It's hard to miss Grace Potter and the Nocturnals — despite being only 24, she and the band adeptly channel the mystical fire of The Band, Muscle Shoals soul and the essential warmth that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers seem to have cornered so perfectly. But the Vermont-based band has more than just well-read technical chops; it has Potter as a star-selling point. Tucked behind a guitar or a B3, she has the voice of a blues bar-room angel and it doesn't hurt that she looks like a '70s Vogue model.
Potter and drummer Matthew Burr met in 2002 at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Self-sufficient and hearty self-promoters, the band founded its own label (Ragged Company), and handled all their own business and booking. They stepped out with their first recording, Original Soul, in 2004 after adding guitarist Scott Tournet to the lineup. Original bassist Courtright Beard was replaced by Bryan Dondero prior to the release of the attention-getting Nothing But The Water in 2005. After touring with artists including the Dave Matthews Band, Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal, and causing a stir at the Bonnaroo Festival, they released their breakout album, This Is Somewhere, produced by Mike Daly of Whiskeytown and engineered by acclaimed mixmaster Joe Chiccarelli. With a repertoire that includes everything from politically charged anthems to country-fried heat-seeking missiles, GPN just may make a bold mark on rock and roll — in a very Graceful way.
Provenance: Waitsfield, Vermont
Latest release: This Is Somewhere (2007)
© 2007 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
Grace Potter And The Nocturnals
