The familiar story is that even though they鈥檝e both been professional musicians since their late teens, Joey and David Landreth never thought of forming a band until Joey called his brother on a whim more than a year ago.
Of course, that鈥檚 not entirely true: when they were in their early teens they played in a family band, fronted by their dad, called Team Landreth.
Joey Landreth, half of the creative brain behind the rising alt-country outfit The Bros Landreth, explains that both he and his brother got into music at a fairly young age as an excuse to spend time with their father, Winnipeg songwriter Wally Landreth.
For both brothers, those early interests led to careers as touring musicians. For nearly a decade they worked individually as hired hands for various groups and artists, occasionally even playing the same gig.
Then, one day, Joey called his brother and suggested they take a break from working backup and have some fun playing a few small folk festivals together.
鈥淭he whole purpose was let鈥檚 just do something easy going. We鈥檇 both been out on the road with different artists, and I particularity was feeling pretty burnt out. I had just finished a long and tough tour. So I called up my brother and said 鈥榟ey, just for fun, let鈥檚 put something together, just you and me,鈥濃�� the eldest Landreth explains.
The brothers got together and began writing, quickly realizing they weren鈥檛 making folk music. After a brief period of thinking they would be a 鈥渒ick ass rock-and-roll band鈥� they realized they were doing something completely new. That鈥檚 when they added drummer Ryan Voth and keyboardist Alex Campbell to the lineup.
鈥淏efore we knew it, we were going into the studio to record and we were going out on a studio release tour,鈥� Landreth says.
He jokes that the band ended up being the exact opposite of the break from work he had originally intended, but says it鈥檚 by far the best project he鈥檚 ever been a part of.
He recalls a moment while recording their debut album Let it Lie, when they were laying down the keys on an old Hammond B3 organ. 鈥淭here is a moment in one of the songs鈥攖rack number seven, it鈥檚 called 鈥淣othing鈥濃�攚hen the organ swells in the second verse, I looked over at my brother and we both had tears in our eyes. We had just shared this really nice moment鈥攋ust sort of watching the record take shape and become an album right before our eyes. It was a very moving moment,鈥� Landreth says.
He explains that Let it Lie is the amalgamation of his relationship with his brother. It was an opportunity for the two to make whatever kind of music they wanted, which was really significant for their careers.
He says they had both been playing backup for a long time, so they knew what it meant to make compromises. They decided the album would be compromise free, 鈥渁nd it might limit us, but you know what, who cares?鈥�
The Bros are currently on a western Canadian tour supporting their record, and will be playing the Jasper Legion with Del Barber March 5.
Barber will be there promoting his new album Prairieography.
Trevor Nichols
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