Band of brothers

Veteran local musicians Dave and Joey Landreth strike out on their own with The Bros. Landreth

Forever in blue jeans: After years of supporting acts like Imaginary Cities, Ridley Bent and Doc Walker, veteran sidemen Dave and Joey Landreth (middle and right) have teamed up with their friend Ryan Voth (left) to form their own project, The Bros. Landreth. Supplied

Joey Landreth, lead singer and guitarist for new Winnipeg rock trio The Bros. Landreth, is in the recording studio working on the band’s debut album when The Uniter calls.

Most of the album is recorded and in three weeks’ time it will be done, but the blonde, bearded six-string slinger still finds the task at hand daunting.

“It just feels like we’re standing at the foot of a really big hill with a lot of stuff to carry up it,” he says, laughing.

He’s in good company as he treks up the hill, though. His brother Dave (bass) and friend Ryan Voth (drums) complete the trio.

Joey, 25, says he and Dave, 27, had the idea to start a band in late 2011. Both are veteran sidemen - Joey’s toured and recorded with Doc Walker, Steve Bell and The Wyrd Sisters, while Dave’s played bass for Imaginary Cities, Ridley Bent and Romi Mayes - and both wanted to start their own project.

Dave and I have a really wonderful relationship - we always have. At the risk of sounding cheesy, we’re best friends.

Joey Landreth

“We’ve been playing behind all these people for so many years and we thought, we want to do that - we want to build a career for ourselves,” Joey says. “I always had an idea for my own project, and we had never thought of doing a brother thing, but we thought, why don’t we do something together?”

To complete the group, the brothers enlisted Voth, who performs with Imaginary Cities, Del Barber and The New Lightweights. They also began writing songs - an alluring blend of bluesy rock with an alt-country twang, topped off by Joey’s soulful vocals.

“Dave and I have been sidemen for the last 10 years … and played a million different kinds of music,” Joey explains. “If there’s anything that’s unique about our sound, it’s because of that.”

The band released a free digital EP called Works In Progress at the beginning of January via its Bandcamp page. The debut full-length - produced by Murray Pulver (Doc Walker, Crash Test Dummies) and recorded predominantly at Unity Gain Productions - will come out in September.

So how do the brothers get along? Can music fans expect a Noel-and-Liam-Gallagher-style meltdown when the Bros. Landreth perform at the Folk Exchange this coming Saturday, Feb. 9?

“Actually, Dave and I have a really wonderful relationship - we always have. At the risk of sounding cheesy, we’re best friends,” Joey says.

“At the same time, no one knows how to piss me off quite like my brother does,” he adds, laughing. “But, anyone with a brother can attest to that.”

Published in Volume 67, Number 19 of The Uniter (February 7, 2013)

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