one of the best shows I’ve seen!
by Ebrou on 6/29/18Tralf - BuffaloThe Larkin Poe sister are amazing musicians! Will definitely see them next time there in the area.
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The latest full-length from Larkin Poe, Blood Harmony is a whole-hearted invitation into a world they know intimately, a Southern landscape so precisely conjured you can feel the sticky humidity of the warm summer air. In bringing their homeland to such rich and dazzling life, Georgia-bred multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell fortify their storytelling with a blues-heavy sound that hits right in the heart, at turns stormy and sorrowful and wildly exhilarating. Rooted in the potent musicality the Nashville-based duo has brought to such widely lauded work as 2018's Venom & Faith (a GRAMMY® Award nominee for Best Contemporary Blues Album), Blood Harmony affirms Larkin Poe as an essential force in shaping the identity of Southern rock-and-roll, breathing new energy into the genre with both forward-thinking perspective and a decidedly feminine strength.
"We have such fond memories of our upbringing and experiencing the beauty of Southern hospitality in its truest form--it's a very loving and inclusive energy," says Rebecca, Larkin Poe's lead vocalist/lyricist. "There's an idea that we don't walk alone, and that there's safety in keeping your door open to anyone and everyone. What we try to share through our music is the emotional equivalent of opening your door to everyone and inviting them in for sweet tea."
In a departure from the self-contained approach of past albums like 2020's Self Made Man--a critically acclaimed LP praised by American Songwriter as "pumped up for arena-sized consumption without compromising any of its stripped-down command and intensity"--Larkin Poe co-produced Blood Harmony alongside Texas-bred musician Tyler Bryant (also Rebecca's husband). "In the past we've taken a very intentional tact of self-reliance, but this time it felt right to open up the process while still keeping it a family affair," says Rebecca. With Megan handling harmony vocals, lap steel, and resonator guitar and Rebecca on guitar and keys, Larkin Poe also enlisted members of their longtime live band, including drummer Kevin McGowan and bassist Tarka Layman. Mainly recorded at Rebecca and Tyler's home studio, the result is an electrifying body of work that fully harnesses the fiery vitality they've shown in touring across the globe. "We spent a lot of time hashing everything out in pre-production, just the two of us, so that by the time we got to recording we'd already worked out all the details," Megan recalls. "We didn't want to end up stitching a bunch of takes together--we just wanted to get in there and make it as live and raw as possible."
One of the first songs penned for Blood Harmony, "Southern Comfort" instantly set the tone for Larkin Poe's finespun reflection on their heritage. With its soul-stirring harmonies and sharply detailed lyrics ("Blue jeans, leaning on a hot car/Broke every string on my old guitar"), the fiercely stomping track channels both gutsy determination and a homesick longing for days gone by. "That song partly came from thinking about our little aunts in Chattanooga," Rebecca says. "It's about rolling up as rock-and-roll musicians with tattoos on our arms, and they'd just sit us down and get out the pinto beans and collard greens and cornbread." Another meditation on the preciousness of family, Blood Harmony's smoldering title track celebrates a certain unbridled spirit passed down through generations. "'Blood Harmony' came together after Megan and our mom and I all read Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being, which is about the ways we perceive the passage of time," says Rebecca. "There was just something about the sweetness of all three of us reading the same book, and then being able to talk about how it related to our love for each other and our love for music." And on "Georgia Off My Mind," the duo deliver a heavy-hearted yet swinging lament for what we leave behind in chasing our dreams. "Like 99 percent of my songs, that song came into being at my kitchen table late in the evening," says Rebecca. "My husband and I stumbled into that line at the chorus--'Tennessee keep Georgia off my mind'--and it turned into a love song for the stretch of I-24 that connects Atlanta and Nashville, which is a drive we've made thousands of times now."
All throughout Blood Harmony, Larkin Poe imbue their songs with equal parts soulful sensitivity and thrilling ferocity--an element on full display in the feverish guitar work of "Bad Spell." "Ever since I heard 'I Put a Spell on You' by Screamin' Jay Hawkins for the first time I've wanted to write a female response to it," says Rebecca. "I'd had the title 'Bad Spell' in my journal for years, and it was so fun to create a song where the riffs and guitar tones have that singular purpose of nastiness and swagger." From the bare-bones frenzy of the album-opening "Deep Stays Down" to the euphoric bounce of "Kick the Blues" to the moody enchantment of "Lips As Cold As Diamond," Blood Harmony reveals a band in complete touch with their formidable intuition. "We've always been tenacious about following our gut, and that's really served us well," says Megan. "With my playing on this record, I trusted my own process and my own voice more than I ever have before, and when I listen back it sounds so much more like me. There's a lot of power in that."
A glorious testament to staying true to your instincts, Blood Harmony ultimately embodies a joyful empowerment that Larkin Poe hope to extend to their globe-spanning fanbase, including the close-knit community who call themselves Kinsiders. "They're people who have maybe never met in the flesh but are still able to connect and commune, and they're all so accepting of one another," says Rebecca. "We always feel that very loving aura at our live shows, and we feel incredibly fortunate for that. It's our highest and best purpose to be that connective tissue for others."
