Magnetic East finds Ben Vaughn teaming up with Americana rockers Deer Tick for a collaboration built on curiosity, trust, and a real shared love of music. The setup was refreshingly direct: Ben would sing, while the band handled the rest.

For an artist known for songwriting, musicianship, composing, producing, and broadcasting, that “just” opens up something new. Deer Tick, who covered Ben’s Too Sensitive For This World on their 2019 album Mayonnaise, brought him to John McCauley’s home studio in a Rhode Island mule barn to make the record.

McCauley’s wife, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, adds vocals to two songs. Produced by Ben Vaughn and Deer Tick, Magnetic East feels like a genuine meeting of minds and a new high point in Vaughn’s career.