Field Trip: Pickathon Preview 2019

It’s getting hot in Texas, so there’s no better time to hit the road in search of cooler temperatures and fantastic music. We will be heading back up to Happy Valley, Oregon for another year of Pickathon. The festival turns 21 this year and boasts its most eclectic lineup to date.  Whether you are into doom metal, bluegrass, tuareg guitar, Texas honky tonk or good old fashioned rock-n-roll, Pickathon has you covered. Here are a few don’t miss acts this weekend. 

Phosphorescent || Mt. Hood Stage, Pickathon 2018. Photo by Miri Stebivka photo via Facebook.com/pickathon

Bonny Light Horseman

Treeline Stage (Thur) 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Lucky Barn (Sat) 11:20- 12:20 PM 

Bonny Light Horseman will make their Pickathon debut this year, but fans of the festival will be quick to recognize that they’ve seen these folks before. Comprised of Eric D. Johnson (Fruitbats), Josh Kaufmann (Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter, Bob Weir), and Anaïs Mitchell (who we caught all the way back at Pickathon in 2010, but more recently she’s been known for the treasure trove of Tony Awards that her production of Hadestown took home this year). This collaboration should not be missed.

Cordovas

Mt. Hood Stage (Fri) 3:50 - 4:50 pm

Galaxy Barn (Sat) 8:20- 9:20 pm

Hailing from Nashville, this band has been winning over fans with their mix of southern cosmic country, harmonies, and live show since 2011. After years of touring and a few independent releases, they were signed to ATO records and enlisted Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids to produce That Santa Fe Channel last fall.

The Richard Swift Hex Band 

Galaxy Barn (Sat) 11:40 - 12:40 AM 

The music community bore an incredible loss with the untimely death of Richard Swift last summer. The former Shins member had a terrific solo career and was a successful producer for the likes of Foxygen, Guster, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. An all-star band featuring Jonathan Rado (Foxygen) and Eric Slick (Dr. Dog) will feature no shortage of special guests. When we saw this set on the schedule, it was a no-brainer!

Mountain Man

Starlight Stage (Thurs) 10:15-11:15 PM

Woods Stage (Fri) 4:20 - 5:20 PM 

We’ve spent a fair amount of time with Mountain Man over the last year. You could hear a pin drop during our sessions with them in Luck Mansion parlor, and we are excited to catch their set at Pickathon. We will make our way to the woods to surround ourselves with nature and their brilliant harmonies. 

Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band

Mt. Hood Stage (Thurs) 8:10 -9:50 PM

Woods Stage (Fri) 9:20 -12:20 AM 

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bassist is bringing a new generation of artists--and the songbook of the Grateful Dead--to Pickathon. Need we say more? 

This is really just the tip of the iceberg. We will be checking out a whole bunch of new friends and sets from many #luckfamily artists like Lucius, Cedric Burnside, Courtney Marie Andrews, Tyler Childers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Gold Star, and Nathaniel Rateliff (who is doing sets both with The Night Sweats and solo). Congratulations on turning 21, Pickathon -- we’ll buy you a round when we get there! 

For more information about the festival, visit www.pickathon.com.

The Medium - "Good ol' Days" Official Video Premiere

Take a look at Nashville-based The Medium’s video for their latest release “Good ol’ Days” from their upcoming album “Get It While It’s Hot”. Opening with the four pieces all in their own respective squares, a lá The Brady Bunch, they introduce us into their sitcom-on-acid world complete with insect-ridden dinners, matching outfits, and a nutty doctor. The video, directed by Daniel Yocum, takes on a satirical point of view on nostalgia, shot all in black and white with a handful of wacky characters all seemingly a bit off their rockers.

"The song was inspired by our friends from a couple years back,” the band’s Shane Perry shared, “It's maybe a bit tongue-in-cheek because it sounds like a bygone pop-rock genre and acknowledges itself in the title, referencing the past. It's ironic - or at least, it's self-aware.” The retro style is apparent in the song’s psychedelic leanings; sliding strings and harmonies are reminiscent of a post-India Beatles, drawing the viewer deeper into the video’s contorted reality. “ I think it's a song about being nostalgic about nostalgia,” Sam Silva added, “Or, nostalgic for a time that never was.”

Find the band on the road and pre-order the Medium’s debut album available September 6th on yk Records here: https://themediumband.bandcamp.com/album/get-it-while-its-hot

Dylan LeBlanc on Renegade

We’ve had a lot of good times with Dylan LeBlanc. His set in the Luck Chapel this past March was a few years in the making. He was set to make his Luck debut in 2016 but Mother Nature's rage got in the way. His set was cancelled, save for the few seeking shelter in the Luck Barn where Dylan played an impromptu set while the storm crashed around.  Dylan (with Rayland Baxter) was also involved in our inaugural Luck Mansion series. Today marks the release of his 4th record, Renegade. The title track is poised to be his biggest single yet, spending the past few weeks on the Billboard AAA chart.  We caught up with Dylan while he was on the road.

(LR) What’s happening, brother? Where are you, and what are you up to?

(DL) Driving through Atlanta at the moment, getting back to Nashville to rehearse with the Pollies. We will be hitting the road again soon to promote the new record. We are going to be meeting back up with Dave Cobb on a project. But just work, being as creative and productive as possible.

(LR) Let’s talk about the new record Renegade, which is out this Friday (June 7th). You were good enough to share it with us a few months back, and it’s been on a constant loop in the HQ. It opens up with the title track and from the hit of those first few chords, one gets the sense that you are taking us on a different ride this time. What should your fans expect from this 4th record?

(DL) Hopefully they like it right off the bat. But they might expect to have to tune their ears, in a different way, and keep an open mind. I love making music, I love acoustic instruments, they are so beautiful, natural wood on wood. I’ll admit it kind of throws me for a loop when one of my favorite artists does something totally different... but I just keep an open mind. I keep listening and something hits me and I’ll get it.

(LR) This is the first record with ATO -- tell us how you got together.

