By the time they get to Woodstock: big Gourds news!



By the time they get to Woodstock: big Gourds news!
By Michael Corcoran
Thursday, February 10, 2011
12:47 PM

The Gourds have signed to Vanguard Records and will record their album for the label up at Levon Helm’s barn studio in Woodstock, New York, with Larry Campbell producing. The sessions are slated to start in late March.

Since the Gourds have been compared to the Band about as often as Christian Slater was to a young Jack Nicholson after “Heathers” came out, the connection to Helm and his guitarist/ producer Campbell makes perfect sense.

“Bill Bentley got the ball rolling,” Gourds singer Kevin Russell said of the former Austinite and Warner Bros veteran who’s currently working as an A&R guy for Vanguard. Bentley became aware of the Gourds several years ago when they played a Doug Sahm tribute at the Hole In the Wall and has been a fan ever since.

Campbell, on the other hand, had never heard of the Gourds when approached by Bentley. “We met Larry at Bass Concert Hall when he was in town with Levon Helm,” said Russell, “and he said that when he asked around about us, everyone he talked to said we were the band he had to work with.” Former Bob Dylan sideman Campbell produced the past two Helm albums.

“It promises to be the highlight of our year, or of our career even,” Russell posted on the band’s news blog about the upcoming studio project.

In other Gourds news, co-leader Jimmy Smith and wife Jen are expecting their third child in May, bringing the number of Gourds babies to 12.

© Austin 360.com

3 comments:

  1. So many comments on this one...

    Slater/Nicholson comparison - LOL. But say it ain't so - where is Slater these days after all?

    In a few weeks, Campbell will never be able to forget The Gourds.

    Congrats Jimmy and Jen!

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  2. That is good news. Maybe you can stop by Philly or NYC on your way back to the promise land and do a show or two

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  3. philly or nyc would've been nice (esp. for me, since that's where I am), but they have to get back for a gig on april 2nd...so no stop-offs on the way home. maybe when the record comes out.

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