In the guitar scene – and especially in the USA – the name is Joey Landreth A household name for a long time: one of the best contemporary guitarists, extremely accomplished and versatile, but always useful for songs. Together with his brother David it forms the heart of The Bros. Landrethwhich are also slowly but steadily growing in terms of audience size in Europe. Now the band is releasing their new album “Dog Ear” ago – we met The Bros. Landreth for a chat.
Joey, David – your new album “Dog Ear” sounds a lot like a live band again. Can you tell us something about how it came about?
Joey Landreth: We had strategically kept some time free after the last tour in 2023. My wife and I had a baby on the way, so we knew we needed time to wind down. At the same time, we wanted to reserve a time slot for writing and recording. The band felt so good at the moment – that helped us form the idea for the album. It was clear: it was time for a live band record again.
Our last album was created during the pandemic – completely different. Our drummer at the time was in Nashville, recording his parts there, while we could never have more than three people in the studio because of the restrictions. This time we wanted the opposite: a real band album. Even our front-of-house engineer Ian Phillips was the engineer on the recordings. So it’s really become a band project that feels like a return to our roots. I think it marks the beginning of a new era – we’ll be making a lot of albums like this in the years to come.”
Do you write specifically for the respective albums or do the songs just come about that way?
Joey Landreth: We wrote a lot in advance, but there was no concept. We simply write what concerns us at the moment.
David Landreth: It’s often like this: We write what inspires us, and only when you have the songs together at the end do you see a common thread. We write about personal things, stories that move us, about experiences that we process. When you write a lot of songs in one period of time, they usually tell the story of a certain phase of your life. This time – not exclusively, but very clearly – the question is:
Who are we now? As fathers, as partners, as friends. How do children change our relationships – with each other, with our wives, with ourselves? Who do we want to be now that the Roaring Twenties are over and we are slowly approaching forty? That wasn’t planned, but looking back you realize: That’s exactly what was on our minds – and that’s what connects the songs.
Has becoming a father changed how you plan your career?
Joey Landreth: Very. We still travel a lot, but not nearly as much as we used to. We used to be on the road over 200 days a year, sometimes almost 300. Now it’s important to us to be home. We decide how long we will be on the road and how long we will stay at home in between. Touring remains central, but we’ve always been a live band – that’s part of who we are. So we take the families with us whenever we can. And if that doesn’t work, we’re very specific about what we promise.
David Landreth: What becomes really important with children: learning to defend your own boundaries. In this job there is a lot of pressure to be everywhere all the time and to take advantage of every opportunity. You have the feeling that if you say no, you will ruin your career. But after 15 years you realize – no, we are still here. If we make decisions that are good for our families, we can still make them in ten or twenty years.
Our wives need to know they can trust us. This stability keeps us alive as musicians. So it changes how we think – but in a positive way. It makes us better people, better fathers, better husbands.
The Bros. Landreth: We were constantly touring and that didn’t bring anything good
They foreshadowed difficult years in the past.
Joey Landreth: Oh yes. 2015, 2016 were years in which we said yes to everything. We were constantly touring and it didn’t bring anything good.
David Landreth: We were so exhausted that we shut down the band for three years. I just couldn’t take it anymore. It destroyed my marriage, and I had to go home to repair it—and myself along with it. With children you learn: You are responsible, but you also don’t want to miss this time. Childhood goes by so quickly. I don’t want to be on my deathbed thinking, ‘Damn, I should have done that differently.’
That sounds like an important insight. Is it hard to say no?
Joey Landreth: Yes, totally. But the pandemic has shown many that life goes on even when you take a break. It used to be said: If you’re not on tour, you’re forgotten. But after a three-year break, people were back in droves in front of the stage – even more enthusiastic than before. And even big artists are now canceling tours because they say: ‘This is killing me. I need a break.’ And the audience reacts with understanding. This changed the culture – for the better.
Where does this pressure to constantly deliver come from?