(DL) We were playing at the Mercury Lounge in NYC about 2-3 years ago. Jon Salter (General Manager - ATO Records) was at the show. We had started rocking these songs up a little bit and playing with a lot more authority, especially ones from Cautionary Tale (Leblanc’s 3rd LP) and our set just became way more electric. Jon reached out and said if that if I was willing to do that in the studio, that he would put it out. He told me that the band brought out a different side of me.

I’ve always wanted to make a rock and roll album. It was a part of me that exists and I wanted to explore it. A few days later I called Salter and asked if he was serious… we started getting contracts ready. That’s exactly how it went down.

Dylan in the Chapel at Luck Reunion 2019. Photo by Brooks Burris

(LR) We’ve mentioned The Pollies, a band of their own and you’ve been spending a lot of time with them as your touring band the past few years. Renegade is the first LP you have recorded with them, but you’ve actually been recording with members of the band since the beginning.

(DL) I worked with Jay Burgess on the first record. That's him on the guitar on “If The Creek Don’t Rise.” I’ve known Jay for a long, long time, and we’ve been in bands together. So I called him up and asked him to play on the song. He always plays on every song that becomes my most popular song… it’s always him on the guitar and at that time, that was a big song for me. Jon Davis played on my first two records. I’ve been playing with him since I was 15, and now we are almost 30, it’s so insane!

I knew Dave would have the guys he likes to bring in the studio. So I made a deal that if it wasn’t clicking after the 1st session, that we would bring in his guys. We had worked these songs up together -- I had written the lyrics and the basis of the songs and brought it to them, and I wanted it to be a live record. I wanted it to be a band record, to very much sound like a band in the studio. We are a band, every piece of them is in this record; blood, sweat and tears went into it. We had been hustling on the road for 3 years and I wanted to get them in the studio to flush it all out. We knew those songs backwards and forwards before we set foot in a studio. And it worked. I wanted that brotherhood, some guys just rocking out... I never had that before and I wanted that feel.

(LR) Let’s talk about the songwriting for Renegade. Can you tell us about where these songs came from for you?

(DL) I had written songs that were not for this album. I still have them, they are more like Cautionary Tale, and I will put them on my next album. This will probably be the only rock and roll album I’ll ever do, to be honest with you. (laughter)  These songs were a lot of hard work… with Cautionary Tale, I was going through so many changes in my life, getting sober and all that. With this record, I was stuck in limbo. I had to force these songs out of me, force the music out. It was the hardest work I’ve done musically. It usually comes a lot more naturally, and I wanted songs that would sound great with this band playing them. It was counterintuitive to how I usually work. It was a challenge and it was perfect; I wanted the challenge. 25 songs were in the running, and the up tempo songs made it. There are other great songs, really pretty, really lovely songs, and I’ll get those out on the next LP.

(LR) You end the record with “Honor Among Thieves.” How do current events impact your songwriting?

(DL) That song is my favorite on the LP. To me, that song applies to everyone. For me, being a white male in America, it’s already a privilege. I don’t have to worry about certain things that other people have to worry about. I try not to talk about politics. If I have something to say I try to say it in a song. I don’t like to alienate anyone, and I try to be very kind to everyone, no matter their ideology even though at times it can be very hard when we disagree. I believe if you have something to say, and you have the ability as an artist to write about it, you should. Music is more powerful than words can be on their own. It has the power to seep into the consciousness subliminally. Far deeper than just you and I conversing ever could. It’s like people with Alzheimers can recall how to play music, recall a tune. Music can get so deep into the subconscious that it can’t be forgotten.

(LR) On this record, you worked with Dave Cobb, who has worked with some of the most important artists of our day. (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton) What surprised you most about working with him in the studio?

(DL) Mainly, his focus & the speed at which he works. Also his openness to letting us be ourselves musically. Don’t get me wrong, he came in and rearranged a bunch of things, he definitely produced this album. He was firm when he needed to be but he also let us have what we really, really wanted. His bedside manner was great. He's such a good dude and you just want to be friends with him right off the bat. I can’t say that’s the case with everyone you work with in the studio, but Cobb is a gentlemen, for sure. He treats everyone with respect. He’s a purist. He doesn’t like to do anything that’s going to sound synthetic in any way. He wants the sound to reflect what you actually sound like. We had 10 days booked in the studio and all the basic tracks were done in 3 days. What little we did overdub, we did it in 2. So for the other 5 days we hung out and mixed. It was a lot quicker than I thought it would be and it was a good experience.

Dave is a good guy -- he's got a good ear, he listens to what you describe, and he’s able to paint that picture sonically.  I wanted this record to sound like those albums from 1977-1978, those classic Petty and Fleetwood Mac records, especially when it comes to drums and bass. He did a really good job of getting that. And… his gear is incredible! He had pre-amps from Abbey Road that Pink Floyd used for Dark Side of The Moon. Gear that the Beatles used. You are hearing the drum sounds through a Fairchild pre-amp and you can run mics through them to get that warm signature tone. Cutting at RCA Studio A was amazing. Chet Atkins built it in the 50s, and it still has tons of vibe leftover from everyone who’s created in that room and has made music in there. Dave is still so excited about music, you can tell that he really loves it. It was a great experience and I’m grateful.

(LR) Tell us a little about what being part of the #luckfamily means to you

(DL)  First of all, the way you nurture upcoming artists. I always discover somebody great at Luck. You feel lucky to be part of it. Making sure artists feel welcome, and absolutely giving them the space to do what it is that they came there to do, without any inhibition... it’s second to none really. Luck is a connoisseur of upcoming art. I’m so grateful to be a part of it and I hope you’ll have me for the years to come. I wear my Luck ring every single day, I love being part of this family.

(LR) You mentioned that you are soon to be turning 30, so what’s next for you?

(DL) I just hope I have some good songs left in me. That I have the opportunity to make music and a career of it. It's what I love to do more than anything else in the world. I’m 30, single… most people my age are married, have kids. I’m still on my own, that’s always a little disappointing, even though I know I’m probably hard to live with. (laughter) I dunno man, it's a little scary but I’m looking forward to seeing what comes and just have to keep an open mind. I’ll keep trying to write songs and do the best I can at making other people happy with music.  Every time I get a message that one of my songs helped someone get through something or made them feel anything at all... it lets me know I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. To me, our job is to give something to people that they can relate to. That they can feel. It’s who you're making it for. That's what I want when I listen to music, something that moves me, something I can feel.

