Larkin Poe share 'An Acoustic Companion' EP; featuring stripped down fan favorites

Check out the latest news and new music from duo Larkin Poe...Robert Kinsler

LARKIN POE SHARE AN ACOUSTIC COMPANION EP - LISTEN FEATURES FOUR STRIPPED-DOWN FAN FAVORITES BIGGEST EU/UK HEADLINE TOUR TO DATE  KICKS OFF OCTOBER 6 IN NORWAY

Photo Credit: Sam Frawley Larkin Poe – the GRAMMY® Award-nominated duo of Georgia-bred, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell – are thrilled to share their new EP An Acoustic Companion, featuring stripped-down versions of four fan favorites and is available on all US and UK DSPs and streaming services via their own Tricki-Woo Records today. “In our world, almost all of our songs start out ‘acoustic,’” says Rebecca, “with quiet beginnings at the kitchen table on an acoustic guitar. In recording ‘An Acoustic Companion’ we really enjoyed stripping a handful of our songs back down to their roots and we hope folks will enjoy getting an earful of these songs as they originally came into being. WATCH “BAD SPELL (ACOUSTIC)” OFFICIAL VIDEO “From the jump, ‘Bad Spell’ was intended to be a big, bad, swaggy rock song,” adds Megan, “but we’ve found that there’s nothing more creatively freeing than challenging and burning down one’s own preconceived notions. We did just that in re-envisioning the arrangement for ‘Bad Spell’ and letting it bloom into new life.” An Acoustic Companion will be available on limited edition 7” vinyl available through pre-order via the band’s online store.   Larkin Poe has been hailed as one of hardest working live acts on the road today, and on the heels of their epic North American tour which featured festival appearances, as well as sold-out dates alongside Blackberry Smoke, Larkin Poe are ready to kick off their biggest EU/UK headline tour to date. The EU/UK tour kicks off on October 6 at Trondheim, Norway’s Tapperiet Trondheim, followed by eagerly awaited shows in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and Spain. For complete details and remaining ticket availability, please visit www.larkinpoe.com/tour. LARKIN POE - BLOOD HARMONY TOUR 2023 OCTOBER 6 – Trondheim, Norway – Tapperiet  7 – Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller Music Hall † 8 – Stockholm, Sweden – Münchenbryggeriet † 10 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio † 11 – Hamburg, Germany – Grosse Freiheit 36 † 12 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique † 14 – Rouen, France – Le 106 † 15 – Paris, France – L’Olympia † 17 – Bristol, United Kingdom – O2 Academy Bristol † 18 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – O2 Academy Glasgow † 20 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Albert Hall † 21 – London, United Kingdom – Roundhouse † 23 – Cologne, Germany – E–Werk † 24 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Tivoli Vredenburg † 25 – Strasbourg, France – La Laiterie Artefact † 27 – Villeurbanne, France – Transbordeur † 28 – Zürich, Switzerland – Volkshaus † 30 – Munich, Germany – Circus Krone † 31 – Karlín, Czech Republic – Forum Karlín † NOVEMBER 1 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys Neue Welt † 3 – Wien, Austria – Brauerei Ottakringer † 4 – Milan, Italy – Fabrique † 6 – Ramonville-St-Agne, France – Le Bikini † 7 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz † 8 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Riviera † 24 – Atlanta, GA – Coca–Cola Roxy ^ (SOLD OUT) APRIL 2024 18-21 – Miramar Beach, FL – Moon Crush Pink Moon 2024 * * Festival Appearance † w/ Special Guests The Sheepdogs # # # Hailed by American Songwriter as “a roaring, impassioned set that leaves no doubt about who the queens of contemporary Southern blues rock are, and will likely stay, for the foreseeable future,” Blood Harmony affirms Larkin Poe as an essential force in shaping the identity of Southern rock ‘n’ roll, breathing new energy into the genre with both forward-thinking perspective and a decidedly feminine strength. Co-produced by Larkin Poe alongside Texas-bred musician Tyler Bryant (also Rebecca’s husband), the album fully harnesses the fiery vitality shown in touring across the globe, imbuing songs with equal parts soulful sensitivity and thrilling ferocity. From the feverish guitar work of “Bad Spell” to the soul-stirring “Southern Comfort” and smoldering title track, Blood Harmony reveals a band in complete touch with their formidable intuition, their storytelling fortified with a blues-heavy sound that hits right in the heart.   Blood Harmony was met by enthusiastic applause from such outlets as FORBES, which declared it to be “11 songs and 42 minutes of pounding driving guitar and slide guitar virtuosity…There is one problem with listening to an album of Larkin Poe – you just want to listen to more and more Larkin Poe songs.” “Blood Harmony showcases Larkin Poe’s command of the blues,” affirmed No Depression, “and their ability to write and deliver songs that reveal the shadows and light through which we pass in our everyday world. Even in the midst of the blues there still resides hope and joy, and Larkin Poe leads us through to that other side.” # # # LARKIN POE AN ACOUSTIC COMPANION (Tricki-Woo Records) Release Date: Friday, October 5, 2023

