Jake LaBotz: Americana Artist Poised for a Breakthrough

I was recently introduced to musician Jake LaBotz, who has a new album, Sunnyside, releasing on May 12; it was produced by Jimmy Sutton who also produces JD McPherson and Pokey LaFarge.

I have heard several cuts from the album and I am a fan! His voice has some grit, but in the best possible way. I look forward to seeing him perform sometime soon.

“LaBotz, who also appeared on True Detective, offers deep-welled Americana, some of it with the hardest early R&B/early rock & roll grooves you’ll hear this year. Balcony TV is taping a session in Nashville next month; he’ll be in Music City Roots in May; and will be doing a Daytrotter session this summer. Here’s the single “How I Wish She Were Mine“.

“This guy has lived a life that few on this side of Charles Bukowski and Tom Waits can claim. A former punk and high school dropout from Chicago who educated himself at the library, he fell under the wing of blues greats Homesick James (brother of Elmore) and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Out in LA, he fell into addiction. He has recovered and mounted national concert tours of tattoo parlors. He now lives in Nashville and teaches meditation and acts in a variety of projects from True Detective to Ghost World, with a new lead in the indie film The Grace of Jake.

“Steve Buscemi said, “Soulful, personal, painfully funny and sad, he’s a true American classic, a gift, and a musical resource that is a joy to be discovered time and time again.”

“Now a Nashvillian, LaBotz has opened for greats like Dr. John, Mavis Staples, McPherson, and Tony Joe White. His former hometown paper LA Weekly said, “Jake LaBotz came up the right-proper, fucking hard way: a teen renegade on the streets of Chicago, dabbling in a mixture of antisocial activities (from car theft to jabbing up his own rudimentary tattoos) and exploring the rich, deep blues tradition as a street singer (with Chi-town legend Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis) and beside Delta-blues originator “Honeyboy” Edwards. That lovely, lurid background forged a musical power that… demonstrates not only an innate mastery of the blues, but also displays what he calls a ‘condensed rock & roll mythology.’”