‘Around the Bend’ 40th Anniversary Reissue by Love Tractor | ‘Paint (Your Face and Stand in the Corner)’
Exclusive video premiere of ‘Paint (Your Face and Stand in the Corner)’ by Love Tractor, taken from the upcoming 40th Anniversary reissue of ‘Around the Bend,’ out September 1 via Propeller Sound Recordings.
It is no act of misguided hyperbole to declare the genre-bending, art rock pioneers, Love Tractor, one of the most influential bands of the past 43 years. As one of the architects of the Athens, Georgia scene and sound, Love Tractor along with Pylon, The B-52’s, and R.E.M. were essential in staking out the jangly and disco-driven rock that would have — and still has—a huge influence on subsequent generations. Of those bands, Love Tractor always stood out as the most artistically brave and willing to fail in order to succeed.
Love Tractor was founded in 1979 by art students Armistead Wellford, Mike Richmond, and Mark Cline as a vehicle to entertain their art school pals in the then backwater college town of Athens. Love tractor first performed at a house party in 1980 at the infamous “Pylon Park” — a rambling and decrepit Victorian house buried on the back of two acres of land and inhabited by members of Pylon, (hence the name) and Love Tractor. Rocking, drunken, drugged house parties were par for the course with Athens’ art students and fitted nicely with the conceptual art movement popular at the time. Kit Swartz (the Side Effects) and Bill Berry (R.E.M.) Shared drumming duties.
Love Tractor’s innovative debut self-titled album, released in 1981 (while the band members were still in university), was an instant classic, 100% instrumental. Alfredo Villar, of the seminal Atlanta band The Fans, was brought in to add synths, pianos, and string arrangements.
In 1983, Love Tractor released their second album, ‘Around the Bend,’ which was accompanied by a popular MTV video for the song ‘Spin Your Partner’. The album showcased the band’s growth and evolution, incorporating vocals and other experimentations to enhance their sound. Again, Alfredo Villar was brought in to add synths, pianos, and string arrangements. ‘Around the Bend’ was well-received critically and commercially— topping the college charts, and solidifying Love Tractor’s place in the alternative music landscape. At the same time Love Tractor began 10 years of dedicated touring, gone were the days of one-off shows and mini tours.
In 1984, Love Tractor released ‘Til the Cows Come Home,’ an EP which featured the alternative chart-topping song ‘Neon Lights’. The EP showcased the band’s ability to create catchy, danceable tracks that were still rooted in their post-punk and art-rock sensibilities. The song was a radio break-through garnering the band international attention. Andrew Carter took over on drums when Kit Swartz left for grad school.
‘This Ain’t No Outer Spaceship,’ Love Tractor’s first fully vocal album, produced by Pat Irwin and released in 1986 on Bigtime/RCA records was a major departure from the band’s earlier post-punk, art-rock sound. The album featured a new focus on song craft — evident on the popular tracks ‘Beatle Boots,’ ‘Small Town’ and ‘Cartoon Kiddies’. The album further showcased Love Tractor’s ability to evolve their sound and incorporate new influences, such as R&B, folk and narrative driven lyrics. The album received rave reviews and helped cement Love Tractor’s status as one of the pioneers of the Athens music scene.
Love Tractor’s fifth album, ‘Themes from Venus,’ was produced by famed producer and musician (Let’s Active), Mitch Easter and released in 1988.
In 1995, Love Tractor emerged from a three-year absence from touring and embarked on ‘The Sky at Night’. Like a Proustian madeleine, this album became a means of rekindling memories and refining their signature sound. The project quickly expanded beyond its original scope and became a journey of rediscovery. Doug Stanley (The Glands) became a member of Love Tractor in ’95.
After numerous revisions, ‘The Sky at Night’ was finally released in 2001 on Razor and Tie. The album showcased the band’s continued relevance in the alternative music scene with a more mature sound still deeply rooted in their post-punk and art-rock sensibilities. Like a long-awaited taste of a perfectly baked madeleine, the avant-garde album provided a satisfying and nostalgic experience for fans, while also serving as a testament to Love Tractor’s evolution as a band.
Love Tractor is currently at work on an album of new material and is in the midst of rereleasing their back catalog on Propeller Sound Recordings. Love Tractor has played live periodically since 2016 with Andrew Carter and Joe Rowe (The Glands) on drums and Bill Berry playing Keyboards and acoustic guitar on a few songs. In January 2023, Love Tractor rejoined their pals The B-52’s for the final show of their final tour in Athens.
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