David Landreth: In the end there is art and there is commerce. When we write, record or play, that is art. Everything around it is business. And business wants to grow – that’s how it is in a capitalist world. I don’t hold that against anyone, we run our own label. But the truth is: most of the money comes from touring. And touring is hard. It’s possible if you approach it in a healthy and balanced way, but you have to accept that musicians are people. You can’t live on tour forever. You need home, family, routines – these are part of a full life.
Does it help that you also have sponsorships or gear collaborations? Joey, you have long been a star in the guitar world and work a lot with companies.
Joey Landreth: A lot. We learned early on that you do better as a musician if you have several small sources of income. None of us are rich, but if you earn a little here and a little there, then the rent is paid. A pedal collaboration can perhaps bridge the year when you’re touring less. This used to be considered commercial. I see it differently: These projects ensure that I can tour – and still be a father.
And honestly, I love gear. Guitar makers are wonderfully weird and we have a lot of fun doing it. It also creates a global network – a community that I think is great.
You have Bonnie Raitt on the album – a legend. How did that come about?
David Landreth: We met Bonnie in 2014. She really is one of our heroes – we grew up with her records. Ten years later she wrote to us that she wanted to record one of our songs. Then it became the first single from her album, and she even won a Grammy for it. It was the coolest thing that could ever happen to a song of ours – and probably the coolest thing that will ever happen to us as a band. And I’m totally okay with that.
Joey Landreth: And she remained so human. We exchanged ideas, spoke on the phone, she sent us her vocal tracks. I’m really looking forward to seeing her again – this time a little more as a colleague. But she will always remain a legend for us.
How does your dynamic as brothers work after all these years?
Joey Landreth: Like everything in life: it’s work. We work on our relationship, we communicate a lot, we give each other feedback – even if it’s unpleasant. But we know each other so well that we don’t need to waste words. And being a father has changed that again. It grounds you. I love my children more than anything – and suddenly you see in every person the child that someone loves. This changes how you move through the world. And it also changes how we treat each other. It’s nice to see how my brother raises his son.
David Landreth: And vice versa. Plus, we live on the same street, a minute apart. Our families are close, we are best friends. I was never alone in this job. When things go well, we share that. When things go bad, we share that too. And that is priceless.
Joey, you’ve worked solo at times. What did you learn from it?
Joey Landreth: It was important to get that perspective. I learned a lot about myself – musically and personally. But it’s different: When you sit alone in the hotel room after a gig, it’s quiet. And when you change something in the set and the band says, ‘Whatever you want’ – you realize how much you need feedback. I had great musicians with me, including Roman Clarke, who is now our drummer. But it’s different when you can share success or failure – like now. If you look at yourself after a message like the one with Bonnie Raitt and say, ‘Can you believe Bonnie Raitt is singing our words?’ – that is incomparable.
What’s next for you?
David Landreth: The album is coming out in November, after which we’ll probably be touring with it for two years. We just want to keep making honest music – songs that mean something to us. No games, no cynicism, just honest. We are grateful that we are even allowed to do this. That was always the dream: to play our songs. Now it’s just about maybe reaching some new people, making some new friends. I would like to work more with others – write songs, record, be creative together.
Joey Landreth: I used to be very controlling – the set, the parts, everything had to be right. Today I’m more open. I want to bring in other musicians who bring their own ideas. I’ve learned that you often learn more about yourself by doing this. Sometimes when you give someone space, something emerges that you would never have found on your own. And in the end that makes us even more ourselves. Therefore: more openness, more music, less pressure.
What is your secret to success after all these years?
David Landreth: We didn’t set ourselves any big goals right from the start. We just wanted to make music, maybe play in Europe – that was it. And everything that has happened since then feels like a gift.
Joey Landreth: Exactly. If there are two more people in the audience, that’s a win. If there are the same number, that’s fine. We just enjoy it. Maybe that’s the secret: dream small – and be happy about everything else.