As an erstwhile member of Old Crow Medicine Show, Gill Landry has been a vital component of one of the most expansively creative American Bluegrass outfits of the past two decades. As a solo artist, Landry has applied a modern veneer to traditional Country and Folk, crafting songs that combine the melancholy perspective of a contemporary Americana troubadour with the ramshackle wear and tear of a classic hobo. Comparisons to Bob Dylan, John Prine and Tom Waits are neither inappropriate nor undeserved.
A native of Lake Charles, La., Landry began playing guitar about the time he entered kindergarten. As a young man, Landry developed a taste and talent for the busking life, turning every street corner into an impromptu stage. He and several like-minded friends busked their way around the country and throughout Europe, first as The Songsters and then as The Kitchen Syncopators.
In 2000, two years after forming the Syncopators, Landry met some of the guys from Old Crow Medicine Show when they were all busking in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. After a six-year run that resulted in a handful of self-released albums, the Syncopators dissolved in 2004 and Landry moved into a utility sideman role with Old Crow Medicine Show. The band needed a banjo player and Landry slightly misrepresented his skills; he didn’t own a banjo and needed a lesson from the owner of the store where he bought one.
For the next 11 years, Landry became a vital part of Old Crow Medicine Show’s success story, at the same time differentiating himself with an acclaimed solo presence through the release of 2007’s The Ballad of Lawless Soirez on Nettwerk, 2011’s self-released Piety & Desire and last year’s self-titled and much heralded debut for ATO Records. Perhaps recognizing the potential in his third solo album, Landry resigned from Old Crow Medicine Show right after its release; given the enormous success he helped facilitate with Old Crow Medicine Show, there may have been no better endorsement for Landry than his full-time commitment to his solo endeavors.
With a croon as true as Elvis Costello’s aim and a repertoire as authentic as the history of American roots music, Gill Landry is one of the realest deals to emerge from any scene in a very long time.
This article appears in Jan 13-20, 2016.
