Anthony began performing solo shows sometime in the mid-2000s, assuming the name Rick Redbeard due partly to its pirate connotations.
[1] A notable show during this early period was an appearance at the 2007 Connect Music Festival on the Yoursound Bandstand alongside other emerging Scottish acts such as Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad.
[2] As The Phantom Band gained popularity after the release of their debut album Checkmate Savage in 2009, his solo work remained in the background until June 2012 when Anthony released the track 'Now We’re Dancing' as a split 7" single Now We're Dancing/Vanishing Tanks with Adam Stafford on the Gerry Loves Records micro-label in Edinburgh.
Organised by Glasgow-based musician Robin Adams and inspired by the ongoing refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, the record will be released in June 2016 with proceeds from the sale going to the Migrant Offshore Aid Station in Malta.
It features a previously unreleased Rick Redbeard song called 'Postcards' along with new material from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Alasdair Roberts, Linda Thompson and others.