[Cover photo credit to Natalie Hoffman]

Psychedelic and Folk-influenced band Aquarian Blood released new album Counting Backwards Again last month via Blood & Wyatt / Beluga / Head Perfume. They have now set a tour to launch June 5, 2024. The single and video for “Cold Jet Steel” are out now.

The band’s J.B. Horrell overcame serious medical obstacles to continue playing guitar, teaching himself a new technique along the way, resulting in their current music.

He explains:

My range of motion in my right arm is severely limited due to muscle atrophy from the shoulder down. At first I couldn’t play guitar and I drank a lot and got depressed about it cuz I always loved to shred etc. So I had to re-learn to play guitar holding it between my legs vertically and resting my right arm on my right leg for support cuz no muscles to hold it up.

The group, consisting of J.B. Horrell (formerly of Ex-Cult) and Laurel Horrell (formerly of the Nots), have been inspired in part in their music by travels in the mountainous west. The Horrells made the lo-fi album in their home in Memphis, TN.

J.B. Horrell says about “Cold Jet Steel”:

We all see things, hear things, feel things, and experience things that are beyond our control, for better or worse. How we process and respond to those things defines us. We can’t control events but we can control how we react and move forward.

In addition to J.B. Horrell on vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums, bass, keys, synth, flute and Laurel Horrell on vocals, percussion, and harmonica, Counting Backwards Again features Keith Cooper (Nots, The Sheiks) on synth, Jesse James Davis (Model Zero) and Robbie Grant (Vending Machine, Mouserocket) on guitars, Michael Peery on percussion, and Jeremy Speakes on drums.

Aquarian Blood Tour Dates

Wed 6/5 – Dallas TX – Texas Theater (w/ Oblong Cassidy and His Space Horse)

Thur 6/6 – San Antonio TX – Faust Tavern

Fri 6/7 – Marfa TX – The Pony

Sat 6/8 – Tucson AZ – Wooden Tooth (w/ Lenguas Largas)

Sun 6/9 – San Diego CA – Tower Bar (w/ Spit Vipers)

Mon 6/10 – Los Angeles CA – Zebulon (w/ The Intelligence)

Tue 6/11 – San Pedro – The Sardine (w/ X-Eye)s

Wed 6/12 – Oakland – Thee Stork Club (w/ F**wolf, Freak No Hitter)

Thu 6/13 – San Francisco – The Knockout (w/ Colossal Yes)

Fri 6/14 – Arcata CA – Siren’s Song

Sat 6/15 – Portland OR – Turn!Turn!Turn! (w/ Dirty Twins, Potatoes)

Sun 6/16 – Olympia, WA – Le Voyeur (w/ Nudity)

Mon 6/17 – Missoula, MT – MUD

Tue 6/18 – Salt Lake City UT – International Artists Lounge (w/ Jacob Skeen)

Wed 6/19 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive (w/ Joe Sampson, Deva Yoder)

Thu 6/20 – Omaha, NE – Grapefruit Records (w/ David Nance)

Fri 6/21 – Kansas City KS – Hillsiders

Sat 6/22 – Carbondale IL – Booby’s (w/ Pet Mosquito, Hans Predator)