Tony McGuinness from Above & Beyond to Release Rock Album Recorded 30 Years Ago

Above & Beyond‘s Tony McGuinness wasn’t always an international headliner.

Before finding success in the trance world with bandmates Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamäki, McGuinness was a rock artist inspired by legends like Steely Dan and The Beach Boys. These influences led to his solo rock album, Salt.

Despite spending six months recording nine tracks, McGuinness stored the album away for almost 30 years. Now, after two decades of success with Above & Beyond and their label Anjunabeats, McGuinness is finally ready to release Salt.

This week, McGuinness released the album’s lead single, “Biker Babe.” The song’s blend of bittersweet lyrics and sunny guitar riffs brings back memories of summertime drives when parents controlled the radio, long before Spotify.

McGuinness shared that “Biker Babe” was inspired by a brief romance with an American girl in the 90s. He imagined placing himself and his muse into the world of David Lynch’s TV show Twin Peaks. “That’s where the mention of The Roadhouse comes from, and I ran with that idea to the end,” he explained. “I knew she would have to return to America because she had no visa, and she had an apartment there she didn’t want to lose.”

McGuinness also released another single, “Babydoll White,” which might sound familiar to fans of his deep house side project, Fingerprint. He remixed this unreleased rock track for Anjunadeep in 2020. Now, with help from Bob Bradley, fans can hear the original 90s version.