TRACKLISTING Bad Spell Strike Gold Southern Comfort Stubborn Love CONNECT WITH LARKIN POE: OFFICIAL | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Larkin Poe unveil smoldering title track from eagerly awaited new album 'Blood Harmony'

Exciting news - and new music - from the talented duo Larkin Poe...Robert Kinsler

LARKIN POE SHARE “BLOOD HARMONY”

GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED

SISTER DUO UNVEIL SMOLDERING TITLE TRACK 

FROM EAGERLY AWAITED NEW ALBUM

OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERED TODAY VIA GUITAR WORLD

EPIC WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE INCLUDES SUMMER RUN 

WITH WILLIE NELSON’S OUTLAW MUSIC FESTIVAL

AND DATES ALONGSIDE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND,

MELISSA ETHERIDGE, AND JACK WHITE

BLOOD HARMONY ARRIVES VIA TRICKI-WOO RECORDS

ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Photo: Jason Stoltzfus

"dynamic...hard-riffing...swaggering"  - Guitar World "Larkin Poe’s Megan Lovell dishes out a guitar sound so nasty it’s bound to elicit more than a few stankface responses."  - LOUDWIRE "Rebecca’s electric guitar is fuzzed out and ballsy like Jack White’s, but Megan’s lap steel is the special sauce"  - Riff Magazine Larkin Poe (from left, Rebecca and Megan Lovell) rocking at the 2018 Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point, CA. Photo: Bob Steshetz Larkin Poe – the GRAMMY® Award-nominated duo of Georgia-bred, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell – have shared “Blood Harmony,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. The smoldering title track from their upcoming sixth studio album is joined by an official music video that premiered today via Guitar World. Blood Harmony arrives via Larkin Poe’s own Tricki-Woo Records on Friday, November 11. Pre-orders are available now, including limited edition magenta colored vinyl, CD, cassette, and more.  “‘Blood Harmony’ came together after Megan and our mom and I all read Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being, which is about the ways we perceive the passage of time,” says Rebecca Lovell. “There was just something about the sweetness of all three of us reading the same book, and then being able to talk about how it related to our love for each other and our love for music. Of all the songs I’ve ever written, I’m particularly proud of this one; I cannot wait to sing it loudly with all of our chosen family out on the road.” LISTEN TO “BLOOD HARMONY” WATCH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO PRE-ORDER BLOOD HARMONY Blood Harmony was first heralded this spring by the ferocious “Bad Spell,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. An official music video is streaming now via YouTube. “Bad Spell” – which Rebecca Lovell describes as “a female response” to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic “I Put a Spell on You” – was met by critical applause around the world, with Americana-UK hailing its “leather jacket swagger,” adding, “This fierce blues rock barnburner from Larkin Poe conjures arena strutting 70’s rockers and the first wave of British blues in the 60’s.” “Rebecca delivers some monumental riffage on the tune,” wrote Guitar World, “with her sister Megan adding some singeing lap steel statements to the picture.” LISTEN TO “BAD SPELL” WATCH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO Blood Harmony affirms Larkin Poe as an essential force in shaping the identity of Southern rock ‘n’ roll, breathing new energy into the genre with both forward-thinking perspective and a decidedly feminine strength. In a departure from the self-contained approach of past albums like 2020’s Self Made Man – praised by American Songwriter as “pumped up for arena-sized consumption without compromising any of its stripped-down command and intensity” – Larkin Poe co-produced the new album alongside Texas-bred musician Tyler Bryant (also Rebecca’s husband). With Megan handling harmony vocals, lap steel, and resonator guitar and Rebecca on guitar and keys, Larkin Poe also enlisted members of their longtime live band, including drummer Kevin McGowan and bassist Tarka Layman. Mainly recorded at Rebecca and Tyler’s home studio, the result is an electrifying new work that fully harnesses the fiery vitality they’ve shown in touring across the globe, imbuing their songs with equal parts soulful sensitivity and thrilling ferocity. From the feverish guitar work of “Bad Spell” to the soul-stirring “Southern Comfort” and smoldering title track, Blood Harmony reveals a band in complete touch with their formidable intuition, their storytelling fortified with a blues-heavy sound that hits right in the heart.   “When steering by your own stars, you never quite know where you’re going to wind up,” says Larkin Poe. “Our true north is unique to us, and in following our true north without compromise, we have been out freewheeling this world on the ride of our lives. And it still feels like just the beginning. Blood Harmony is a creative step we are proud to have taken together as sisters. We grew these songs in a sweet part of our hearts and we hope they bring beauty.”  Larkin Poe are currently celebrating Blood Harmony on a marathon world tour, including North American dates as part of Willie Nelson & Family’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour beginning July 29 at Cuyahoga Falls, OH’s Blossom Music Center and continuing into September. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.larkinpoe.com/tour. # # # LARKIN POE WORLD TOUR 2022 JULY 13 – Stuttgart, Germany – Jazzopen 2022 14 – Zürich, Switzerland – Samsung Hall † 15 – Frankfurt Am Main, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle † 16 – Ostrava, Czech Republic – Colours of Ostrava * 18 – Trieste, Italy – Castello di San Giusto  20 – Brezoi, Romania – Open Air Blues Festival Brezoi * 22 – Southwold, United Kingdom – Latitude Festival * 29 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center # 30 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center # 31 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake # AUGUST 6 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Folk Festival * 20 – Hamilton, OH – Whimmydiddle * 25 – Las Vegas, NV – The Big Blues Bender * 27 - Trois-Rivières, QC – Trois-Rivières en Blues * 8/30-9/5 – Playa Mujeres, Mexico – Etheridge Island * SEPTEMBER 4 – George, WA – The Gorge ^ 9 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre # 10 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion # 11 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater # 13 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater # 14 – Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada – Harvest Music Festival * 16 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center # 17 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion # 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC # 23 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion # OCTOBER 1 – Ocean City, MD – Oceans Calling Festival * 8 – Columbia, MO – Roots N Blues Festival * 14 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre #  15 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre #  16 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre # APRIL 2023 9 – Sydney, Australia – Metro Theatre 10 – Melbourne, Australia – The Croxton Bandroom * Festival Appearance † w/Jack White # Outlaw Music Festival Tour ^ w/Dave Matthews Band and Black Pumas # # # LARKIN POE BLOOD HARMONY (Tricki-Woo Records) Release Date: Friday, November 11

