ABOUT LAWRENCE COUNTY
Fiddles, banjos, raggedy choruses & accordions
Hailing from the green hills and valleys of the Bagthorpe Delta, Nottinghamshire UK.
Expect a sepia tinted ... unlikely blend of attitude, Americana, Alt-Country & folk.
Drawing heavily from the rolling landscapes, that once graced the footsteps and literary musings of DH Lawrence. The sound is an earthy, infectious, foot stomping vibe with fiddle, accordion & raw guitar.
You'll get folklore laced tales full of fire and brimstone, death, demon drink, preacher men and troubled souls.
The self-penned songs are brought alive with raggedy sing along choruses, that will stay with you, like good friends.
As AmericanaUK said ... 'Welcome to Lawrence County – you’ll never leave…'
LAWRENCE COUNTY
... THE BACK STORY
It was back in 2008 when Al Rate and Bill Kerry III sat in the Dixies Arms, deep in the Bagthorpe Delta under the gaze of (a portrait of) DH Lawrence, and swore they could see his eyes moving. With minds already infused by the diverse soundscapes and story telling of Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg and traditional English folk music, they’d just discovered the brilliant debut album by The Felice Brothers, Tonight at the Arizona. Thrilled by the dark tales of love loss and hard times, delivered with passion, grit and humour, they knew they needed to get their act together, form a band, record and play some of their own songs.
That band was DH Lawrence & The Vaudeville Skiffle Show, and in 2013, ‘Escape This Wicked Life’ was welcomed by a series of favourable reviews from the music press and they were described as “Breath of fresh air in a crowded musical marketplace” (No Depression).
When Americana UK said, that the record was ".... a raucous debut! ... Fiddles, banjos, raggedy choruses & accordions. There's a feeling of the Felice brothers here ... lighter less barking but the vibe is the same", they knew they'd come a long way, but there was a lot more to do.
When the DH Lawrence influenced ‘Sons & Lovers’ came out in in 2016, more plaudits followed, and Lee Zimmerman at No depression described a “Sepia tinted ... unlikely blend of attitude and Americana"
After winning high praise for their live shows, they followed this with a series of support slots, with Israel Nash, Coco & The Butterfields and the Keston Cobblers Club, a range of Festival gigs and a slot at the legendary Green Note in London.
So in 2019, with a new album in the making and a new sound emerging organically, it seemed it was time for a change, not in the band personnel, not massively in the vibe or sound and certainly not in their acclaimed live shows, but simply in a name.
Overnight, the somewhat lengthy DHL&TVSS became the more user-friendly ‘Lawrence County’ … and the musical journey continued, unabated.
Watch this space, you’ll see and hear a little less washboard and a little more electric guitar, but those catchy melodies and raggedy choruses will still have you singing along, long after the live shows have ended … and deep in the Bagthorpe Delta ... DH Lawrence STILL watches.