Rating: 5 out of 5 Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe killed it at Teragram!
by PeterthePhotog on 5/21/18Teragram Ballroom - Los AngelesThe band was probably excited cause they packed over twice as many people in as their last gig in L.A. at Hotel Cafe 6 months before. Great show! Great people at the Teragram from the door to the bar (points for being in a separate room from the main listening room) to inside. Good sound. Good light. Only downside is they don't allow pro cameras and the lighting was so good. Neighborhood is a little sketchy (downtown) but you can park close. Across the street.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe: Talented and Personable . . .
by Biller57 on 5/21/18Teragram Ballroom - Los AngelesMy wife and I, along with our good friends, got in on a VIP package at the Teragram Ballroom for the Larkin Poe show on May 18th. The sisters, Megan and Rebecca, come out on stage about an hour before the doors opened to the general public and warmly greeted the 25 or so folks who had also opted for the VIP package. The introduced themselves and played a couple of acoustic numbers before walking with us to the venue bar where they answered questions, took photos with us, signed posters for everybody, and just generally mingled. The two of them could not have been more personable and accommodating. They were just lovely! After a good, solid performance by opening act Gold Star, the sisters hit the stage with their band and proceeded to ROCK the by then packed crowd of over 600 people! A truly wonderful and enjoyable performance which really showcased just how musically talented the two of them are. They both display great stage presence and the band as a whole is very tight. A really excellent show!! I only became aware of Larkin Poe a couple of months prior to the show when my friend, who himself had only just discovered them, showed me a couple of their self-made YouTube videos. We are both rabid old blues fans and we were both struck with their treatments of the cover songs they did as well as the obvious reverence in which they hold this music. Let's face it: there are not a lot of twenty-somethings that are into this kind of traditional music. They earned our respect rather quickly and cement that respect with the meet-and-greet/performance at the Teagram Ballroom. We will make every effort to catch them when they are in Los Angeles in the coming years and we wish them nothing but success.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Unbelievable show!!!
by deadite68 on 5/21/18Teragram Ballroom - Los AngelesI'd always enjoyed Larkin Poe's music, but I didn't really know what to expect from them live. This show was SO MUCH fun and really hit me on a level I didn't expect. These are two girls who really know how to put on a rock show!! They're skilled musicians, and the show is high energy from start to finish. The way they interact with the audience really shows that they truly enjoy what they're doing, and the way they play off each other onstage shows that these two sisters have a deep, mutual respect and love for each other. Watching them perform was an absolutely joyful experience, and really brings a smile to your face. Can hardly wait to see them again!!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Larkin Poe was mind-blowing !!!!
by HBHokie on 5/21/18Teragram Ballroom - Los AngelesWow. Just WOW !!!!! These ladies are an infusion of blues and soul into a rather stale rock scene these days. I love the fact that they pay homage to the old blues singers/guitarists and know the roots from which their craft emanates. I predict great things so see Larkin Poe now while you can still get up close. Enjoy !!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe
by Miniaustin on 5/21/18Teragram Ballroom - Los AngelesGreat show and an excellent new venue in downtown LA.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe was amazing
by Eaars on 4/30/16Mercury Lounge - New Yorkabsolutely love this band! Was a great venue to catch them at. Both bands sounded great here. The opener SHEL I have seen several times and love them. There is something ethereal about thier music that makes you come back for more! First time seeing Larkin Poe but I have been a fan for years. Can't wait to see them again, they sing and play great and basically just kick ass.
Rating: 5 out of 5by airberlin on 4/24/16Mercury Lounge - New York Larkin Poe hit the stage with poise and pizzazz. These serious musicians played with delightful abandon lending a fresh sound to marvelously throaty blues and a charismatic performance. So great!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe and SHEL were amazing!!
by aworldforyou on 4/22/16Mercury Lounge - New YorkI had an amazing trip down to New York City to see Larkin Poe at The Mercury Lounge. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere of the club was awesome. The band SHEL opened up the show and blew me away. I had never listened to them before but they made a fan out of me that night. I was front row when Larkin Poe hit the stage and they killed it (as they always do)! Got to meet and talk with them after the show too! Couldn't have asked for a better night!
Rating: 5 out of 5by EdgardoPoe on 4/22/16Mercury Lounge - New York These girls were amazing, I was really impressed. Hope their talents take them very far, glad I saw them on Conan's show
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe with SHEL
by Bohhbann on 4/22/16Mercury Lounge - New YorkI first encountered the ladies from Larkin Poe on the Joe Bonamassa keeping the blues alive at sea cruise. They were fantastic; so much so that I actually saw some or all of their show 4 times!!! When I found out they were playing the Mercury Lounge I was very excited, and booked two tickets without looking at my husband's calendar. He had a conflict so I took a friend from work. Guess what? They have another fan to add to their base. I was also impressed by the opening band SHEL. Sister's rule, especially when they are from my hometown of Ft. Collins, CO! What a delightfully different band. A combo of Sea shanty, Celtic and good old Blues. I would highly recommend you catching a show of theirs if they are traveling your way. It's well worth it.
Rating: 5 out of 5 AMAZING
by Dkenary on 4/22/16Mercury Lounge - New Yorkthis concert was really something. i was not expecting to be blown away like i was. aside from their obvious talent, the sisters complement each other perfectly and engage the crowd successfully. the bassist is perfectly understated and the drummer is flat-out AMAZING. Everyone left in awe! Highly recommended!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Great show!
by SanSimeon on 3/21/15Broward Center Au Rene Theater - Ft. LauderdaleThey were an opening act for Elvis Costello and came on as just a duet. What a show. I was very impressed with their sound and the fact they could pull off such a fantastic set with only two instruments at a time. (Either mandolin/guitar and slide guitar.) they did a great rendition of Wade in the Water as well as some original material. Their playing was great and their vocals were fantastic. Loved the slide technique! The only negative thing I can say is they didn't play longer! I hope they come back to the area for a longer show soon!
Rating: 5 out of 5 Larkin Poe
by EdgardoPoe on 11/3/14Mercury Lounge - New YorkWhy aren't these girls famous? they are world class!