Tracklisting: Deep Stays Down Bad Spell Georgia Off My Mind Strike Gold Southern Comfort Bolt Cutters & The Family Name Blood Harmony  Kick The Blues Might As Well Be Me Summertime Sunset Lips As Cold As Diamond CONNECT WITH LARKIN POE: OFFICIAL | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Seven Years Ago Today: A Look Back at Walter Trout's amazing journey

Blues great Walter Trout performing
at the Doheny Blues Festival in May 2011.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

Seven years ago singer-songwriter/guitar great Walter Trout received a new liver. Go back in time and read my July 2014 article on Trout where I interviewed the famed bluesman HERE. What follows is Walter's post on Facebook this morning...Robert Kinsler

Walter Trout, the day before his transplant.

7 years ago today (May 26, 2014) I received a brand new liver that saved my life. This is a very emotional and poignant day for me , my wife and my family. So much changed for me when my life was saved. My outlook ,my priorities. My joy in being alive. My involvement in every moment. My determination. My awareness of the beauty that can be found all around us if we just look. Gratitude, Humility , love and my family are Paramount to me now. Above all I wish to thank my dear wife and partner of over 30 years Marie Trout . Without her I would not be here. In the hospital there were moments I wanted to give up and she would not let me. She was there everyday and every step of the way.

Walter and his wife Marie with their
children.

I wish to thank our 3 children, Jon Trout, Biskit Braendgard, Dylan Trout. I understand how incredibly difficult It must have been for them to watch their parents go through this, and I want them to know I love them completely. I want to thank my dear and sweet mother in law Anne Grethe Brændgaard for her constant love and support. I wish to thank my dear friend Del Black For helping Marie get me to Omaha. I wish to thank the amazing medical team in Omaha who saved me. Lead by the miracle worker doctor of Omaha - Doctor Dan Shafer. I wish to thank our Omaha angels, Vanessa Marie and Jeff Davis. I wish to think Tony Braunagel and Curtis Salgado for facilitating Marie's contact with doctor Dan. And- I wish to thank all the fans and friends and the blues community for rallying around us so wonderfully and completely. I felt the love and it gave me strength to hold on. Finally --I wish to thank my donor. Sign up and be a donor please ! In these past 6 years I've managed to release 5 albums and I'm currently recording my 6th album since my transplant. I want to continue to play music. It has been my Passion since I was a small boy and I still love it deeply. Today

I am moved and humbled and emotional beyond words. I was given a second chance and I won't take it lightly and as long as I am able I will continue to try to give you all my best .Much love and God-bless.

