California-Based Musical Duo Karmic Neighborhood Launch New Single "That's Me"

Royal Oaks, CA (August 4, 2023) - Armand Ruby and Julian Colbeck of musical group Karmic Neighborhood continue their pre-album releases with the new alternative rocker, “That’s Me,” the fifth track in a series of singles from the Equinox the Musical preview soundtrack. Equinox is the story of two homeless young lovers who discover - during the course of one tumultuous day - that forgiveness, gratitude, and love can be the keys to navigating life’s most challenging circumstances. This track touches upon themes of resilience, perseverance, and hopefulness while facing a major crossroads in life. “That’s Me” is an upbeat, rock-adjacent tune, reminiscent of the Blues Brothers’ version of “Theme from Peter Gunn” or Weezer’s “Hash Pipe.”

Many of us may never have to face a moment in life where we literally don’t know where to turn. We have to make choices, sure, but we usually have options. Imagine facing a crossroads without any obvious path forward, and no option to go back from where you came – yet nevertheless forward you must go.

In the Equinox screenplay, the main character, Jason, leaves his beloved Katie behind and heads out into the unknown with his backpack, guitar, and an old suitcase. In “That’s Me,” he demonstrates his vulnerability and perseverance in that moment, as he puts the bravest face he can on his plight, singing, “Every place that I arrive, that’s me on the other side.”

Having lost the comfort of a place to call home, he’ll now have to rely on himself to reorient on the other side of wherever he’s going. As he goes, he has to acknowledge his past mistakes, without wanting to be defined by them. And in the bigger picture of who he truly is, “the other side” also can refer to a transcendent reality and an identity that lives beyond the realm of the senses.

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

Karmic Neighborhood’s Armand Ruby and Julian Colbeck, the core duo behind Karmic Neighborhood, have taken very different paths to the present moment. The west coast-based team are two lifelong musicians who met by chance when they moved to the same neighborhood on the central California coast. Julian began his career as a London-based keyboardist and is an accomplished, lifelong music industry veteran, while Armand worked professionally as an environmental scientist in the U.S. and 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 their painful yet hopeful life experiences of surviving cancer. The two rhythmic alt-pop collaborators 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. 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. From that auspicious meeting arose the musical partnership known as Karmic Neighborhood.

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.