Karmic Neighborhood Drops New Surf-Rock Track "Living Loving"

Royal Oaks, CA (August 25, 2023) - Armand Ruby and Julian Colbeck of musical group Karmic Neighborhood releases the sixth and final single of the preview soundtrack for their upcoming feature film Equinox the Musical. Equinox is the story of two homeless young lovers who discover that forgiveness, gratitude and love can be the keys to navigating life’s most challenging circumstances. The full Equinox the Musical preview soundtrack album will be released on the fall equinox, Sept 23, 2023.

The new Surf-Rock song, “Living Loving” officially launches on Friday, August 25. This track heavily taps into surf punk culture, diving into themes of joy and ebullience in celebration of what it means to be alive. This light-hearted tune will play during the film credits, providing the audience with some relief after experiencing the emotionally-charged ending of the film.

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.