You can catch Dylan Leblanc with The Pollies on tour all summer long. They will be back in town with #luckfamily Erin Rae playing Stubbs Jr on July 12th, and then making his Austin City Limits Festival debut in October. Renegade is available everywhere now. Listen here: http://smarturl.it/dylanleblancrenegade

Mavis and Friends at the Ryman Auditorium

Just reading the bill of “Mavis Staples and Friends at Ryman Auditorium” invokes a promise of a night of emotion, talent, and inspiration. Presented by the historic Newport Folk Festival, the evening was the second in a three part series of birthday shows celebrating 80 years of Mavis Staples. A portion of the proceeds from each show will go directly towards extending the Newport Folk Foundation’s support of music education programs in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. Staples’ career has in no way slowed down since her reign with siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, Pervis, and patriarch Pops Staples; and she reminded us on the stage of the Mother Church that she’s still here, still mighty, and still singing.

The night began with a collaborative set which featured Luck Family artists Langhorne Slim; Nicole Atkins alongside “Howlin” Pelle Almqvist of the Hives; Phil Cook with Tamish Waden and Mavis “Swan” Poole; and the War and Treaty. The tie between gospel and protest music proved yet again their strength and synergy. The tone was set for the evening before Staples even took the stage.

TONIGHT! We are honored to be at the Mother Church @theryman celebrating the 80th birthday of our Queen @mavisstaples along with a few of her special friends. It's gonna be a night for the books. Click our bio link for tickets! #theresnoonelikemavis #livinglegend

821 Likes, 23 Comments - The War & Treaty (@thewarandtreaty) on Instagram: "TONIGHT! We are honored to be at the Mother Church @theryman celebrating the 80th birthday of our..."

After the War and Treaty concluded the introductory set with a moving rendition of “Sit Down Servant”, the stage was reset and Staples arrived alongside her first guest, Marty Stuart - or “little brother” - as Staples fondly referred to him, for a take on the Staple Singers classic “Uncloudy Day”. Stuart, playing Pop Staples’ guitar, shared his memories of the inescapable hit: it was seared into his childhood growing up in the American South. Accompanied by Stuarts’ Fabulous Superlatives band, the duo sang the anthem in perfect harmony, marking a triumphant start to the Nashville installment of Staples’ 80th Birthday celebration. Following her set with Stuart, Staples played her only two solo songs of the night, including 2016’s “Take Us Back”. A grin was plastered across Staples’ face the entire night, but became a little bit wider as she sang the simple lines:

“I got friends and I got

I got family

I got help from all the people who love me”

You could tell that she, and just about every person crammed into those hallowed pews, felt the weight, truth, and exuberance of those words. Each time she returned to the refrain, “all the people who love me”, she extended her hands to the crowd in a motion of gratitude and delight. Though each special guest delivered a powerful homage to Staples, that moment, on-stage solo and taking in the love around her, that she exhibited the most palpable and uninhibited joy. And as audience members in a room of would-be strangers, we all knew that we had at least one unifying commonality: We love Mavis.

As her set continued, Staples invited out act after act including Nicole Atkins; the Lone Bellow; Nick Lowe; Elle King; North Mississippi Allstars; Billy Strings; the War and Treaty; the Milk Carton Kids; Pat Sansone of Wilco; and a surprise appearance by now-Nashvillian Sheryl Crow who performed “Touch a Hand, Make a Friend”. Each time a new friend appeared on the stage, Staples greeted them like they were stepping foot in her own living room, welcoming them into her home on the stage.

Mavis and Sheryl Crow brought the house down tonight. @mavisstaples @sherylcrow 📷: @bosconcertphoto

301 Likes, 4 Comments - Newport Folk Fest (@newportfolkfest) on Instagram: "Mavis and Sheryl Crow brought the house down tonight. @mavisstaples @sherylcrow 📷: @bosconcertphoto"

Standout performances of the evening came from friends new and old alike, including a seemingly effortless guitar solo from Jason Isbell on one of Staples’ latest releases, “Change”, and Staples’ first-ever collaboration with Wynonna Judd. After performing another new Mavis tune, “Stronger”, Judd boasted to the audience, “This one’s going on my resumé,” to which Staples quipped, “Oh Wynonna you a bad, bad girl. Wynonna is a firecracker, oh yes she is.” The Milk Carton Kids joined Staples next, having earlier in the week presented her with her Americana Music Awards nomination.

When asked how she does it, Staples teased the artists over forty years her junior with a chuckle: “If I tell you my secrets you might live to be eighty. I’ll still be around when you’re eighty!”

Tonight we celebrate @mavisstaples 80th birthday at @theryman with a whole slew of friends. The show is put on by @newportfolkfest to raise money for their important music education work. We couldn't be more excited and honored to be a part of it. For the full video of us and Mavis announcing @americanafest awards nominees, find the long form video on our Instagram (the post before this) or their post on Facebook!

589 Likes, 9 Comments - The Milk Carton Kids (@themilkcartonkids) on Instagram: "Tonight we celebrate @mavisstaples 80th birthday at @theryman with a whole slew of friends. The..."

As the evening began to wind down, Margo Price and husband Jeremy Ivey took to the stage to sing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. Staples and Price danced together with such a freedom that only a woman in her 8th decade and a woman in her 8th month of pregnancy could share. Generations represented, lit with the promise of a new life, they echoed the sentiments of the evening: we’ve got each other, we’re still fighting, and we’re all gonna be alright.

@mavisstaples is an eternal flame in a word of darkness... It was an honor to sing at her 80th birthday party at @theryman last night a mere 9 days from my estimated due date 💗 #willthecirclebeunbroken

1,584 Likes, 45 Comments - Margo Price (@missmargoprice) on Instagram: "@mavisstaples is an eternal flame in a word of darkness... It was an honor to sing at her 80th..."

