The roots-rocking, bluesy band plays Fountain Street Church Saturday, part of a tour that’s crisscrossing the country. The band chatted recently with Local Spins writer Enrique Olmos.
Larkin Poe: Preparing to unleash a concert that’s inspiring and brings people into the process. (Photo/Bree Marie Fish)
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Larkin Poe began its journey through the unpredictable landscape of the music industry in 15-passenger vans, rolling down the expressway in creaky metal tubes equipped with bench seats.
Now, the duo ambles along the countryside in a tour bus.
“It’s been really incredible. We have played far more shows than we anticipated thus far this year. And we do feel really grateful we’ve had some great audiences,” says vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Rebecca Lovell.
“We’re touring on a bus for the first time, and we just feel like we’re on top of the world. It’s a big stepping-up point in a career when you can have a tour bus. You see a lot more of the countryside when you’re driving through it.”
Formed in Georgia more than a decade ago, the Nashville-based band fronted by sisters Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell has faced a number of obstacles in its career, most recently a global pandemic.
‘Having So Much Fun’: The band’s tour stops in West Michigan. (Photo/Robby Klein)
But the band is still selling out shows and tearing up the interstate. Larkin Poe performs at Fountain Street Church on Saturday (Oct. 30). Tickets for the Audiotree Presents show are $37.50 in advance online here; $42 at the door. The show begins at 8 p.m. with opening act The Collection. Doors open at 7 p.m.
“We have really been laying it all out on stage every night since we kicked off this tour about three weeks ago. And we’re having so much fun,” says vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Megan Lovell.
“I mean, legitimately, I think it’s my favorite show we’ve ever put on and we’re finally getting a tour in support of our record. So to finally be out doing it, there’s a lot of pent-up energy that we need to release.”
Fusing elements of Americana, folk, rock and blues with modern sensibilities, Larkin Poe conjures a familiar and refreshing sound. The group notability employs the use of slide guitar, the likes of which can be heard swimming through tracks to create a musical glue.
“I think slide brings a vocal quality to the instrumentation of the song. The slide is kind of the bridge between vocals and instrumentation. It has an almost operatic quality. And I think it also really brings in that rootsy vibe,” Megan Lovell says.
Touring often gets a reputation for being exhausting and lonely. Time away from home takes a toll and the schedule of soundcheck and shows can become monotonous. The pros, however, include travel, making connections and sampling the local flavor of a regional dish or a vibey neighborhood. The Lovells have seized the opportunity to get out and experience their surroundings regularly while on tour.
“I would say, getting to eat local foods is a big thing. We like seeing the local coffee spots, seeing the local cuisine. It’s always really fun,says Rebecca Lovell.
“Yesterday, we had some really great seafood. We tried some of the local oysters near Virginia Beach. We actually implemented a note on our rider that asked for more local snacks.”
A ‘CARTOONISHLY DRAMATIC MOMENT’ ON STAGE & FULFILLING PERFORMANCES
In contrast, there are times when the clock is ticking and the only stop for miles is the faint glow of a weathered gas station, a beacon (of questionable bathrooms and limited snacks) amid the ocean of the great American interstate. Like most touring musicians, The Lovells have their go-to gas station snacks.
“If ever we’re at a gas station, I’m going for the cashews, preferably unsalted. That’s definitely my jam. The whole band also has a new favorite of these Dot’s Pretzels. They’re fairly tasty,” says Megan Lovell.
While riding its current wave of momentum (2020’s “Self Made Man” hit No. 1 on the Billboard blues album chart), Larkin Poe has arrived at a carefully crafted stage performance. It’s a riveting full-band set, curated to inspire and bring joy.
But upon reflecting, stories of onstage blunders from earlier years are unearthed. Megan Lovell recounts one such tale:
2020 Release: “Self Made Man”
“There’s a story that the band loves to tell about me, where we played a particularly narrow stage. There wasn’t a whole lot of room to run around on the stage and I was playing right in front of my guitar amplifiers. And there was a lip on the stage that the guitar amplifier was set up on.
“I managed to get a little rambunctious with my dancing and caught the back of my heels on this little lip. I fall over, and then proceed to fall on top of the amp, which then falls over. It made a horrendous sound and everybody just continued to jam on stage, which was actually kind of awesome. So I’m having this cartoonishly dramatic moment and everyone’s kind of performing business as usual.
“We definitely had a good laugh with that one.”
With fingers crossed for a smooth show, free of amplifier annihilations, Larkin Poe — which last fall released the album, “Kindred Spirits,” featuring striking covers of iconic songs — is poised to fill the cavernous Fountain Street Church with joyous and uplifting refrains.
“I think the unifying theme of what Megan and I try to put out into the world is joy through creativity, engaging creatively with your life,” says Rebecca Lovell.
“When we release records and we play shows, you really want to bring people into the process as much as we can, so that people can be inspired to start their own band, write their own songs, to play their instruments, to do the things that I think are fulfilling in life.”
VIDEO: Larkin Poe, “Back Down South”
VIDEO: Larkin Poe & Nu Deco Ensemble “Sometimes” (Live)
VIDEO: Larkin Poe, “Holy Ghost Fire”
Copyright 2021, Spins on Music LLC
