Chris Arthur is stepping into the spotlight with Underneath The Scar, a ten-song debut album. The record marks a major creative shift for the Buffalo-born, Southern California-based songwriter, who spent years working around the music industry without initially imagining himself as the artist at the center of a project. Following the end of a relationship, however, Arthur turned to songwriting as a way of making sense of the experience, recording a series of voice memos as the songs began to emerge.

The early recordings eventually caught the attention of one of Arthur’s closest friends, Eric Sanderson. Best known as the co-founder and multi-instrumentalist of New York band Augustines, Sanderson ultimately produced, recorded and mixed Underneath The Scar. His contribution was significant not only from a musical standpoint, but also because of the long personal history between the two musicians.

Arthur and Sanderson’s friendship spans more than 25 years. Arthur served as Tour Manager for Sanderson’s former band Pela and later worked alongside Augustines in various roles during the band’s rise between 2011 and 2016. He also appeared in Todd Howe’s award-winning documentary Rise: The Story of Augustines, giving him a connection to Sanderson that extended well beyond the studio. That familiarity proved crucial when Arthur began confronting the self-doubt and imposter syndrome that accompanied his transition into songwriting.

“Eric believed in what I was doing before I fully believed in myself,” Arthur says. His trust in Sanderson helped create the environment necessary for Arthur to approach the record openly, allowing the songs to retain the vulnerability that defined their creation. The album’s first single, “All That Glitters Isn’t Gold,” introduces a collection that follows the emotional aftermath of a relationship through grief, reflection and recovery, with the songs intentionally presented in the order they were written.

Underneath The Scar, ultimately represents a collaboration built on decades of friendship and a newfound willingness to take creative risks. Arthur’s acoustic-driven approach favors organic performances and emotional directness, while the album’s chronological structure preserves the immediacy of its origins. Rather than simply documenting heartbreak, the record captures Arthur discovering that the songwriting he once kept private could become the very thing that helped him move forward.

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