The finale brought each artist back to stage for a Staples’ traditional performance of “The Weight”. Everyone in the room was on their feet. You could see the people spilling out from backstage, just trying to grasp as much of the moment as possible. “I’m so happy that you all came to my party,” Staples beamed. We were all happy we came too.

Catch the final show of Staples’ birthday run in Los Angeles on May 22nd and stay tuned for Staples’ fourteenth studio album, “We Get By” available everywhere via Anti Records May 24th.

All photos via Instagram.

Sources: Mavis Staples at Luck Reunion 2019

“What comes from the heart, reaches the heart.” - Mavis Staples

With the help of our friends and longtime sponsor, Mountain Valley Spring Water, we were able to dedicate a day’s worth of music to the legendary Mavis Staples this year at Luck Reunion. Mavis headlined our Sources Stage, closing out the night after a stacked lineup of powerhouse acts. Each artist on the Sources Stage played one of Mavis’s own solo songs or a Staples Singers classic during their own set in honor of the iconic singer’s upcoming 80th birthday. Arguably the culmination of the entire day came at the end of Mavis’s set when Courtney Marie Andrews, Yola, Mountain Man, Sunny War, Angie McMahon, Nicole Atkins, Jade Jackson, Haley Heynderickx, and Brandy Zdan joined Mavis on stage to sing “The Weight”, capping off the evening with a moment of community, admiration, and unbridled joy. Join us in discovering what some of these acts had to say about Mavis’s influence in their careers and her own advice for the next generation. Watch above for more.

Vandoliers on "Forever"

It’s been a busy last few months for the Vandoliers. They released their 3rd album ‘Forever,’ their first for Bloodshot Records in February, debuting at 25 on the Americana charts. They were a force during SXSW, earning praise in Rolling Stone, and were featured in the 30 Best Artists We Saw SXSW 2019. We’ve been keeping our eye on our neighbors to the north for a while now, and we caught up with Joshua Fleming a few days before Forever came out.

Luck: Let’s talk about the new record, this latest LP is about 2 years in the making. It’s gotta feel great getting this out there, right?

Vandoliers: It’s incredible! Our first record ‘Ameri-Kinda’ was piecing the band together over a series of months, just recording everything separately. With ‘The Native’ we got to record as a band but... we had just changed bass players and we hadn’t even toured as a full band yet. But as soon as we released it, I began writing what would eventually become this new record, ‘Forever’. 50 songs & 400 shows later we’re sifted through and figuring out how we want to represent ourselves at this point in time. It’s been a crazy road of writing, recording, arranging rehearsing and touring, all to lead up to 8 days in a studio in Memphis.

We worked with Adam Hill (Low Cut Connie, Deer Tick) who really pushed us to perform the songs as a band and as a group. Ya know, try not to utilize punch ins & all that shit. He just made us a better band. After that we had to sit on it for 5 months, waiting for this release. During that time it’s been really crazy for us cause we've changed labels, management and booking agencies. Theres a sense of anxiety with that, like  “Oh fuck, I hope all this work was worth something!” I’m really proud of it and I’m proud of my band. I can’t wait to see what people think.

Luck: Sounds like 2019 is the year to hit that next gear?

Vandoliers: Absolutely, it's been really cool just to see our fan base grow with us. You know it started in the punk clubs and then with ‘The Native’ we got thrown into the alt-country, red-dirt… Americana base. It’s been really cool to see our punk rock fans stay with us, and then grow into what our fanbase is now. Now I don’t even know very many of them! It’s not like they are obligated friends and family who are sitting out in the crowd. The music is speaking to people and I feel like we have found our sound with this record. That’s one of the biggest stepping stones for a band -- setting yourself apart from everybody else and having your own thing. Man I’m so glad we found it! (laughter)

Luck: Let’s talk about getting signed to Bloodshot Records, seems like a killer fit for the band.

Vandoliers: I know! I’m really proud to be with them, they are the greatest people I‘ve ever met (180). So smart and artist-friendly, they are just so supportive of us. You get it, at Luck y’all book all kinds of bands, there are all kinds of sounds that you hear. From an artist perspective, anytime somebody gets what I'm doing or believes in what I'm doing… it’s just so crazy to me. It's a really great feeling for the music to hit people and that they are latching on to it. It’s no longer a discussion of what genre our music is. It’s getting to be “Man, that's the Vandoliers”  and that's a good feeling. With Bloodshot I just feel we define everything they do and have done for the last 25 years.

Luck: You mentioned earlier working with Adam Hill. Our readers might recognize his name, as we’ve spoken about him in an interview with The Reputations and Low Cut Connie. What makes him such an in-demand producer right now?

Vandoliers: One, he has a golden ear. Two, he’s the funniest person I’ve ever been around. His personality was the thing that attracted us. His resume with all those records, whether as an Assistant Engineer at Arlyn or a Head Engineer/Producer with Low Cut Connie or Deer Tick. What attracts bands to Adam is that he allows you to be the creative force and he is the filter. He’s so on top of everything, in a non-brooding manner. He doesn’t stifle you, he just ensures you get the best performance out of everything. I loved working and would work with him again, any day of the week. He knows how to make a studio session seamless, fly by and at the end of it, oh my god, I'm a better musician. That's something he's bring to the table that a lot of people aren't. He’s done a ton with Low Cut and each one keeps getting better and better. He does a stripped down 4 track recording and make it sound like gold or a full 24 track studio. He always keeps it minimal, it’s really weird, the studio magic is never produced, it's just already there.

Luck: You recorded the record in Memphis?

Vandoliers: Yeah, we kinda just fell in love with Memphis. We got there and met these two people, Bill and Kate who own Music Mansion, a bed and breakfast for bands. They told me they had a producer we should talk to. At first I was like, Ok whatever, send me his contact and we will figure out. Well they sent me the contact, I started doing my research and was like holy shit this is a real dude! (laughter) So we set up a meeting in memphis, and Adam and the band hit if off immediately. We toured a bunch of studios and eventually we landed on American Recording Studio in Memphis. Really huge records were recorded there. We walk in and my favorite Wilco record AM is hanging on the wall and there’s like... I’m not sure how to describe it, but feels like there are ghosts in that room, there is a really good vibe. We hit it off with Toby Vest & Pete Matthews, the lead engineers and so we had a great team the moment we walked in. We felt we were at home, but away from distractions enough to hunker down for a week and make this record.

