Fender Re-Creation: Black Pumas’ Eric Burton Performs "Confines"

Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada each began their musical journeys over a thousand miles away from each other, but when they came together in Austin and formed Black Pumas, it was a match that seemed to be fate.

Burton was raised in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley and started busking at the Santa Monica Pier, eventually making his way to Texas to further pursue his aspirations. Quesada had been in Austin for about two decades at that point, playing with various bands (including the GRAMMY® Award-winning Grupo Fantasma) and writing his own music.

But Quesada was also looking for a collaborator, and after the two met through a mutual friend, a fruitful partnership was born.

Burton’s powerful voice meshed perfectly with the bluesy, soulful, psychedelic rock tracks Quesada was working on, and soon, studio sessions turned into a self-titled debut album, a relentless touring schedule and even four Grammy nominations over the past two years.

One of the songs that helped catapult Black Pumas towards massive radio exposure and tastemaking playlists on all streamers is “Colors,” which Burton chose to perform in this episode of Fender’s Re-Creation series.

Flying solo inside Austin’s Sahara Lounge, Burton picked up an American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster to add a lush acoustic vibe to the tune, perhaps bringing it back to his days of busking on the city’s famed corner of 6th and Congress.

The result shows Burton’s special relationship with the guitar, as he uses it as a tool of creation and expression.

“When I pick up a guitar, it feels really cool, very liberating,” he said. “It feels like I could paint whatever I would like to paint without the pressures of society, or social constructs. Freedom is what it feels like.”

Watch Burton perform “Confines” with the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster in the video above. Shop the American Acoustasonic series here.