Garrett Anthony Rice ignites the fuse on new single 'Purple Man (For Jimi)'

Photo: Karin Janssen Photography

There’s something electrifying about a song that doesn’t just reference its heroes but wrestles with them instead. On 'Purple Man (for Jimi), Garrett Anthony Rice steps into the arena with a six-string slung low and a clear understanding of the lineage he’s engaging.

From the first surge of guitar, 'Purple Man (for Jimi)' establishes its pulse. The riff anchoring the track, looping with a muscular insistence that feels both classic and freshly minted. There’s an unmistakable late-60s psych-blues spirit humming beneath the surface, yet he filters it through his own modern sensibility.

What makes the track compelling is its control. Rather than drowning the mix in virtuoso fireworks, Rice keeps the focus tight. The groove locks in, bass and drums creating a sturdy backbone that allows the guitar to roam without drifting into indulgence.

Vocally, he strikes a fascinating balance between reverence and independence. There’s a looseness to his phrasing, a sense that he’s inhabiting the rhythm rather than chasing it. The melody rides the riff instead of competing with it, giving the track a seamless propulsion. It feels instinctive, as though the song wrote itself in one inspired burst, yet beneath that spontaneity lies craftsmanship.

Lyrically and thematically, 'Purple Man (For Jimi)' reads like a tribute reframed. Instead of mythologising the past, the artist honours the iconography of psychedelic rock while sidestepping nostalgia’s traps. The result is a track that feels grounded in history but alive in the present.

As a glimpse of the forthcoming Equinox double album, 'Purple Man (For Jimi)' signals an artist who understands scale, ambition, and restraint in equal measure. Garrett Anthony Rice stands tall beside the legends that came before him; plugged in, turned up, and fully himself.