Luck: Having that trust and comfort level in your team… it’s got to be invaluable right?  

Vandoliers: Having the choices, shit. When you are starting a band you don’t have any choices.  Whoever you can afford, let’s go. With this, we had the opportunity to find the right fit, find something that's good for us. Now we are a Texas band, and recording in Texas is awesome, I love it, but we wanted to get out of town for a minute. The city of Memphis has really welcomed us and I love everything about that city, it’s a weird city. It was inspiring, so much music, the birthplace of rock and roll. Everything Memphis used to have, it’s still there, it just may not be utilized as much. I fell into the city, met the people, and fell in love with the stories. I think it comes out in some of the sounds too. To me there are 3 different Tennessee cultures. Chattanooga/Knoxville scene, Nashville with the big money and big machine, and then there is little ol’ Memphis, which is raw. (laughter)

Luck: It’s good to shake it up, get out of the comfort zone, gives a different sense of readiness.

Vandoliers: In Dallas & Ft. Worth, we know everybody. We are very involved in the communities with the  studios, the musicians… these are all our friends. We could have made a great record there. But like you said, getting out of the comfort zone was really what we wanted to do.  We were going from a Texas label to a Chicago label. From a small independent booking to a major booking agency to a major agency, there were so many growing pains. It was a whirlwind and it was good to get away to be in a place where no one knew who we were. We ducked in the shadows and traversed the city, no one was the wiser we were there. It was perfect.

I’m really proud of this record. There comes a time for a lot of bands... there is a sense that you have to fall in line, be more marketable or that type of that shit. The cool thing about  Bloodshot, they didn't ask us to do any of that. We get to be unapologetically us. We play to our strengths and we got to spread our wings in terms of sound. There is a piece of me that hopes people like it, but at the end of the day, the band & the label is really proud of it. People will call it whatever they wanna call it, but we are happy. We made a great Vandoliers record.

Verse from Sixteen Years

Yeah it took sixteen years

And a hundred thousand miles

I was a preacher's son who lost his way for a while

I sang a poor man's song

No one could hear

It took a hundred thousand miles and sixteen years

Luck: When you are proud of what you’ve put out there, the rest is just gravy…

Vandoliers: Yeah, you know the central theme of this record... even through trials, we are still going to continue, we are still going to be a band. I can point to a song like “Sixteen Years” namely for that. I’m still a creative person and when you are, you can be susceptible to depression and anxiety. One of my favorite things about this record is that I got to turn to one of my heroes, mentors, and now a friend in Rhett Miller (Old 97’s), about my songs. It helped me voice what I was going through. I was in a pretty dark spot for a period of writing this record, not all, but some of it. Where I didn’t know if I could complete the record, whether I could be in a band anymore. But the affirmation I got from Rhett, the label and my band, it pulled me through that. I got to write a great song called Fallen Again which is my favorite song I’ve written at this point, it means a lot to me. Probably not a single, won’t hear it on the radio cause I say “fuck” in it. (laughter) I thought it was an important song. I feel like a lot of people who struggle with depression and high functioning anxiety don’t really get to talk about or are afraid to talk about it.

It’s important to let folks know they aren’t alone. With that song, I wanted there to be triumph at the end of it. Being at fucking rock bottom with your back against the wall and knowing you can ask for help, that doesn't make you any less of a person.  

Verse from Fallen Again

I'm still breathing

Barely holding

On to the end of my rope

Here I am

Caught on the edge

Is there still reason to hope?

Can you spare some water, brother?

I am dry

Can you give me a hand?

I've fallen again

Vandoliers: I never tried to be an outlaw, a good ol’ boy, not trying to be anything other than myself. I’m thankful I'm from Texas but I'm not a purebred, I played hockey and hung out in punk clubs. As I got older and married, my mindset and lifestyle changed, I was a lot less self-destructive. I turned to music and I simplified my writing to a couple chords and how I was feeling that day. That's helped me as a writer to open up. In my old band I felt like I had to portray something. A political stance, a badass or whatever, but with this type of writing and saying what you went through today. Hell, listen to Robert Earl Keen. He’s putting cheese enchiladas into a verse, and it doesn’t matter because it's honest. Willie, Townes, Guy... none of those guys were trying to be anything other than what they are. That's the most attractive point for me. I did a couple of shows last year with Marty Stuart and watching his TV show was the reason I wanted to pursue this type of writing and music. These were the best musicians I've seen in my life. Country musicians don’t get enough credit, they are some of the best songwriters and musicians out there. When I got to meet Marty and I found out he liked my music…. I could die happy now! (laughter) My life view is to expect nothing and be grateful for everything.  

Luck: What’s the one Punk record you are bringing to the desert island?

Vandoliers: Oh my shit! The Clash by The Clash, it’s one of the first records that I ever bought on vinyl. My uncle was the one who gave me my first guitar when I was 9. He passed away when I was 11. He had a cd of the Cramps that I was really into & they mentioned The Clash in the liner notes. I got that record as I was turning 13. The guitar tones are raw and bad ass. The political climate of 1977 is oozing through that record. I went to a school made up of different races and people, and the anti-racism message throughout that record really spoke to me. I really latched on with the ethos & the mindset of what they defined as punk rock.  God I love The Clash, they are the only band that mattered to me.

Luck: There is a slight Texas narrative to the Clash, recording the video in Austin...

