Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-06-17
California musician and singer-songwriter Ken Burgan will release his new nine-track album, Somewhere Else, on June 26. Produced by his son, AFI bassist Hunter Burgan, the album explores mortality, desire, self-acceptance and the search for peace after a lifetime spent making and absorbing music.
The album’s single, “Down There,” blends alternative rock, blues and psychedelic pop. Hunter Burgan plays drums and bass throughout the record in addition to serving as producer.
WATCH THE “DOWN THERE” MUSIC VIDEO HERE
Ken Burgan has been playing music since the early days of rock and roll in the 1950s. More than seven decades later, his new album reflects both the music he has absorbed and the life he has lived.
Raised in the greater Los Angeles area, Burgan spent his high school years playing saxophone in Frank Zappa’s early band, The Boogie Men. By the early 1960s, he had become a fixture on the Los Angeles music circuit, performing with The Imposters and The Red Roosters. The groups also backed touring R&B artists including The Coasters, The Olympics and The Shirelles.
During the late 1960s, Burgan fronted several soul groups, including Montana Mule and Rock of Ajax.
His focus shifted toward songwriting during the 1970s, when he developed a style that combined wit, melancholy and an off-center view of everyday life. He signed with Blue Thumb Records and released his debut album, The Big Bow Wow Strain, in 1974.
Around the same period, Burgan’s composition “Sweetheart (Waitress in a Donut Shop)” was recorded by Dan Hicks. Maria Muldaur later recorded the song, which has since been covered by more than a dozen artists.
Burgan quickly recorded a follow-up album, but the project was never released after Blue Thumb Records changed ownership.
He continued performing and collaborating during the 1980s and 1990s, working with longtime friend John Girton in groups including The Pointless Sisters and The Meisters. Burgan also continued developing his eclectic songwriting style through unexpected arrangements and wry lyricism.
His independently released albums Moonbang, issued in 1998, and Real Reality, released in 2005, drew comparisons to Joe Jackson and Roxy Music.
Now in his 80s, Burgan returns with Somewhere Else, an album that bridges generations while remaining rooted in his distinctive musical sensibility.
The record draws inspiration from sources as varied as John Coltrane, T.S. Eliot, Camille Paglia and Johnny Cash. Burgan describes those influences as a “powerful placebo against existential stresses,” a sentiment that runs throughout the new material.
Somewhere Else is the expression of a lifetime steeped in rock and roll—living, listening, absorbing and eventually allowing it all to spill out. Like Burgan himself, the album is restless, reflective, adventurous and still very much alive.
