Tim Easton has been singing and writing songs since he was 14 years old. He never considered another career. After finishing college, Easton hit the road with his guitar and spent seven years singing and playing on European street corners. When he got back to Ohio, Easton joined the Haynes Boys, a roots-rock outfit that made one album before breaking up. Free again, Easton picked up his guitar and returned to the road, touching down long enough to make nine albums that earned him a loyal following with their blend of gritty roots-rock and heartfelt songwriting. Every LP took a slightly different approach and his latest, Not Cool, shows off his love of rockabilly and early R&B. Easton will be quest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on him.
Easton: I moved to Nashville on Christmas Eve in 2011 with my wife and two-year-old daughter. On my wife’s first night on the town, she walked a few blocks down to the Family Wash, which was the closest venue to our home. That night, she saw Luella And The Sun play their second gig ever. The lead singer ended up giving her a ride home. She played me one of their songs on her phone that night, and the next time they played I was there to watch.
The guitar player had that John Lee Hooker tone going—plenty of gain on his amplifier and a deliberate gentle attack with his right hand—plus a serious dynamic being provide by the rhythm section. The lead singer commanded your attention. Vocal chops, fashion, attitude. She had it all. There was a lot of power in their sound and I thought to myself, “If this is the quality of band playing Thursday nights at the local joint, then this town is really cooking.” I knew they were great yet they were more or less unknown outside of East Nashville. Of course, the individual members had quite a history of their own and were collectively on the verge of something much larger. It was just good timing that I was able to witness their first steps.
Luella And The Sun are a truly great band of musicians who were lucky enough to find each other, and who will continue to grow and dazzle audiences the world over.
Video after the jump.
