Ben Vaughn & Deer Tick’s ‘Magnetic East’ Drops Oct 30

Photo credit: Shana Cassidy

The 10-track Yep Roc release pairs Vaughn’s original songwriting with fresh arrangements and backing from the Rhode Island Americana rockers.

Ben Vaughn and beloved Rhode Island Americana alt-rockers Deer Tick will release their collaborative album, Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions, on Friday, October 30 via Yep Roc Records, preceded by the lead single “Imitation Wood Grain”

Thoughtfully Crafted Collaboration

Produced jointly by Vaughn and Deer Tick, the 10-track record pairs Vaughn’s original songwriting with fresh arrangements and full instrumental backing provided entirely by the band. The project highlights an unconventional recording setup: Vaughn set aside his traditional contributions as guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer to strictly handle lead vocals. During the sessions in Rhode Island, Vaughn spent time in the control room reading the local Providence newspaper while Deer Tick crafted the arrangements, hearing the completed backing tracks for the first time during the first takes.

Deer Tick frontman John McCauley shared that the band was honored to participate as long-time fans of Vaughn’s songwriting, while Vaughn praised the thrill of hearing his compositions come to life through an unexpected perspective.

“Imitation Wood Grain” Audio

40+ Years of Music History

This release arrives alongside a wider retrospective celebrating Vaughn’s 40+ years in music, which includes a deluxe expanded reissue of Ween’s 1996 album 12 Country Greats, an iconic project that Vaughn produced. The release also marks Vaughn’s first record label partnership in over two decades, joining Yep Roc Records. Yep Roc co-owner Glenn Dicker highlighted a fan relationship with Vaughn spanning decades, pointing to Vaughn’s 1990s production work on several Los Straitjackets records as part of his long history of pushing creative boundaries.

Early Radio Buzz & Release Details

Early radio support for the project is already building across the airwaves. WXPN recently premiered “When Love Returns,” while SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage has been exclusively playing “Look What The Cat Dragged In” on Palmyra’s Trash Pop Shindig.

The 10-song tracklist also features highlights like “Danish Modern,” “Rain Songs,” “Rock Bottom,” and “Somebody Don’t Love Somebody”. Magnetic East captures the pull of Vaughn’s East Coast roots and stands as a testament to the shared musical obsession between Vaughn and Deer Tick, who also reunited in Rhode Island this summer to perform together at the Newport Folk Festival.

The album can be preordered and pre-saved here.