Streets of Laredo

Elemeno P's Dave Gibson, his equally musical younger brother Dan (who led Kingston), and wife Sarah, were jamming at a Coromandel bach in the summer of 2012 when they realised the good-time hoe-down they were creating, might actually have some promise as a new musical outfit.

And they were right. Inspired by the 70s folk revival, they decided to become a travelling family band, and headed to Brooklyn, where they figured out their sound, and knitted together a seven-piece band including horns and percussion. Now they've released a "double EP" (essentially a single album) of spirited, jangly, psych pop folk. Dave's voice, so recognisable from classic Elemeno P tracks, is often to the fore, and sounds as perfectly suited to twangy, raw, harmony-laden storytelling of alt-folk as it did to pop-punk.

In fact you can't help but hear hints of the Elemeno P pop hooks of old on tracks like early single Girlfriend, and Hey Rose, but that's no bad thing. Along with the lovely unvarnished, layered production sound, those driving, attitude-laden hooks are what stop Streets of Laredo from veering into syrupy, cutesy territory.

reThere's a touch of Edward Sharpe, or even Bob Dylan (Dave sounds eerily Dylan-esque on Need A Little Help), to be heard, as well as US chart climbers The Lumineers, though they're more guitar-driven (Laredo).

Let's hope they return to New Zealand for some live shows soon. - NZ Herald

Streets of Laredo are three siblings and a few friends who decided to pick up from their hometown of Auckland, NZ hometown and pursue folk-pop glory in Brooklyn, and it looks like their big risk is bearing fruit. We’re psyched to premiere “Hey Rose”; press play and you’ll probably agree within your first listen – boy-girl group vocals and layers of sweet, campfire-y instrumentation might summon memories of Of Monsters and Men or Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeroes, but we’re particularly enamored of that forty-five second blitz at the track’s end, where the band buckle down into a serious, driving groove. Check it out below; Streets of Laredo’s new release, Volume II is out November 23.
- http://prettymuchamazing.com/

The New Zealand born, Brooklyn-based band Streets of Laredo, have been creating joyful indie-folk tunes inspired by love, hardship, and life. Part family affair-Daniel, David & Sarah Gibson along with Si Moore, Tom Darlow, Sean McMahon and Andrew McGovern, they just released their debut EP Volume 1, while Volume II is on the way. Singing in harmony, they truly are a delightful ram shackled family circus of gypsies & ragamuffins. GroundSounds recently had the chance to catch up with David, for an exclusive interview below, check it out below.

You guys recently released your debut EP Volume 1, can you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind this project? It must feel amazing to finally have this out for the world to hear!

Yeah it’s does feel great to have a release that exists & is out there in the world – the inspiration pretty much came entirely from us packing our bags, selling all our worldly possessions – leaving New Zealand and starting a new life here in Brooklyn.

What was it like working on “Lonsdale Line”, how did this track come to fruition?

This song means a lot to us – it was one of the first songs me & Dan (my little brother) starting working on together – and us jamming this great little tune that Dan had penned eventually lead to us starting Streets of Laredo – So it began in New Zealand but we were really influenced by the sounds & flavors of NYC once we got here – then our guitarist Si Moore, who produced the EP – got his hands on it & bought a twisty sonic landscape to what we had on the original demos.

How did you guys decide on the name Streets of Laredo?

We love the song & the sentiment – a dying cowboy giving advice to a young up & coming cowboy – as I mentioned Dan the singer is my little brother & I’m a bit older than him, so this notion of a washed up cowboy giving some “words of wisdom” to the up & coming cowboy really resonated with us.

Coming from New Zealand to Brooklyn must have been quite the change, what cultural differences have stood out the most?

The United States Post Office useless – it’s not really built for out of towners or humans actually – I once spent over 3 hours there trying to send 2 packages back home.
New Yorkers love Bagels & Pizza – we do too but we really love savory pies, that are hard to come by in the States. (Dub Pies are one place that do a great classic NZ pie here in NYC)

For someone traveling to New Zealand for the first time what is one thing they must see and eat?

I would recommend going to Coco’s Cantina on Auckland’s K Rd for the best meal & service NZ has to offer – K Rd is by far my favorite neighborhood back home, it’s basically our red light district but it’s cheap to live there so all the artists, musicians & general ragamuffins live there – it’s ace – then as far as places to go Queenstown will blow your fricken mind!

What do you guys feel when your performing music?

When things are going well complete & utter happiness. When this are going bad, the exact opposite.

What inspires you guys?

Adventure, love, hardship, travel – especially on trains & in tour vans, religion, family…that type of thing.

Your EP Volume 2 is set to release November 22nd, what can you guys reveal about this EP?

I can reveal it works very well at completing the story of Vol I – so much so we’ve actually decided to release both Volumes as a double EP on Vinyl when it comes out on Nov 22nd.

What are your fondest musical memories?

Hearing John Lennon’s “Imagine” for the first time when I was about 4 – I couldn’t believe how good it made me feel – in fact I’m going to listen to it right now. Oh and seeing the Pixies live for the first time.

