Our new playlist of the best new Americana we’ve heard over the last month is out later today exclusively for AUK supporters including new tracks by Billy Strings, Dean Owens, The Attention Seekers and Alela Diane among others – we basically dig out the best americana from the last month so you don’t have to. And if you are a supporter, we also have a great exclusive giveaway of the opening artist from this month’s playlist, Porltand Oregon’s The Delines – one supporter will win a pair of tickets to see them on one of their UK dates next week.
The tour coincides with the release of ‘The Lost Duets’: mariachi-influenced horns, pedal steel, and accordion are the back drop for the first ever Delines duets between lead singer, Amy Boone, and songwriter and guitarist Willy Vlautin.
“We both love singing duets,” says Vlautin. “I’ve written a few but so far they haven’t fit on any of our records. The wrong place at the wrong time sorta thing. The Golden State leans on our cowpunk roots but I brought it to the band when we had already drifted away from that sound. My Blood Bleeds The Darkest Blue has a real Lee Hazelwood Ennio Morricone orchestrated desert feel to it but at the time we were working on The Sea Drift, songs set along the Gulf Coast, so that one didn’t fit either. But once we had The Sea Drift done we recorded the duets as a present to ourselves. Both are songs we really love but songs left orphaned along the way and we thought we better give them a proper home.”
Earlier this year the Delines released that heralded third record ‘The Sea Drift’. For fans of Daptone Records, the Tony Joe White soul-inspired ballads are set in coastal Texas and Louisiana towns and feature underbelly characters with names like Little Earl and Kid Codeine. Vlautin once again creates a record of cinematic vignettes, Boone sings with even more depth and world-weary beauty while trumpeter/keyboardist Cory Gray’s horn and string arrangements create the tension and drama of a film. We said of it back in February: “It’s hard to imagine hearing a better album this year” – well it’s November and we’re not wrong yet.
The band are heading off on tour again after sell-out dates across Europe and the UK and ‘The Sea Drift’ is being re-relelased on clear vinyl for the tour. Here are the UK and Ireland dates which are just about sold out:
Nov 6 – Waterford, IRE – St Patrick’s Gateway
Nov 7 – Galway, IRE – Roisin Dubh
Nov 8 – Dublin, IRE – Pepper Canister Church
Nov 9 – Leeds, UK – Howard Assembly Rooms
Nov 10 -Manchester, UK – Deaf Institute
Nov 11 London, UK – Alexandra Park Theatre
You can become an AUK supporter for just £2 a month here. Thanks in advance if you are able to support us.
Totally agree with your appraisal of “Sea Drift” Mark, a great album. I was lucky enough to see the band earlier this year in Nottingham, which was a great concert. Cory Gray playing keyboard and trumpet at the same time was astounding!