Vandoliers: Yeah & they opened for Joe Ely, who was another artist I got introduced to through The Clash. He would be someone who would influence me forever. That band is so great, they aren’t tied down to genre, not tied to anything. They imploded at the end but man those first 5 records were really good. That album changed my life. As much as our record is a country record, to me it's a punk record. I feel like I have always just written punk songs. It's what I do. It’s a crazy time to be a musician, it's harder than ever but we are gonna look back at this period of music and be all... holy shit!  The quality of music everyone is putting out. That Robert Ellis record (Texas Piano Man), incredible. The new Hayes Carll (What It Is), incredible. You can see it across genre, we are the same label as Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers. That album (Bought To Rot) is so fucking out of the box, there is no genre for it, it’s just a bitching rock record. I feel like genres are starting to explode and combine with everything. Has there ever been a better indie, rock, country record than Nikki Lane’s Highway Queen? It’s just so cool how everyone is getting down to the root of what music is, which is 12 fucking notes… you can put twang in or you can not, it’s still great music.

You can catch the Vandoliers on tour with Cory Brannan in April and May.

One Year Later: 2018 Southwest Airlines Artist on the Rise Winner Thomas Csorba

Our 2018 Southwest Airlines Artist on the Rise winner Thomas Csorba joined us back in Austin for our Lucky Draw Live event this month at the Cactus Cafe. We checked in with Thomas on his journey since playing Luck's main stage last year, get to know what he's been up to below.

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

Four years prior to his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. prepared words for the opening of the first Berlin Jazz Festival focusing on the impact and importance of music. Today, as we remember the great life of MLK Jr., we reflect on these words and the ways in which music has united, healed, and inspired us to work toward a better future together.

“God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.

Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

This is triumphant music.

Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.

It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.”

quote via diffuser.fm

New Releases: Gary Clark Jr.'s "This Land"

Gary Clark Jr. headlined the first iteration of what would become Luck Reunion in 2012. He’s original Luck Family for a reason, and his latest release, “This Land” proves just how privileged we are to live in a time where he is making and sharing art. “This Land” is the powerful first single and title track from Clark’s new album out March 1st. Listen to the track and watch the video directed by Savanah Leaf below.

Exclusive Premiere: Ian Ferguson's "I Do Not Mind"

Ian Ferguson has emerged in a wave of 60’s and 70’s influenced artists that all seem to have landed in Nashville. Touring with the likes of Ron Gallo, TWEN, and Liza Anne, Ferguson is undoubtedly carving out his own lane in modern psych-rock and his latest single “I Do Not Mind” is no exception. I’d be willing to bet Ferguson has spent ample time pouring over George Harrison’s discography; the layered vocals, conversational verses, and psychedelic details all build into a complete work reminiscent of Harrison and his contemporaries. Listen to the exclusive premiere of “I Do Not Mind” and read Ferguson’s own words on the song below.

“I Do Not Mind” is a song about spending time with someone you’re really excited to spend time with, the first stage of a crush if you will. The line “You make life before seem like a blur” represents the kind of blind bliss that inhabits a freshly sparked romance. The opening lick of the song was something I had in my back pocket for some time. I had been listening to a lot of pre-psychedelic 60’s British Invasion stuff, and there’s a specific kind of attitude behind the delivery of those songs. There would be charming melodies and instrumentation, delivered with an almost sarcastic vocal performance. An out-of-tune upright piano, 12 string acoustic guitar, and a tremolo-heavy electric guitar make up the sound of the track. Given the way the song moves, I was able to have fun with the vocals, stacking harmony after harmony in my basement alone.  Call it freedom or call it isolation but having that time to yourself really gives you an opportunity to lose your mind a little bit, and some great things can come from it. - Ian Ferguson

For more from Ferguson click here.

The Reputations: Electric Power

all photos by Al Giesler unless otherwise marked

As with anything in life, dealing with triumph and tragedy can happen simultaneously. On the eve of their release party at Hotel Vegas, celebrating their second LP and getting ready to embark on their farthest reaching tour to date... sad news came in for the Reputations. Seth Gibbs, former bandmate, business partner and family member had succumbed to a battle with cancer that had just been diagnosed a few months prior.

But as the saying goes, the show does go on, and as such the Reputations invited us to stop by the home of Rockyanne Bullwinkel (vocals) and Jimmy Wildcat (drums) and hang with the rest of the band, Justin Smith (bass/vocals), Rudy Spencer (guitar/vocals), Erich Fraustro (guitar) as well as honorary members Jenny Carson (vocals) and Alex Kegulman (Justin’s wife and hand model for the LP cover) to talk about the new record, Electric Power, their second in two years and first on Nine Mile Records.  We spoke about influences, the segmented music scene that exists in the Live Music Capital of the world, a lively discussion on what the best super powers are and how this band will prevail when other projects the various members have come and gone. Oh, and we had a lot of laughs.

Luck: Congratulations on the new record! Electric Power follows up last year’s debut, Begging For More. You guys have been busy, tell our readers what’s been going on?

Justin Smith: We recorded the album in June 2017, four months after our debut and then we sat on it for a while. It took a couple months after recording for mixing/mastering. We recorded it  Memphis at Ardent Studios. So we were sending it back & forth to Jody (Jody Stephens of Big Star & GM of Ardent Studios) for him to listen to it and tell us what he thought. We tried to find someone to put it out and Nine Mile was interested, those conversations took the course of several months but we came to an agreement and its finally coming out.

Luck: We’ve heard the new record, it’s superb. Although there are elements of what we heard on your first record, this is a different beast, how would you describe the evolution of the sound?

Rudy Spencer: We started listening to different stuff from the 70’s…at one point [Justin] went thru a little Mungo Jerry phase. [laughs]

Luck: Wait a minute, so there is a deeper well than “In The Summertime”?

JS: Yeah its funny, I was in an advertising class and a professor brought up some poll they had done in the 1970’s. It was about how a hook in a song can raise endorphin levels to where someone will want to buy a product if you show it right after the hook. So the example was “In The Summertime”  and I was like...I haven’t heard this in forever and this song was so tight and I wondered what else he did. I went down the rabbit hole and there is so much stuff they did that is so good and I listened to a lot and wrote “Quite Alright” which is on the new record. But there are more influences than the 70’s…Mariah Carey is an influence on the record.

Rockyanne Bullwinkel: I listened to a lot of Mariah, a lot Beyonce - I love pop R&B, I really do  so that did inspire our song “The Exciter” a lot.

