Bands don't come much more honest than The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. At a risk of being too blues for Nashville and too country for the Mississippi Delta, they have built a loyal following in the States last year with both, playing every festival going, not to mention finding a home amongst the punk rock and rockabilly crowds, touring with the likes of Flogging Molly and most recently Clutch.
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
From Brown County, Indiana (pop.832), it’s the authentic, straight-talking slices of Family life on their debut album ‘The Whole Fam Damily’ which engages, with songs like 'Walmart Killed The Country Store', 'Why Is Everybody Getting Paid But Me' and 'Your Cousins On Cops'.
On March 16th 2009, Sideonedummy Records release 'The Whole Fam Damily' in the UK. The album release is preceded by the double-A sided single ‘Mama’s Fried Potatoes’/’Can’t Pay The Bills’. ‘Mama’s Fried Potatoes’ is the definitive ‘Family anthem, whilst ‘Can’t Pay The Bills’ is as topical as any song these days.
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is a family affair, comprising of the Reverend Peyton (a genuine Reverend) on guitar and vocals, his wife Breezy Peyton on washboard and his brother Jayme Peyton on drums. They met Celtic-punk band Flogging Molly at a festival, and they were so impressed with the Big Damn Band that they offered a touring support slot on the spot.
Which is where they caught the eye of Sideonedummy Records, the seminal US punk rock label which discovered the likes Gogol Bordello, Gaslight Anthem, Dusty Rhodes & The River Band and the aforementioned Flogging Molly, every one untouchable live, something which Sideonedummy recognised when seeing the Big Damn Band perform for the first time.
Influenced by country blues legends like Son House, Charley Patton and Furry Lewis, ‘The Whole Fam Damily’ was recorded at a church in Bloomington, Indiana, just down the road from their home. Opening with ‘Can’t Pay The Bill’, a rowdy and rancorous prayer for good health, stand out tracks include the slide-guitar driven barnburner ‘Walmart Killed The Country Store’, finger-style ballad ‘What’s Mine Is Yours’ and brilliantly observed ‘Your Cousins On Cops’, written after the Reverend caught Breezy’s cousin in an episode of the U.S. reality police chase show.
It’s lead single ‘Mama’s Fried Potatoes’ which probably best sums up the music of Reverend Peyton And His Big Damn Band, authentic homage to the lives they lead in Brown County. “Maybe if I played a different genre of music I’d feel like I could get away with making stuff up, but this style of music is too honest; you can’t lie to people because they’ll see right through it,” Reverend Peyton said. The planned video will surely be the first time a potato-gun fight will be seen on British screens!
Written to be performed, The Reverend Peyton And His Big Damn Band planning UK shows in April. Details to be announced shortly.
Full Album track listing:
Can’t Pay The Bill
Mama’s Fried Potatoes
Worn Out Shoe
DTs or the Devil
Your Cousin’s On Cops
John Hughes (The Water Tower’s Heart Is Sore)
The Creek’s Are All Bad
Them Old Days Are Gone
Walmart Killed The Country Store
I’d Love You Baby
Everybody’s Getting Paid But Me
What’s Mine Is Yours
Persimmon Song
Written to be performed, the Reverend Peyton And His Big Damn Band will be playing the following headline dates in the UK and Ireland. Get ready for some washboard action!!
2- May IRE Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots
3-May IRE Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots
4-May IRE Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots
5-May UK Manchester Night & Day
6-May UK Wolverhampton Little Civic
7-May UK London Monto Water Rats