Hailed by NPR as ‘deft assemblers of a sound that traverses decades and styles with humble grace’, New Orleans band The Deslondes mine from the rich history of American music to craft their compelling and wholly unique eponymous debut album, due 9 June on New West Records. Co-produced by the band and in-demand producer Andrija Tokic (Benjamin Booker, Alabama Shakes) at his Nashville studio, the songs are influenced by classic soul, rock & roll, R&B, folk, roots, country, swamp-boogie, honky-tonk and pre-war music, and introduce a collective of gifted singer-songwriters with a deep love for the past and a palpable passion for the present.
‘They manage to resurrect a lost sound,’ exclaimed Rolling Stone in their 20 Reasons To Love This Year preview, adding, ‘Stax and Sun records are distinct touch points, as are upright-bass-driven melodies, while giving it a modern, vibrant swing, building on the foundations of old-time traditions without sounding like they’re stepping out of a time machine.’
The Deslondes endeavour to carry on the travelling troubadour tradition of their heroes Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley and John Prine. Comprised of the five songwriters – Sam Doores (vocals/guitar), Riley Downing (vocals/guitar), Dan Cutler (vocals/bass), John James Tourville (vocals/pedal steel/fiddle) and Cameron Snyder (vocals/percussion) – each musician contributes writing and arrangements, with different members taking the lead at different times. The band’s musical production and vocal arrangements are inspired by the rhythmic, high energy, and harmony-driven sounds of their other heroes, The Band and Allen Toussaint.
The Deslondes grew out of The Tumbleweeds, a project that Doores, Downing and Cutler began in 2010. Doores and Cutler were also core members of Hurray for the Riff Raff and performed on last year’s breakout album, Small Town Heroes, before leaving the band to focus on The Deslondes. Like the traveling troubadours they fashion themselves after, they have toured the country extensively and have supported the Alabama Shakes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Lumineers, John Fullbright, Michael Kiwanuka and Spirit Family Reunion.
