Roanoke – “If You’re Gonna Leave”
SXSW 2023 – OEB Score 7, Popularity Index 3
Pairs well with…Ferris & Sylvester, Shovels & Ropes, Jason Isbell/Amanda Shires
I almost wrote off Roanoke as a good bar band but not one to seek out in March until I dug deeper into their catalogue and grew more impressed with their range and talent. First off, Roanoke has evolved quite a bit from their beginnings six years ago as an indie folk/Americana with a touch of rock. Their recent EP, Wolf Motel, is made up of country-tinged power ballads with a heavy dose of Southern bluesy rock. Regardless of the genre, what makes Roanoke standout is the terrific harmonies and shared leads of Taylor Dupuis and Joey Beesley.
Dupuis and Beesley describes their current sound as “mystic rock.” While I’m not really sure what that means, there are definitely a few Roanoke songs I’d like to hear live this March. Up first would be one of their older indie folk rock songs, “The Light,” an Americana-based love song with great harmonies and a classic chorus, “I’ll keep you warm through the night and lay right here until the dark becomes the light.” From the recent Wolf Motel, “If You’re Gonna Leave,” is a clear favorite and perhaps the best example of the band’s evolution. It channels a 90’s power pop ballad with radio-friendly written all over it. On the harder southern rock end of their spectrum, try “Walk on By,” which channels Taylor Dupuis’ inner Janis, or “Jordan” which starts with gospel and segues into a bluesy rock dirge.
More fun Roanoke facts. They are from Nashville, not Virginia. The band is named after a horse, not a city. Second, much of Wolf Motel was recorded after Dupuis and Beesley ended their relationship. Dupuis asserts that “the breakup made the album stronger.” Let’s just hope Roanoke doesn’t go the way of Fleetwood Mac after the Rumours album.
Check out Roanoke’s diverse catalogue and see if something draws you in. Their Muscle Shoals live recordings also shows that they band can rock out so their SXSW sets should be fun. (David Zlotnick)