Larkin Poe delve into 'Venom & Faith'

Reybee PR

I've been a fan of this duo since I saw them open for Elvis Costello a few years ago. Recently, I reviewed them at Doheny Blues Fest in Dana Point, Calif. (see review elsewhere on this blog). Here's the latest...

Nashville-based sister duo Larkin Poe will release fourth full-length studio effort Venom & Faith on Nov. 9. “It’s a celebration of American roots music as translated by two sisters who are playing the blues in a modern age," says Rebecca Lovell.

The followup to their critically-acclaimed second album Peach which was nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best Emerging Artist Album, Venom & Faith was produced by both the band and their long-time engineer Roger Alan Nichols. Those who pre-order the record will receive "Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues” and “Ain’t Gonna Cry” as instant grat tracks.

Listen to "Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues" here: https://youtu.be/wui_CNVtI0E

Venom & Faith was recorded in Nashville earlier this year in between headline shows, festival dates such as Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and a featured guest performer spot on Keith Urban’s GraffitiU World Tour. 

Save for two covers ("Sometimes” by blues legend Bessie Jones and Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”), the rest of the record’s tracks are Larkin Poe originals. There are  unique production touches like organic percussion sounds — the thumping of dresser drawers, the slamming of back doors, and stomping on hardwood floors. The sisters tackle a majority of the instrumentation on the album with some help from friends, including Tyler Bryant who adds slide guitar on “Mississippi.”

The album’s title, Venom & Faith, is taken from a lyric on “Honey Honey” and, according to the sisters, is intended to conjure a southern gothic image. “The title of our last album, Peach, was an homage to our Georgia roots. With this album, we wanted a title that would allude to the duality of our art: gritty guitars offset by gentle vocals; musical moments of both tragedy and joy; the sacred and the profane.”

Album pre-orders and pre-saves on Spotify, iTunes and other digital retailers are available here https://lnk.to/BleachBlondeBottleBlues.

Track listing:

1. Sometimes
2. Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues
3. Honey Honey
4. Mississippi (Feat. Tyler Bryant)
5. California King
6. Blue Ridge Mountains
7. Fly Like An Eagle
8. Ain't Gonna Cry
9. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
10. Good And Gone