Luck: On both records you list songwriting credits to the band. How does that process work itself out, who brings what to the table?

RB: I think it's different for all of us, I tend to write chunks of songs and bring them to the band. They help me connect and finish it. That’s why it's very collaborative for songs I bring to the table. Lately Justin has been bringing full songs and then we all kinda work them out together.

JS: That’s why we want to credit as The Reputations. I may bring a song and it may be exactly how I want it sound and then when the band gets on and it doesn't sound like it was in my head, it's better. It doesn't really feel like I wrote the song, I had the idea but we all wrote the song.

JS: Sometimes we will bounce lyrics off each other, and sometimes I might bring a song where all the music is done, I’ve got one verse and a chorus and I’ll say, “Rocky you are singing this one and I can't think of a lyric for this second verse, come up with something and we will figure it out.” Jimmy has written lyrics on chorus and verses, we all just bounce lyrics off each other.

RB: I keep a journal and sometimes just like to look through it and will find lyrics that I want to come back to.

Luck: We took a look at the liner notes from both of your albums, the thank you section…. [laughs]

JS:  I think I know where this is going.

Luck: Well, it is a spectrum… on the first LP you shout out Discount Tire of Baytown, and on the the second one each member of Abba gets a nod. [more laughter]

RB: Yeah we wanted to thank ABBA, Frida, Benny, Bjorn, and Agnetha because they helped us pay to record that album!  We are also an ABBA cover band…

JS: Not anymore! We did that for awhile

RB: Not anymore! [laughs] and you know people will really dish out to see that… we had to thank ‘em.


Luck: You mentioned that the record is out on Nine Mile Records which is home to a lot of talented Austin artists. Why them?

JS: THEY SAID YES [laughs] It's that vicious circle. No one has ever heard of us so we aren't gonna get signed but then no one will hear us without a deal. But that's not really the case, bands hit the road for years to get a chance at this & were lucky that they took a shot on us. It was Sabrina Ellis (Sweet Spirit / A Giant Dog) who put us in contact with Rick Pierek. After a few conversations, he believed in us. He started catching a few shows.and I think fell in love with our live set and decided it was good fit and wanted to put out the record.

Luck: You recorded the ‘Electric Power’ at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis. The record was produced by Ardent GM Jody Stephens who gained notoriety as the drummer for Big Star. Considering his long list of musical accomplishments, producing records isn’t something he’s done, until getting with you.

JS: Slight mini correction. When Jody started to produce, we thought, and he kinda mentioned that he never produced before, but we later found out that back in the 90’s he produced some songs, maybe co-produced an ep or song of the record, As far as I know Electric Power is the first full length, from inception to completion that he’s produced.

Luck: We were talking earlier about the history of the band, there are a number of bands and projects that lead you all to here. What do you think gives this band staying power?

JW:  We definitely we work a lot harder than any band I’ve been in, everyone pulls together and keeps each other motivated to me that's the biggest difference that I see. Being serious and looking at as equally a job as it is entertainment for us.


RB: Also a very familial quality, Jimmy and Seth are brothers, I’m engaged to Jimmy. And then [there’s] our chosen family. Justin is like my brother, Auburn (Noel - Background Vocals and latest member) the other day in practice asked me if I had other siblings or just him… [laughs]

JS: Alex and I live just down the street so this is like a second home.

RB: We are all just really close.

RS: I think what adds to the dynamic, is that everybody in the Reptuations has fronted their own band and so I think that adds to the work ethic, something about fronting a band that you are leading… I think we have a band of collective front people which makes it easier to work together.

Luck: Makes sense, you know the role, the stress that comes with. Anytime you are building in your career, whatever that is... the more hats you can wear, the better you are, makes you more well rounded. Tell us about your ideal writing environments.

RB: The car.

JS: Yeah the car, all of my songs are basically written in my car.

RB: The same… we are similar in that all of our voice memos in our phone are all us singing into the phone in the car -

JS: ...humming, my notes are full of some very shitty fragments of lyrics and half melodies. But mostly it's listening to music and hearing a note in a song and pausing, and going on a tangent.

RB: We also spend a lot of time writing song very late at night together usually here or at the Studio.

JS: On the back porch drunk late at night… Electric Power is chock full of late night studio sessions, drunk… pick up this guitar, fight for 10 minutes on how it should go, work it out, hey it sounds great!

Luck: Tell us about the scene here in Austin. It’s got to have its share of pros and cons. What's the best part of being on the scene?

JS: Tough question.

EF: There are a lot of connections to make, whether or not you like a band.

JS: Most of the people are cool, it’s weird though…  but it’s a really kind of segmented scene, there's bands that play dirty sixth every night but I don't know one band we know that plays that, theres the Continental Club scene, Sam's Town Point...

RB: Obviously the Hotel Vegas.

JS: Sometimes there is crossover but that’s kinda what it is. But the scene we play in, is really a familial scene.

RS:  - It’s just people have been around for a long time, you have the old school, people that move here to play music. But like Erich says, it’s all about making connections and I think it's really easy to do here. There have been sometimes you meet people and it’s just like there are some bands that it’s harder to engage with than others…

JS: We all wanna talk shit right now… [laughs]

RS: It’s a tough question because… I came from El Paso, and it was lot more of melting pot. Metal bands playing with punk bands playing with indie rock bands and everyone got along.  Like Justin said it's a lot more segmented here.

JS: And not like a bad thing, it’s not a turf war…

RS: No it’s actually kind of cool, cause if you are music fan and looking for something specific, you know there is a venue for you. It’s really cool but its very saturated. There are a lot of bands.

Jenny Carson: I think when people get asked that question it's almost like a dark cloud over the question. Because the music industry is so hard. It’s like you are kind of drowning in it and it’s difficult to come up and see the light.

RS: Yeah Austin is this kinda weird middle ground between a small town with a really good music scene and a large city where there is an actual music industry like Nashville, LA or NYC.

