The Delines at Rough Trade East

The Delines is a brand new super band founded by Richmond Fontaine’s Willy Vlautin. As we well know, this novelist and songwriter from Portland owns a passion for stories of losers and the defeated, set in dusty country locations. This new project keeps to the tradition: it tells us of Colfax Avenue in Denver, a road mentioned by Jack Kerouac in On the Road, known for being a shelter for boarders and junkies from the US. Founded in the 1850 in Denver and originally called Golden Road, this avenue has become a gritty centre for prostitution and drug dealing.

Vlautin’s songs describe deep and sad stories, infused with anguish and melancholy, where the characters are without any chance of salvation. The settings for these stories are even more savage: deserts, motels, peep shows and bars lit by red neon.

Their alt-country blues reminds of Lambchop and Giant Sand in terms of elegance – two of the most iconic bands in this genre hailing from the US – mostly during songs like He Told Her the City Was Killing Him, Sandman’s Coming and Wichita Ain’t So Far Away. At Rough Trade East , the band managed to bring some dust from the desert to the audience, amused and entertained by the mood. A respectful silence during the performance made the experience intimate, almost religious.

Thanks to the stunning voice of Amy Boone, the music of Jenny Conlee from The Decemberist, as well as Richmond Fontaine’s Sean Oldham and Vlautin himself, The Delines are the perfect soundtrack for these stories. Their strong picturesque and cinematographic skill means you can easily picture in your mind Kerouac’s Sal Paradise, drinking in his own in a bar full of barflies and junkies, while Boone sings in a corner with her band.

Lorenzo Cibrario

For further information and future events visit The Delines’ website here.

Watch the video for The Oil Rigs at Night here: