Matthew Houck has convened a new lineup for taking his upcoming Phosphorescent record, Muchacho, on the road. Unlike many of his earlier songs, which lent themselves well to solo or full-band form, bringing the orchestral backdrop on new single “Song For Zula” to the stage called for a fresh approach. In this case that means a pair of synthesizers in place of strings, subdued live drums for the studio’s sampled percussion, and Houck sans his trusty old Fender electric until the outro. The result pays the tune’s studio version justice while finding its poignant center in a new, less intimate setting. Watch the band unveil their take live at John Varvatos’ Bowery shop in NYC — aka the former location of CBGB — above.
