Buxton – A Family Light
Buxton – A Family Light
Format: CD – Vinyl LP
Label: Strolling Bones – V2 BeNeLux
Release: 2023
Release date: September 15, 2023
Buxton came into the Houston music scene in the early 2000’s and kind of never left. Slowly developing a blend of Americana and rock that didn’t have a large presence in the ecosphere at that time. After a pair of self released records, the band signed to New West Records in search of a wider audience, with the records Nothing Here Seems Strange, Half A Native and Stay Out Late.
In 2003, Sergio Trevino and Chris Wise were living in La Porte, TX, a small town outside of Houston surrounded by chemical plants and the ship channel. For reasons unknown there was a healthy counterculture in the La Porte area, spawning legendary noise artist B L A C K I E and rock genius’ Giant Princess. Adding Jason Willis, the soon to be band began tossing ideas around and formed a somewhat shaky foundation on the sound to come. In an effort to find inspiration beyond their hometown, the three moved to downtown Houston right as their contemporaries were also trying to find their audience in the local music scene. Making friends with label mates, Wild Moccasins as well as Young Mammals and The Tontons.
After many, many, many poorly attended shows, Buxton had really begun to hone in their sound and signed with a local label who helped produce their record A Family Light. Recorded entirely in houses split between The Heights and Kingwood, producer Reggie O’Farrell helped dial in and refine a collection of nearly 40 demos. The result was, to the band, a surprisingly cohesive album, released in 2008. Propelled further by a glowing review from the revered Houston writer John Nova Lomax, the band also began to sell CDs.
A stark difference from the piles of boxes left by their previous self-released album Red Follows Red. As a result, they brought Justin Terrel to permanently fill in for drums.
Now a bit older, the band went into Sugar Hill Studios to record a single: the anthemic, cosmic gumbo of a song Feathers. Self released on a 7” in 2009, the band started to see larger crowds and were able piggy back off of that success to record their next full length at Sugar Hill. In a painstaking process, lasting over a year, the band finished and caught the ear of George Fontaine Sr. who would then sign them to New West Records.
To recreate the soundscape for Nothing Here Seems Strange the band then brought on Austin Sepulvado and began touring for the better part of 8 years. After releasing 2 more albums, Half A Native and Stay Out Late, the band decided in 2019 to take a break and seek life outside of Buxton.
Nonetheless, the group stayed in contact throughout and were approached by Strolling Bones Records to remaster and release their out of print debut A Family Light for the first time on vinyl to celebrate the album’s 15 year anniversary. Remastered by Chris Longwood (Khruangbin, Shinyribs, Blaggards, The Suffers) the record represents a place in time, and further embodies a core group of friends that dedicated a large portion of their life to building and creating something together. A Family Light, although a bit on the nose, is a celebration of friendship and the classic pursuit of being in a band, and seeing where it can take you.
Website: https://www.buxtonband.com/
Tracks:
1. Mane Of Gold
2. Westward
3. Flame
4. Bones
5. Each Horse With A Name
6. Holy Water Revival
7. Blood On The Streets
8. Mothers
9. Joseph Collins
10. Lead Skin
11. Shake Your Hand
12. Living Room
13. Feathers
14. Flint