What’s next for Streets of Laredo?

Getting in a van & touring our asses off. - Groundsounds

22.Oct.2013 by bonnaroo-staff

The annual CMJ Music Marathon in NYC is a scavenger hunt of unfamiliar sounds, coming from 1000+ bands, over 5 days, spread across a whole smattering of music venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Using our methodical divide-and-conquer strategy learned after years of practice on The Farm, we, your humble Bonnaroo staff, have plucked a 24-pack of our favorite musical specimens from the year 2013.
Hit play on Spotify, read a quick rundown on the band and let us know which bands you like, which ones ya don’t like and anyone we missed in the comments!




Jacco Gardner
Amazing Sgt. Pepper-esque psych rock from Amsterdam that belongs in a Wes Anderson movie. We dig.


Half Moon Run
Dynamic rock band who really turn it on live. Tight harmonies, intricate instrumentation. Expecting big things from these guys!


Conway
Record can veer toward catchy bubblegum pop but this girl is aggressive and punky on stage.


The Preatures
Lead vocalist seems like Alison Mosshart’s (The Kills, The Dead Weather) younger Aussie sister. This was rock n roll, SO much energy, she is such a babe and so bad ass, show was awesome. Seeing again. And again.


Saint Rich
Imagine if the cast of Freaks and Geeks dressed up as The Rolling Stones for Halloween. ‘Nuff said.


Courtney Barnett
Honest, earnest and intense songwriting. This endearing Australian girl writes rockers but can also flick the switch to beautiful, laid back songs. Worth seeing. Think Sharon Van Etten meets Heartless Bastards with a punky Dylan-esque pen in hand.


Tourist
Incredibly talented deep house DJ. If you like Disclosure and losing your mind…


Calvin Love
Guitar band in the vein of DIIV or Mac Demarco with more atmospheric synth layers. Soulful too!


The Internet
Smooth R&B jams with incredible female vocalist and a tight band.


Ghost Wave
So much good music coming from Australia! Not sure what they’re doing down under but this jangly psych garage rock sound is working wonders for us.


Claire
She’s spunky as $#!^, bangs out a drum pad, full band was awesome and has so much fun that it’s contagious.


Streets of Laredo
Folky, loose vibe from this 7-piece band of New Zealanders living in Brooklyn.


NONONO
This Swedish band’s poppier songs are super fun – weirder songs are…weird. Crazy stage show.


Spires
Heavy psych band that’s not afraid to get into jammier territory while still keeping it tight.


Eagulls
Punk. Garage. Smack-in-the-face rock and roll with zero pretentiousness.


ARP
Arty rock band with a hint of Queen glam.


Panama Wedding
Cute, catchy singalong indie poptronica.


Hookworms
UK band that caught our ears with a punky atmospheric rock sound.


Kelela
Super cute classic R&B vocalist singing with electropop accompaniment that’s infectious and sweet.


Bear Mountain
Fancy dancey rock that’ll get in your head.


Kan Wakan
A wild and unique sound combining classical instrumentation, funky basslines and gorgeous vocals. An Ennio Morricone spaghetti-Western soundtrack played in an NYC soul jazz club… but so much more than that.


Sisu
Sandra Vu of Dum Dum Girls putting out dark but danceable “synth shoe gaze electronic dream” music.


Yamantaka / / Sonic Titan
Ummmmmmmm WTF totally amazing and insane. Canadian experimental band fuses metal, opera, psych and performance art.


Joanna Gruesome
This Welsh band is no BS punk rock. Get after it. - Bonnaroo

Interview - CMJ TV

News items on New Zealand Seven Sharp - TVNZ

Kiwi transplants, alt folk
trio Streets of Laredo were
one of the highlight of
our B.E.A.F. 2013 Alt Folk
Stage in early June - they
packed Spike Hill and put
up a truly entertaining
show. The band flew back
to their home country ear-
lier this year to finalize the
EP released on October 7.
Now a seven piece band,
they are on a mission to
charm New Yorkers one byone, and CMJ will be a good
opportunity to conquer some
out of towners as well.
(Paolo De Gregorio) - The Deli Magazine

Kiwi transplants, alt folk
trio Streets of Laredo were
one of the highlight of
our B.E.A.F. 2013 Alt Folk
Stage in early June - they
packed Spike Hill and put
up a truly entertaining
show. The band flew back
to their home country ear-
lier this year to finalize the
EP released on October 7.
Now a seven piece band,
they are on a mission to
charm New Yorkers one byone, and CMJ will be a good
opportunity to conquer some
out of towners as well.
(Paolo De Gregorio) - The Deli Magazine

Surprise guest performers are a common occurrence at Streets of Laredo gigs, as are random lessons in what they call "Kiwi culture." From quips on the best homegrown coffee ("Does anyone know where I can get a flat white around here?" lead singer, Dan Gibson, cheekily asks a small Williamsburg crowd), to tips on traditional Maori greetings ("You kiss with your nose, it's called a Hongi," explains drummer and Dan's older brother, Dave Gibson, in between songs)—clearly, there is no forgetting their New Zealand roots.

