Throughout the history of rock music, kids from one generation to the next have idolized guitar players and maybe been inspired to play themselves. The more knowledgeable kids dig deep and go beyond the flash of Clapton, Hendrix, Page or White, to find those that inspired the icons of rock and roll. They go back to the roots and find religion when they hear Robert Johnson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Son House, Chuck Berry, and countless others. For Larkin Poe, their grounding to the roots has never been in question, but with their latest single and video, “Preachin Blues,” from their forthcoming album Peach, they are digging deep and replanting those roots in their own yard.
Inspired by their “Tip o’ the Hat” series of DIY YouTube videos where they’ve covered everything from Michael Jackson to Black Sabbath, as well as many traditional blues artists, this Son House cover stomps with their signature funky enthusiasm, swagger and mastery of their craft. The video, while more polished, captures the feel of those DIY videos with the Lovell sisters singing and playing in tight close ups into mics you can imagine are hooked up to a Macbook running Garageband. While the production on this studio version is clearly more professional than on the DIY video that inspired it, their joy in playing always comes through in the understated clip.
Watch this video, listen to all their music, pre-order the new album, then go to their YouTube channel and find all their videos. In particular, I recommend their cover of The Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out” which gives me chills, every time I see it, at how effortless their groove is. I can’t speak for anyone else, but Meghan and Rebecca Lovell have certainly inspired me to pick up my guitar.
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