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ContactsAgency RA: Chris Cate (310) 827-3272 |
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Big Daddy Love BiographyBig Daddy Love is a five-piece band from Sparta, NC with a unique and natural blend of rock, roots and grass that they call ‘Appalachian Rock’. Live, with the lights on and the volume up, Big Daddy Love stretches the music out with top notch picking and ripping, delivering a stompin’ good time rich with authentic Carolina soul. At the same time, the good-natured, yet thoughtful sincerity of the lyrical content, the authentic song-craft and the undeniable musicianship of the band– as heard live and in studio recordings– has resonated with audiences throughout the ether and generated demand beyond the markets where they currently perform. Essentially organic in both disposition and composition, BDL’s signature sound is derived from the interplay between the twin leads instruments: Stratocaster riffs and soaring Allman-esque slide guitar on the one hand, and electric and acoustic 5-string Scruggs / Fleck style banjo picking on the other. Above the mix, the lead vocals and acoustic guitar accompaniment of their principal songwriter, Daniel Justin Smith, command the listener’s attention and call for the harmonies that arise in response. This is all anchored by a rhythm section that is equally at home in a groove or driving the bus with country, swing, funk or straight ahead rock. Big Daddy Love’s high-energy performances, fueled by this combination of fiery vocals, sweet-sugary harmonies and striking instrumental dynamics that range from bombastic assaults to soothing grooves, have garnered them a strong, passionate following throughout their home region. Big Daddy Love’s multiple performances at 2011′s Floyd Festival made it clear that this is likely the most important new band to watch in the East Coast roots rock and Americana community. Having only been together since the Summer of 2009, Big Daddy Love– founded by high school friends from the rural hill country of Sparta, NC– was just playing a handful of North Carolina markets when they made their first trip to Floyd in 2010, where they won the prestigious “Under The Radar” contest for the best new artist at the large, Virginia festival. The fresh, vital sound and energized performance of this new band simply blew people away, and with the fan-voted award under their belts, Big Daddy Love returned home and began to build their grass roots following in earnest. With their new release, Let It Grow (Little King Records, 2011), Big Daddy Love’s signature Appalachian Rock sound is further refined in a collection of songs that seamlessly pick up where their 2010 debut To The Mountain left off. Critics have been impressed, to say the least. Says FAME (acousticmusic.com): “An interesting blend of folk grass, prog-grass, country, rock, and hillbilly plaint, Big Daddy Love’s Let It Grow reminds strongly of the ’60s and ’70s when psychedelia and experimentation were entering the roots music genre quite handily, much thanks to the Dead, Barefoot Jerry, Kaleidoscope, and various ahead-of-their-time look-back-fondly groove merchants. The instrumental key is the up-front guitar work of Joey Recchio and banjo playing of Brian Swenk, a pair strikingly contrasted while perfectly indexed. Big Daddy Love, y’see, always cuts an eye to what most of us miss, and Daniel Smith is one hell of a composer, writer, and singer. That’s what those shivers climbing up your spine …are telling you.” John Shelton Ivany, the storied published, editor and music critic for magazines ranging from Hit Parader to Creem, stated in his blog (JSITop21.com) that “Big Daddy Love’s “Let It Grow” combines rock and hillbilly with joy. This is truly an extraordinary album and you must check it out. One of the best albums of the year.” Americana radio seemed to agree, and by the end of 2011, Big Daddy Love was at #36 in the national AMA charts, #5 in the Homegrown Music chart of specialty shows and had received a number of nominations for album of the year. Despite carving out new ground with a new sound that incorporates many styles, Big Daddy Love has remained true to their roots. This is good news for the fans. This is also good news for the roots music community, which is more-and-more represented over the last couple of years by bands from places far removed from the roots themselves, who have adopted a more cynical posture to the idiom. With their “on the sleeve”, sincere sentiments and first rate musicianship, Big Daddy Love may well be the antidote to this erosion of the roots sound, despite being– in many ways– a blue collar rock band with Appalachian flavor. |