Based in Brooklyn, the folk quintet, who in August took first prize in the Adult Album Alternative category of Nashville's Unsigned Only Awards for upcoming artists, are about to release their first EP—well, two EPs. "We're going to release them back to back," explains the elder Gibson, who's already a household name back home thanks to his role as lead vocalist for the chart-topping rock band, Elemeno P. "I wanted to write music that didn't quite fit into the band Elemeno P had become," he says. Streets of Laredo Vol. I & II, will be released October 7 and includes the band's debut single, "Girlfriend," a catchy love ballad to New York City that could only be written by a group of self-described cowboys who came here with an Empire State of mind and one mission: to snag a lass. New York might not know it yet, but she has found herself quite a catch.







AGES: Me and Si are old; Dan, Sarah, and Tom are young.

HOMETOWN: Auckland, New Zealand

CURRENT LOCATION: We've found a great little community in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

WHO'S IN THE BAND: Daniel Gibson on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; my wife, Sarah Gibson on vocals, percussion, and melodic; our producer Si Moore on electric guitar; Tom Darlow also on electric guitar; and me on drums and vocals, make the core of Streets of Laredo—but the number of members changes depending on the gig. We like to collaborate a lot with our friends in Bushwick, so at any given show there may be members of Bird Courage, Workman Song, or Billy and Gabi on stage—we all help out in each other's bands and play with each other when we can.

"GIRLFRIEND": This song kind of evolved over the time between when we left New Zealand and when we moved to New York. Dan had starting working on it when he was acting in this little indie film back home, so it started out being loosely based on the character he was playing. But when we moved to New York we continued working on it, and it naturally grew into a song about moving here—New York playing the part of a relentless and wild-spirited girlfriend, and us just trying to keep up.

ALL IN A NAME: The name came from the song "Streets of Laredo," we liked the sentiment—which is, an old dying cowboy giving advice to a young up-and-coming cowboy. I especially liked it as I am Dan's older brother, nine years older, and he is most definitely an up-and-coming cowboy.

NEW YORK BEGINNINGS: I think being in a band is hard, regardless of where you are. It's just tough, period. So we thought if we're going start a band from scratch, knowing full well it won't be easy, why not just start in a massive pond.

FAMOUS ROOTS: In some ways, being in Streets of Laredo is similar to Elemeno P. Bands do become like family, only in Streets of Laredo, most of the band literally is my family. I guess the biggest difference is we're doing this all independently. We have no label, manager, or booking agent, so there's a lot more work involved, plus we have the additional problem of actually surviving in a new city. I guess also our focus is a bit different, we're really focused on enjoying the ride, having adventures and not worrying so much about things like ambition and commercial success.

INFLUENCES: It's different for all of us but my number one influence is Paul Simon—both as Simon and Garfunkel, melody and harmony, and as a solo artist, both rhythmically and lyrically.

JAM SESSIONS: Usually one of us has an idea or song they have been working on themselves for a while. Once it's taken a bit of shape in an isolated place, that person usually brings it to the group and we work it up from there.


STREETS OF LAREDO WILL PLAY AN EP RELEASE SHOW AT CAMEO GALLERY OCTOBER 11, AND CMJ SHOWCASES AT LE POISSON ROUGE OCTOBER 15 AND ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL OCTOBER 16. THEIR DEBUT DOUBLE EP, STREETS OF LAREDO VOL. I & II, IS OUT OCTOBER 7. FOR MORE ON THE BAND, PLEASE VISIT ITS FACEBOOK PAGE. - Interview Magazine

Kiwi band Streets of Laredo has won a top US indie award.

The Auckland four-piece, who are based in New York, took out the Adult Album Alternative category of the Unsigned Only Music Competition.

About 9000 acts submitted songs the contest.

Unsigned Only founders Candace Avery and Jim Morgan said Streets of Laredo's winning song Girlfriend was "especially impressive" and had scored the band a unanimous victory in their category.

"They encompass everything that should make a major label take notice and sign them now - before someone else does. They are that good."

Streets of Laredo are made up of brothers Dan and Dave Gibson, Dave's wife Sarah Gibson and Si Moore.

Dan is the former frontman for pop-punk band Kingston, while Dave sang for Elemenop.

Judges hailed them as another stand out group from a country "brimming" with successful musical acts.


"In a country brimming with talent, Streets of Laredo stand out for their indie folk sound that is completely current yet timeless.

"Their winning song, Girlfriend is infectious, catchy, and creative, and they might just be the next big thing to come out of New Zealand, following in the footsteps of Kimbra, Gin Wigmore, and Lorde."

Wes Mack of Calgary, Canada took out the Unsigned Only grant prize for his song Duet.

Skipping Girl Vinegar from Melbourne won second prize in the AAA category for Chase The Sun.

Streets of Laredo recently recorded their debut album in New Zealand.
- New Zealand Herald