i>The Joy of Music</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Ben Rector

The Joy of Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector, released on March 11, 2022, through OK Kid Recordings. Rector co-produced the album with John Fields. The first draft of music was recorded in January 2020, but most of the album was scrapped and recorded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and completed in December 2020. The pandemic cancelled his ongoing tour at the time and withheld other deadlines, leaving Rector to focus exclusively on the album's creation.

<i>A Ben Rector Christmas</i> 2020 studio album by Ben Rector

A Ben Rector Christmas is a compilation studio album by American singer-songwriter Ben Rector, released on November 13, 2020, through OK Kid Recordings. It is a collection of popular Christmas songs, including "The Thanksgiving Song", an original piece based on the holiday of the same name; "The Thanksgiving Song" released October 27, 2020, and the album followed on November 13, 2020. Due to lockdowns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Rector had time to make and release a Christmas album with the lack of scheduled conflicts, ahead of his reworked studio album The Joy of Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Range Rover (song)</span> 2020 single by Devin Dawson and Ben Rector

"Range Rover" is the name of two songs by American singer and songwriters Devin Dawson and Ben Rector. The original draft was co-written by Dawson, Rector, and songwriter Mark Trussell, and two singles were released: Dawson's version in 2020, and Rector's version in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Old Friends Acoustic Tour</span> Concert tour by Ben Rector

The Old Friends Acoustic Tour is a 2020 and 2023 concert tour from American singer-songwriter Ben Rector. The original tour, featuring Cody Fry, was slated to perform throughout the first half of 2020, but enforced lockdowns amidst the growing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States saw the tour cancelled after 4 performances, compromising 12 concerts. The tour was later revived in 2023 featuring Jordy Searcy and Stephen Day, performing an additional 27 concerts. The concert is named after Rector's single "Old Friends".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Biggest Tour I Have Done So Far Tour</span> Concert tour by Ben Rector

The Biggest Tour I Have Done So Far Tour is a 2016 concert tour from American singer-songwriter Ben Rector. Aptly named, it was his largest tour at the time.

References

  1. 1 2 "Magic - Ben Rector". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  2. ↑ Osborn, Nathan (2005-02-18). "A night to remember". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Broyles, Allison (2005-01-28). "Battle of the Bands cooks up made-to-order Euro-Mart". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tramel, Jimmie (2018-10-21). "Old friends: Ben Rector goes down memory lane before hometown show at Brady Theater". Tulsa World . Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  5. 1 2 Hizer, G.K. (2012-03-22). "Urban Tulsa Weekly". Urban Tulsa Weekly. Vol. 21, no. 39. p. 40. Archived from the original on 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weatherby, Taylor (2018-05-18). "Ben Rector Announces New Album 'Magic,' Unveils Nostalgic Track 'Old Friends': Premiere". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  7. ↑ "Interview: Ben Rector Shows Hometown & What Inspired Him To Pursue Music". iHeart . November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ Walters, Grant (2018-06-21). "New Music We Love: Ben Rector's "Old Friends"". Albumism. Archived from the original on 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Alley, Rob (2021-10-06). "Old Friends (w Ben Rector)". The Good Song Podcast. Archived from the original on 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  10. 1 2 Shapiro, Rebecca; Evenson, Andrea (2018-05-18). "Ben Rector works 'Magic' with new album, out June 22". Shore Fire Media . Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  11. ↑ "Playlist: What's Ben Rector listening to?". USA Today . 2018-06-29. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  12. ↑ "Ben Rector - Live From Atlanta". 365 Days Of Inspiring Media. 2023-07-31. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  13. ↑ "From the Balcony: Ben Rector, Old Friends, and (Brand) New Magic". Music Scene Media. 2023-03-29. Archived from the original on 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  14. ↑ "Magic: Live from the USA". iHeart . 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  15. ↑ McDonnell, Brandy (2018-06-10). "Watch: Ben Rector returns to Oklahoma hometown and plays with his high school band in music video for 'Old Friends'". The Oklahoman . Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  16. ↑ "'Old Friends' by Ben Rector". Chucks Connection. Archived from the original on 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.