Eddie Owen Presents: Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes - The Van Lears & Special Guest, Arlo Finch

You can tell a lot about a band by the company they keep. Take THE VAN LEARS, for instance. Along with platinum producer Ted Hewitt, the list of songwriters they’ve worked with is a veritable Who’s Who? of Nashville. That list includes Steve Bogard, who wrote George Strait’s Carried Away; Bob Regan, who wrote Your Everything for Keith Urban; John Bettis, founding member of the Carpenters, responsible for dozens of hits, including Human Nature for Michael Jackson; and Josh Osborne, who wrote Come Over for Kenny Chesney.

One might ask, who the heck are the Van Lears, and how did they manage to obtain writing dates with such legendary artists? The answer is simple: their harmonies. Trey and Andrew Bentley are both fine singers in their own right, but hearing them sing together is what turned the heads of the aforementioned artists, and this writer predicts it’ll happen to you, too. All it takes is ears and three minutes of your time.
The author also confesses to a healthy skepticism that such incredible singing could be reproduced on stage, but having witnessed several shows in several towns, there’s no longer any doubt. Their set can go from a gorgeous ballad like Good In This World  to the rowdy Pretty Girls with equal conviction. And while there, you won’t fail to notice their determination, their absolutely attainable goal, of making a fan of the whole world.

ABOUT DE & TGL...

They never look the same at the end of their set; a pair of hip horn-rimmed glasses breaks in half, buttons become undone, and their once slicked-back hair is simply not anymore. But they wouldn’t be themselves if it were any other way; they thrive when they render themselves void of energy, and humbly hope it rubs off on the kids in the crowd, too.

They are Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes. To see them live is to experience the crux of who they are: A high-energy indie rock band dead set on producing the best live sound they know how. And boy, do they know how.

After well-deserved accolades from music blog ‘Consequence of Sound’ for their 2012 CMJ showcases, DE&TGL are gaining momentum as a band you should go to bat for. “Even at two in the morning, on guitarist Timon Lance’s birthday, during their fifth CMJ showcase [in three days], they played their hearts out in pure joy,” says Ben Kaye of Consequence of Sound.

From the source, their songs are: “rock songs, heavy and dark, light-hearted and danceable, observational and introspective,” says guitarist Timon Lance. “We thrive on our songs sounding like DE&TGL,” says bassist Marshall Skinner. And just so you get how much emotional, mental and physical energy spent in one set, drummer Joel Wren points out, “There's a point in the middle of every show when one of us turns to someone else and says, ‘I think I might die’,” and there you have it.

Formed in 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee, the group released their first full-length studio album, Civilized Man, in 2011. Recorded and co-produced with Mark Nevers (Andrew Bird, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Lambchop), Civilized Man was listed in the top 100 albums of 2011 by Amazon, with the pop-rock single “Shoe Fits” debuting at number seven on Amazon’s top 100 songs of 2011.

“Apparently nobody told Daniel Ellsworth that when you drop your first full-length, it’s not supposed to be a greatest hits record... this sounds like a cross between Jack White and M. Ward, and those guys are about three sips of absinthe away from total wizardry. Seriously, this will be my highest rated review. Go. Buy. The. Record.” says Wells Adams of Brite Revolution.

With performances at CMJ Music Fest, Daytrotter, Audiotree Live, OurVinyl, and just being named Deli Magazine's Top Emerging Band In Nashville - DE&TGL are spreading their brand of genre-spanning rock with love and care, and a cannonball of sound… all resulting in broken eyeglasses, unkempt hair, and a damn good time."