Archer Prewitt - In the Sun (1997)

Archer Prewitt, guitarist for The Sea and Cake and formerly of The Coctails, has released three albums and an EP under his own name.

Prewitt’s guitar work is integral to the sound of his other band, The Sea and Cake, as it is for his solo work. However, here on his own, Prewitt manages to find an entirely different tone and timbre. Compared to his previous releases, the songs on Wilderness are primarily spare with more focused and refined arrangements.

The nymph-like siren gazing from the cover of “Wilderness” is a pencil drawing by Archer. He describes her as being an incorruptible innocent; an omniscient “child of nature”. This fantastical female ties in with the idea present in many of his lyrics ? championing love above all else, even in life’s darkest time.

Prewitt’s art does not end there; in fact, he is quite an accomplished visual artist. The third issue of his Sof Boy comic was released in July by Drawn & Quarterly. The character has been licensed in Japan by Press Pop Gallery where they make Sof Boy dolls, rings, carry-bags and other assorted collector’s items. In addition to his comic work, Archer is a regular illustrator for the Chicago Reader and various periodicals. He has been included in the most recent McSweeney’s comic collection, edited by Chris Ware, and is part of the traveling comics show, “Raw, Boiled and Cooked”. Prewitt has had two gallery exhibitions of his original drawings and prints in the last year, and has a two-man show opening in Chicago this November with poster artist Jay Ryan.