Karmic Neighborhood Releases "Everybody Needs to Love" Ahead of Feature Film

Royal Oaks, CA (June 23, 2023) - Armand Ruby and Julian Colbeck of musical group Karmic Neighborhood are releasing a new ballad, “Everybody Needs to Love,” the third track in a series of singles for their upcoming feature film“Equinox the Musical.” This heartfelt ballad is on the mellow side but packs a powerful message. 

In the film, the song “Everybody Needs to Love” is a duet between the curmudgeonly Professor (vocals by Armand Ruby) and the compassionate café waitress, Amy (vocals by Ariel Thiermann). In the screenplay, the Professor complains about the homeless man sitting outside the café, and in reply, Amy shares her understanding that the man is a homeless veteran suffering from crippling PTSD. Amy's kindness opens the Professor’s heart to a more sympathetic view.

This song was inspired by real events. While working in an office in Davis, California, Armand would often see a scruffy guy sitting on the curb outside the Jack in the Box fast-food joint across the street. Just a quiet, somber-looking person, not the least bit frightening or offensive. One day Armand stopped on his way by and said hello, and impulsively asked the man if he’d like a sandwich, to which the man gratefully agreed. That first time, the man carefully cut the sandwich in half, poignantly saying he’d save the other half for later, showing Armand just how meaningful this small gesture of kindness had been. In that moment, Armand realized a fundamental truth - that being human means not just wanting to be loved, but also needing to love. 

The full preview soundtrack album for “Equinox the Musical” will be released on the fall equinox, Sept. 22, 2023.

The west coast-based team are strangers-turned-neighbors, turned rhythmic alt-pop collaborators. Armand Ruby and Julian Colbeck are two life-long musicians in their 60's who met by chance when they moved to the same neighborhood on the central California coast. Julian was formerly a London-based rock star and lifelong music industry veteran, while Armand was professionally an environmental scientist who stayed involved in music as a part-time musician and songwriter. Armand and Julian formed a strong bond through their shared passion for music and the painful yet hopeful life experience of surviving cancer. The two found inspiration within the harmony of their own respective life journeys and a mutual interest in musical innovation.

Like many creatives, Armand was a sensitive child. Growing up, this was of course a blessing and a curse, in the face of both the world’s beauty and its harshness. Throughout his childhood in the northeastern United States, Armand was aware that maintaining this sensitivity might be a challenge. So keeping this cherished inner life alive became a lifelong ambition – and it found expression through music and songwriting. Armand wrote his first little tune at the age of 11, and as a teenager began composing songs, something he’s continued to do throughout life. But his musical talent was matched by a proclivity for science, and a scholarship to an Ivy League university led to a career as an Environmental Scientist.

Still, Armand continued to be active musically: songwriting, recording demos, performing in rock bands no one’s ever heard of, leading small choral groups, and for several years even singing in a professional opera chorus. A breakthrough came in 2010-2011 with the writing of the book and songs for a musical stage play, “Equinox.” Directing the play in its brief but sold-out run in Santa Cruz California was, according to Armand, “both the most difficult and most rewarding experience of my life.” With Equinox, Armand finds himself working at the creative intersection of art and social activism – shining a new light on the often out-of-sight homeless population and the many ways people can become homeless, through story and music. Another breakthrough came while working to convert the Equinox stage play into a feature-length musical film screenplay. Moving in 2019 to the rural Monterey Bay area community of Royal Oaks, Armand found that one of his neighbors, Julian Colbeck, was an experienced music arranger, producer and keyboardist.

Armand and Julian teamed up as Karmic Neighborhood to produce a ‘preview soundtrack’ album of the songs from “Equinox the Musical,” being released worldwide by Fresh Noise Distro in 2023. As a precursor to making the Equinox feature film, in 2021 Armand wrote and directed the short musical film, “I Said I Will,” featuring the song “I Don’t Want to Walk Away,” produced by Colbeck and Ruby. The film won several awards at film festivals, including for Best Soundtrack, Best Original Score, and Best Music Video.

Julian Colbeck grew up in the south of England, where he learned how to play the piano and ultimately pursued his dreams of being in a London-based rock ‘n’ roll band in his late teens. Julian’s music career took off with the band Charlie, with whom he scored several US Top 40 singles including “Watching TV” and “LA Dreamer.” Over the span of a 40-year career, Julian worked and toured as a keyboard player/producer with Yes alumni group Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, Charlie, John Miles, and more. In 2008 Julian began work with his long-time friend, Alan Parsons, on the award-winning instructional video series: Alan Parsons’ The Art & Science Of Sound Recording. Julian also has written for many esteemed music industry publications and has authored many music and music technology books. Beginning in late 2019, and interrupted by intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer, Julian saw something of value in his neighbor Armand Ruby’s songwriting and his Equinox film project and worked as an arranger, co-producer, and keyboardist on the Equinox preview soundtrack recordings. Armand and Julian's collaboration on this work led to the production of their recent release, the radio remix of “I Don’t Want to Walk Away,” followed by the current series of singles from Equinox the Musical. Karmic Neighborhood's new single from Equinox the Musical, “Everybody Needs to Love” is now available on all streaming platforms!