Exclusive video premiere of ‘Around the Bend’ [40th Anniversary Remastered Edition] by Love Tractor, out today via Propeller Sound Recordings.

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.

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.

Headline photo: Love Tractor | Photo by Curtis Knapp

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