L.A. Edwards

Meet the rising Americana crew with roots in farmyard brawls and a Heartbreaker on side.

Family is a big deal for Luke Edwards. One of seven siblings, he’s been making music with his brother Jay, the keyboard player in his band, since he was seven years old. Little brother Jerry is their drummer, and themes of family, hard work and growing up in a small town all run through their new album Blessings From Home Vol 1, a warm, beautiful slice of Americana that showcases the frontman’s skill for capturing vivid snapshots of life. It’s one that’s been with him since he wrote his first song, as a child, as a Mother’s Day gift.

“It was called Meatloaf, Corn and Potatoes,” he says. “It was about our mom’s cooking and that was her favourite song of any artist ever.”

The Edwards clan had a far-from typical childhood. Their father was in the navy and was away a lot. Their mother was an “amateur farmer”, so there were lots of animals around. “A lot of them did die,” Edwards says wryly. “There was this cougar that lived there that would eat a lot of our stuff. And also my Mom would rescue a lot of dogs. But sometimes the dogs would also eat the livestock. She rescued mastiffs, which are big, so we’d be trying to bust up a farmyard brawl between a mastiff and a potbellied pig. There were a lot of early morning wake-up calls that were very traumatic. I don’t think I’ll ever be a farmer.”

Secular music was off the menu for many years, as the family relocated to Florida to become part of the controversial Brownsville Assembly of God megachurch: “It was this really weird organisation that was always in the headlines for being leftfield, but their music department was really cool. They had a 50-piece choir and a really good music director. We weren’t allowed to listen to a lot of secular music until high school, so it was cool to see that musical direction.”

When Edwards did discover music outside of the church, starting with Radiohead and Weezer, it hit hard. With his parents’ blessing, he dropped out of high school, jumped in a van with Jay and busked his way around the US. It turned out to be the best decision he ever made – by the time they pitched up in San Diego, they were introduced to Ron Blair of The Heartbreakers, who went on to produce their 2018 LP True Blue and is now an “honorary member of the band”.

“It was like going to college,” says Edwards. “He’s taught us a lot about how to record, how to avoid a lot of the troubles he had as a young musician, to not burn yourself out.”

The influence is clear on Blessings From Home Vol 1, with melodies that would fit happily alongside any of Tom Petty’s works. Vol 2 is on its way soon; a more stripped back, acoustic, harmony-driven affair. For this nomadic band of brothers, it’s all about finding the truth at the heart of their songs. “Authentic music is always around,” says Edwards. “It’s never really in the mainstream, but it never really fully goes away either.” EJ

Blessings From Home Vol 1 is out via Bitchin’ Music Group.

“Authentic music is never really in the mainstream, but it never fully goes away either.”