Walter has returned to performing and releasing new 
music. An amazing story!

The Allman Betts Band announce new album, release first single

It was a thrill to catch the Allman Betts Band when they performed at the Doheny Blues Festival in May 2019 (you can read my review of that show here). Now comes word that the troupe is set to release a new album this summer. All the details follow via a new media release...

From left, Berry Oakley Jr., Devon Allman and Duane Betts of the Allman Betts Band.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The Allman Betts Band announce new album 'Bless Your Heart' - out August 28, 2020 via BMG

RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “MAGNOLIA ROAD” + OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

BUY/STREAM “MAGNOLIA ROAD” 

PRE-ORDER BLESS YOUR HEART

The Allman Betts Band has announced their second full-length studio album titled Bless Your Heart.  The first single, “Magnolia Road” will be released on all DSPs Friday, June 19.   The official music video for the track will exclusively premiere via The ABB official YouTube channel at 1pm ET on Friday, June 19.  Devon Allman and Duane Betts will join the premiere and will be chatting live with fans. 

“Magnolia Road” is the tie-dyed contender for summer festival favorite.  A semi-autobiographical lyric shared by Betts and Allman, ironically this is the only song on the album with band collaborator Stoll Vaughan as its sole author.  Vaughan wrote the song alone, though namechecking detailed parts of Betts’ and Allman’s life, respectively.  Musically evokes the group’s affection for The Band and the Grateful Dead.

The Allman Betts Band is:

Devon Allman- guitar, vocals  Duane Betts- guitar, vocals

Berry Duane Oakley- bass, vocals  Johnny Stachela- guitar, vocals John Ginty- keyboards

R Scott Bryan- percussion, vocals  John Lum- drums

WATCH “MAGNOLIA ROAD”

When The Allman Betts Band released Down to the River in June of 2019, the debut album represented not only the first time the group had recorded together but, in fact, the first time the seven-piece ensemble had ever played together.  If Down to the River was the sound of the band’s combustible sparks igniting, then Bless Your Heart is their bonfire, built for the summer of 2020 and beyond; a double-album follow-up fueled by road-forged camaraderie and telepathic musical intensity, vibrantly reflecting the individual and collective experiences of these seven, all drawing inspiration from the band’s symbolic hometown- a place Devon Allman calls “the United States of Americana.”

A conflagration of influences and invention, confidence and ambition, Bless Your Heart captures a vast, panoramic scope throughout a baker’s dozen of modern rock.  Ragged and stomping.  Heady and frayed.  Soaring and scorching.  Generational and genteel.  West Coast scenes and Gulf Coast shores.  Gateways of the Midwest and swamplands of Florida.  Wyoming’s Big Sky.  New York’s Big Apple.  Chicago’s Broad Shoulders. 

Over a week’s time, they recorded 13 songs at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio on 2-inch tape, just as they did with Down to The River.  In addition to the time in Muscle Shoals, Bless Your Heart saw additional tracking in Memphis and St. Louis.  Within the eclectic repertoire are the familiar: stacks of guitars; electric, acoustic, and slide; a throttling, percussive rhythm section.  And the fresh:  Bassist and singer Berry Duane Oakley’s ABB vocal debut on his original song (“The Doctor’s Daughter”); Allman’s baritone vocal channeling Johnny Cash (“Much Obliged”); Betts extending the legendary family legacy of incendiary instrumentals (“Savannah’s Dream”).  They tapped friends, as well, such as Jimmy Hall, Shannon McNally, Art Edmaiston, Susan Marshall, and Reba Russell for guest contributions.  Then, emerged with an undeniable achievement of an album (what sophomore jinx?) worthy of its winking, unabashedly Southern title.  

“I think we definitely challenged ourselves, pushed ourselves artistically, and widened the spectrum on all levels.  We wanted something that was a little more sweeping.  A deeper experience,” says Betts.

Says Allman, “I hope what people hear on Bless Your Heart is a band that’s having a love affair with being a band.”

THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND

BLESS YOUR HEART (BMG)

RELEASE DATE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28

TRACKLISTING

Pale Horse Rider 

Carolina Song

King Crawler

Ashes of My Lovers

Savannah’s Dream

Airboats & Cocaine

Southern Rain

Rivers Run

Magnolia Road

Should We Ever Part

The Doctor’s Daughter 

Much Obliged

Congratulations 

Connect with The Allman Betts Band:

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