About Board of Transportation
DISTANCE has clearly proved no obstacle for producers and songwriters Luke Garfield & David Arnold who teamed up to deliver their first EP offering: “Seven Bridges of Königsberg“.
Garfield, who is based at Banana Llama Studios on the Gold Coast, and Arnold who lives and works from his loft-studio in Nashville have aptly titled their collaboration “Board of Transportation”.
The pair connected as Board of Transportation in 2009 after Garfield, who was living and working in Nashville, took a 50-second musical cue from a film score he was mixing for Arnold’s band, “The Champion and His Burning Flame“. He transformed this short “snippet” into a haunting track “The Veil”, which impressed Arnold so much, he had to add his own vocals to the mix.
The two joined forces to create a unique blend of baritone and tenor voices, hushed and powerful tones, and a signature melodic groove. They took turns singing and writing and “Board of Transportation” was born.
Inspired, they started working on their next song, “Lines and Powerlines” but when Garfield and his wife, discovered she was pregnant with their third child, Garfield decided to move back to Australia.
“We weren’t sure how our songwriting would continue when I moved to the Gold Coast but we were determined to continue working together” Garfield muses.
Leveraging the power of the internet to share musical ideas, he would start a musical idea, toss it across the ocean to Arnold, who would take inspiration, write his own parts and send the track back for Garfield to finish.
In this way they pieced together the five-track EP “Seven Bridges of Königsberg”.
The EP is a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments with a touch of the avante garde and atmospheric.
This is all glued together with solid grooves and strong melodies. Their sound compares to that of Radiohead, Massive Attack and other artists who use a similar blend of instruments and atmospheric leanings.
Both Arnold and Garfield are accomplished musicians: Arnold has played saxophone, drums but now opts for the guitar as he has always aspired to be a songwriter. Originally from Kentucky, Arnold moved to Nashville to pursue music and now works as a songwriter, film composer and novelist.
Garfield’s musical background began at the age of 10 when he learned guitar, started writing and playing his own music in high school, studied music composition but fell in love with production and recording during his time at university. In Nashville, Garfield worked as a producer/recording engineer and Arnold’s band was one of his first projects after arriving in the US.
Separated by thousands of leagues of ocean and in opposite hemispheres, Garfield and Arnold are still deeply inspired by the possibilities of Board of Transportation. Their first release has been met with very positive feedback so plans to start work on a follow up release in the not to distant future are in motion.
Lines & Powerlines
LINES & POWERLINES
By Luke Garfield
Trace the scar lines with your fingers
Press down on the broken skin the blood wells up under your nails
These broken bones and scattered starlight growing
These broken bones and shattered starlight growing
It’s so good to feel
It’s so good to feel
to hold
and enfold
Lines and powerlines, oh just let us feel
So much brick so much grey, A caged bird longs fly away
Your broken voice takes my static away
Your broken voice takes my static away
Because your hope finds me in unfamiliar places
White Tulip
WHITE TULIP
by Luke Garfield
It overwhelms me, feels like a warm blanket over my face
suffocating – screaming – burning stomach ache
Hope is so close but my eyes aren’t open yet
and I’m still drowning here in this daylight.
Cause I can see right through you
Cause I can see right through myself
I’m a liar with the best of them but I keep it to myself
You were never the enemy I want to breath in your thoughts
These things they can’t stay the same now that there’s no one to blame
Wind blow by my window sweep me out the door take me violently oh from here
I feel you wake me from a deep sleep a deeper peace
I flew the bridge and mountain such a distant longing
A dream breaking and now the ground is shaking
White Tulip Artwork Photography: Tony Warelius
Commandant
COMMANDANT
by David Arnold
Commandant, Iʼm trying to tell you (2x)
Iʼm trying to tell you where to set the trap to get that guy
I know you care, its under wraps but on supply
Ooh, I learned how to take it all
Take the bad with the good and fall
In line with the Diplomats, itʼs their call
If they never wanna catch him, he can make it all
The way to his home in that Northern sprawl
To his wife and his newborn daughter
Just donʼt listen to a word I say and it will work out just this way
Ooh, I learned how to give it all
Lay it down in this wooded hall
One foot in front of the other, now breathe
Watch your back, theyʼre there in the trees
Commandant, Iʼm trying to show you (2x)
Iʼm trying to show you all the tricks I know, I know Iʼm just a
Lowly doll dressed up for the show, but pardon sir
I have a plan to change this man, I know it can
I know its got to be this way
Yeah, to be this way
The Veil
THE VEIL
By Luke Garfield & David Arnold
Everything has changed, since I’ve been away
This is a different place
Is not happiness
Before the world began
You were and I am
They fell asleep then they stuffed their faces
Something we conjured from thin air
They all believed it, the fairy tail that
How can you claim that which isn’t yours
Sure I’ll probably change my mind
but it happens all the time
cynicism wracks my brain
false feelings like novacain
Face both my eyes to the sky
track feelings flying by
a waste land to call my own
it’s such a happy ending
They Are There
THEY ARE THERE
by David Arnold
my work
my work
cause they’re there
they’re there
they want me
they know
cause they’re there
these words upon words
(they’re there)
build a home
build a home
(deep the forest does go)
cause they’re there
they’re there
build a home
build a home
build a home
Album Art: “The Woodpile” by Joseph Conroy