Perpetual Groove’s Brock Butler Previews New All-Star Solo Project & Album With ‘Smile Again’ Single

Perpetual Groove frontman Brock Butler announced the launch of a new solo project, the Brock Butler Band. Butler provided the first taste of the BBB’s forthcoming self-titled debut album by sharing its powerful lead single, “Smile Again.”

The singer-songwriter and guitarist recruited a team of some of his favorite players and collaborators to record Brock Butler Band at Winston-Salem, North Carolina facility Ovation Sound. Butler is joined on the eight-song effort by Perpetual Groove bandmate Darren Stanley on drums, Gov’t Mule’s Kevin Scott on bass, Delvon Lamarr (Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio) on keys, Joe Marcinek (Joe Marcinek Band/Dead Funk Summit) and Isaac Hadden (Isaac Hadden Organ Trio) on guitar and Bailey Horsley on banjo and harmonica. Bill Stevens produced and engineered the album and plays piano on Brock Butler Band.

Bill Stevens enlisted his sister, talented singer Becca Stevens (Snarky Puppy, David Crosby), to provide vocals on and create the ethereal vocal arrangement for “Smile Again.” The new single also features Yarn’s Rick Bugel on upright bass. Additional guests on the upcoming record include Bugel’s Yarn bandmate Blake Christiana on electric guitar and Big Something’s Casey Cranford on alto sax.

Brock Butler and Becca Stevens’ voices blend beautifully on “Smile Again.” The song shows off a different side of Brock’s musicality than some of the harder-edged Perpetual Groove material for which Butler is best known.

“On this album, you will hear songs ranging from 10 years old to [those written] as recently as November. ‘Smile Again’ is the 10-year-old song of this lot,” Brock Butler tells JamBase. “I’ve tried to place it with PGroove solo, but with all these great players and Becca it found its footing as the song it was meant to be.”

Brock Butler Band arrives digitially on May 22 with vinyl available for pre-order now via Pour House Pressing. The group’s first confirmed gig is appearance at Yarn's Yarnival festival, which takes place October 16 – 18 at Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Virginia.

Scroll below for a full list of Brock’s dates with Perpetual Groove and the BBB.