海角大神

Joseph Arthur ignores the adage, 鈥淣ever meet your heroes.鈥� The songwriter has not only befriended many of his favorite artists, he鈥檚 also created music with many of them.

One example is R.E.M.

When a much younger Mr. Arthur moved to Atlanta, R.E.M.鈥檚 鈥淩eckoning鈥� album took up permanent residence in his car. Years later, when he emerged as a successful songwriter, R.E.M. became aware of him. Bassist Mike Mills joined his backing band for a tour. Singer Michael Stipe covered his song 鈥淚n the Sun.鈥� And guitarist Peter Buck teamed up with Mr. Arthur for a side project. The duo鈥檚 second album, 鈥淎rthur Buck 2,鈥� debuts Oct. 3.

Mr. Arthur says that, while it was all happening, it came to feel normal 鈥渨eirdly quickly.鈥� In retrospect, he thought, 鈥溾�榃ow, I can鈥檛 believe that happened.鈥欌��

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really put anyone on a pedestal now, but at the same time, I鈥檓 in awe of people鈥檚 talent,鈥� says Mr. Arthur, whom the Monitor interviewed twice via Zoom.

When it comes to songwriting, he believes that the ego, if unchecked, can dam up the wellspring of creativity. To hear him tell it, Mr. Arthur has undertaken a difficult journey 鈥� including struggles with addiction 鈥� to come at songwriting as a spiritual practice. Now it鈥檚 about getting out of the way and channeling divine inspiration. That鈥檚 how he wrote sheets of lyrics for the bed of melodies that Mr. Buck sent him. The result is what Mr. Arthur calls a 鈥渇un rock 鈥榥鈥� roll record,鈥� a contrast to the serious solo material that set him apart from the beginning.

鈥淗e was continuing that sort of a tradition of being the songwriter who really knew how to write a well-crafted, solid, memorable song,鈥� says David Browne, a senior writer at Rolling Stone. 鈥淚 can totally see why people like Stipe and [Coldplay鈥檚] Chris Martin and others would respect him for his songwriting, because he still seems like one of the last people who was trying to do that.鈥�

Mr. Arthur鈥檚 career got its start thanks to another of his heroes. Unbeknownst to him, someone passed along his demos to Peter Gabriel. The famous singer immediately wanted to sign Mr. Arthur to his record label. He called and left a voicemail; a disbelieving Mr. Arthur initially thought it was a prank. The neophyte musician, then working at an Atlanta guitar store, traveled to New York to play an 鈥渁udition鈥� gig. No one told him that Mr. Gabriel was bringing Lou Reed to the show.

鈥淚 went into the bathroom at the Fez and I got on my knees and prayed. I was so terrified,鈥� says Mr. Arthur. 鈥淭hen I went out to dinner with him and Lou afterwards. ... It was a fairy-tale story.鈥�

鈥淎rt seems to be revelatory in nature鈥�

The artist鈥檚 1997 debut, titled 鈥淏ig City Secrets,鈥� featured repeat knit stitch patterns of acoustic guitar. It bore the influence of Nirvana. Incorporating elements of grunge and hip-hop beats, he forged lyrically gritty folk music that was more urban than pastoral. His solo performances, which utilized pioneering sampling technology, were a sensation.

鈥淗e would play something on the guitar and loop it and create this whole soundscape around him,鈥� says Mr. Browne. 鈥淚 remember at one point he [lay] down on the stage on his back and he had a glass of water and he just started spitting the water up out of his mouth. Maybe he was looping that sound, too, because by the end I thought, 鈥極kay, this guy is not your typical troubadour.鈥欌��

Mr. Browne, then writing for Entertainment Weekly, crowned Mr. Arthur鈥檚 followup, 鈥淐ome to Where I鈥檓 From,鈥� the best album of 2000. The next three records were similarly acclaimed. But Mr. Arthur鈥檚 artistic wheels became wobblier. Sometimes they even fell off. A reviewer for Pitchfork was aghast at the 鈥減recipitous drop in quality鈥� between the artist鈥檚 earlier work and his 2007 album, 鈥淟et鈥檚 Just Be.鈥�

鈥淎rt seems to be revelatory in nature. It鈥檚 coming from someplace higher than the ego,鈥� says Mr. Arthur. 鈥淚f you make art from the ego鈥檚 operating system, it鈥檚 very limited. ... There鈥檚 a lot of effort in it. It鈥檚 not as fun. It鈥檚 not as punk rock. It鈥檚 not as groovy. It鈥檚 not as genius.鈥�

The rock star had been struggling with addictions. He was trying to stay afloat inside a deep well of insecurity. Years later, he got sucked into a YouTube culture that celebrated narcissistic personality disorder. He bought into the idea of cutting off contact with people whom you believe to be toxic. In his case, it was family members.

鈥淚 was letting anger and judgment be sort of my engine,鈥� says the songwriter. 鈥淚 thought I was right, and I wasn鈥檛 looking at the log that was in my own eye. I was looking at splinters that were in everybody else鈥檚 eyes.鈥�

What saved him, and helped him repair his relationship with his parents, was discovering the Ho鈥檕ponopono mantra: 鈥淚 love you. I鈥檓 sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.鈥� He renewed a spiritual connection that dates back to when he began praying to God as a child. His parents weren鈥檛 religious, so the young boy persuaded his grandmother to take him to church. Prayer has once again become central to his life and songwriting discipline.

It starts with waking early to meditate. When he鈥檚 not looking after his young daughter, whom he co-parents with his former girlfriend, he often sets out on a predawn hike of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. The goal of that daily routine 鈥� which is contingent upon resisting the tempting distractions of his phone 鈥� is to connect with God. Each person鈥檚 consciousness is a spiritual battlefield, he says. His fight is to quell the internal conversations of the ego, which offers an illusory sense of identity.

鈥淭here鈥檚 sort of a unification with God or God鈥檚 love; you can actually start resonating with that frequency,鈥� says the 海角大神, who is wary about coming across as preachy. 鈥淵ou realize that what Jesus said about the kingdom of heaven being within is really true. And to explore that kingdom becomes really the main thrust of your life.鈥�

Current goal: Light and love

As a result of getting 鈥渄ecimated by the ego,鈥� Mr. Arthur has a fresh outlook of gratitude and humility. During a recent show in London, he invited his original benefactor, Mr. Gabriel, onto the stage. Before they sang together, the veteran singer declared that Mr. Arthur is 鈥渙ne of the greatest songwriters of our time.鈥� The stage鈥檚 purple lighting hid his prot茅g茅鈥檚 blushes. After a pause, Mr. Arthur turned to Mr. Gabriel and said, 鈥淭hank you so much. Right back at you.鈥�

Mr. Arthur says he feels like a different person to the one who wrote his earlier albums, even the lauded 鈥淐ome Back World鈥� in 2019. He鈥檚 proud of 鈥淎rthur Buck 2鈥� and the way it showcases Mr. Buck鈥檚 singular guitar hooks and arrangements. And he鈥檚 fired up about his 15th solo album, due for release next year.

鈥淚鈥檓 concerned with offering my light and my love, helping other people find their light and their love,鈥� says the musician. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my real motive these days.鈥