JS: Yeah I was about to say, the biggest problem with this town in terms of music is that there is tons of talent in music but hardly [any] industry. You have SXSW but it isn’t an Austin industry, in that they bring band from other towns. Austin City Limits Festival will fill local act for their 11am slots … so there's not a whole lot of support for local austin band even from these major events. Besides that there's hardly any labels here, but they just opened a pressing plant which is really cool because we now have a really easy and cheaper way for bands to press their music and get it out there. And slowly, more stuff like that is gonna come as people notice all the talent, all the bands, it's gonna grow. But until that stuff is here it's more of a private scene compared to a city with industry.

JC: WIth this experience with these guys, Sweetheart Studios (started by Jimmy and Seth Gibbs) existing. These places are fucking wonderful because there are all kinds of artists, and the spectrum of artists…

JS: Who’s the worst band you recorded?? [laughs]

RB: I think you are seeing different kinds of artist but also different mediums. You meet so many visual artist. Jaime Zuverza who did the album design for both records. Jackson Montgomery Schwartz & Jon Chamberlain do a lot of our photos, You meet so many people that are so talented in different ways…

JC: Sara Ostovar (Modesty Hair Studio), who does our hair!  We’re kinda of a hair band! There's industries within industries

JS: I was telling Jackson the other day. Tons of people that like us…  I don't want to say our fans, cause I don’t who the fuck that is [laughs] the people who are into us at least part of that is because someone sees a really badass fucking photo from Jackson, and our hair looks good because of Sara. The flyer looks great because Ben Tipton did it (Ben is also in the band Trouble Boys with Jimmy and Erich) And finally, maybe somebody through all of those layers...  of us looking cool says ok, I guess i'll go listen to them. And then hopefully, we’re good enough for them to stick around

RS: It’s kinda awesome, it's such a self sufficient scene, all of our friends are so talented and they just kind of help us out and were just really lucky. Not a Lot of cities are like that, or you got to pay big money

Luck:  Luck Reunion is perceived as an americana festival but we don’t think of ourselves as such necessarily. It leads to an ongoing conversation in terms of what is Americana, is there gerne beyond good music? That said, is there a genre that best describes you?

JW: Powersoul!

RB: Which is something we invented.

JS: Rock and roll, it sounds lame and cheesy to say but I feel you like limit yourself, [you] create false expectations from others when you try to pigeonhole yourself. We made up powersoul to prevent that. When someone says, “I don’t know what the fuck that is,” we say, “Come on down and see it for yourself”.

Luck: What's next for the band?

We are talking with Adam Hill about working with him again. There is new studio opening in Memphis. We are talking about going in February to record. We’ve written a few, currently demoing and fleshing out other ones.  We want another record out by the end of 2019 to keep it rolling.

The Reputations are rolling through on tour right now; click here for their dates and listen to Electric Power below. For the record, we landed on Swamp Thing for the ideal superpower… who wouldn’t want the ability to grow psychedelic sweet potatoes from their body?

Hush Kids: Beauty All Around

Hush Kids’ self-titled record (available everywhere now) feels a lot like the day we interviewed them: early fall warmed by lingering summer rays and a wrap-around porch with a swing. Chatting with Jill Andrews and Peter Groenwald was just as soothing as their debut - they both exude a quiet, steady demeanor; they are curious and kind. Their creative bond is apparent, it’s almost like these two are long lost siblings from the ways in which they are so in step together: finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences. Listening to the record, all of this is apparent through their spacious and effortless melodies, synchronized harmonies, and heartfelt lyrics.

After a “songwriting blind date”, two songs, and a year and change, the two decided to form a band by Andrews’ suggestion. “...After the [second] song a year went by, and tons of life changes happened. I’m mixing this song and she’s got her guitar and she’s nursing [her baby] and she’s like “I think we should start a band”. I’m cool with being in the background; I prefer that usually but I had to say yes because she had obviously a lot going on. There was a lot of life everywhere, but I was like ‘Fuck yeah let’s start a band,’” says Groenwald. Andrews laughs and adds, “You didn’t want to feel like a slacker.” The two explained that initially their respective publishers set them up to write with the intention for writing for film and TV. In music publishing, writers are often instructed to keep music ambiguous so the chances of it fitting into a movie, television show, or ad are greater.

Andrews: “The first song we wrote - it’s called “Wake Up” and it’s on our album - it just felt really personal and really special. A lot of times when you’re writing for film and tv it’s like ‘Don’t be too specific, be super general, don’t mention any cities, don’t mention any times or whatever’. That kind of stuff just washed away when we were writing it and it just kind of felt like ‘Oh, this song feels special, like something that I would want to listen to.’”

Groenwald: “I kind of wish that we could peer into that; not knowing each other at all - it had to be a really interesting conversation that led us to feel comfortable enough to write that. That’s the other thing in a co-write situation; it’s not just writing a song...There’s a lot of normal [co-writes], and you get through it, and you clock out and then there’s some that stick with you. And this was one that stuck with us.”

Andrews: “I feel like I remember what the context was [for “Wake Up”]. It’s all about being present; about shutting your phone off and being present in the moment. I think that morning I was saying that I was feeling stressed - he has a child and one on the way and I have two kids - it’s not easy to be in the moment with them when there’s so many things going on. It was a conversation like that that sparked the song.”

The theme of connection and being present weaves its way through each of the songs on the record. Songs like “What’s Your Hurry”, “Wake Up”, “Beauty All Around”, and “Talking to Myself” all touch on the fragility of this life spent engrossed in screens and the longing to break free from the chatter.

After the decision was made to write with the “Hush Kids” project in mind, the songs continued to flow. Both Andrews and Groenwald attest the synthesis of the final product to their producer, Ian Fitchuk. “We just kept writing. We wrote with our producer, who is a better-than-good friend, Ian Fitchuk. When anything would slow down with our intention of [writing] he was a nice catalyzing force…I think that’s the best way to say it: he catalyzed something that was already there,” says Groenwald.

And there’s no doubt about that “something”. Hush Kids the album has already received critical acclaim in the few short weeks since it’s debut. The 10-song album is like a warm embrace and a breath of tranquility in a chaotic age. Listen to the album below and catch them live here.