Ludlow Creek visited Kaleidoscope for a live interview and studio performance with WYSO music director Juliet Fromholt in advance of the March 29 release of their new self-titled album. The Dayton band talked about how travel inspired the record, and about how their sound has grown more eclectic since the release of their debut album, Hands of Time, in 2015. The group also discussed their upcoming performance at Riverscape MetroPark on August 8, and hinted at a possible tour later in the year. Ludlow Creek features Allen Seals (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Dave Benson (guitar, vocals), Jeffrey Friend (drums, vocals), Michelle Scarpelli (keyboards, vocals), and Tom Scarpelli (bass, vocals).
Ludlow Creek began their WYSO appearance with a live rendition of, “Mercy,” the hard-driving opening track from their new record. The band told Juliet that the album was written during two writers’ retreats to Nashville, Tennessee and Hocking Hills, Ohio. "Nashville is a magical musical city," said drummer Jeff Friend, who also recorded and engineered the album. "Songs just start pouring out of you."
The self-titled album also represents a sonic departure from Ludlow Creek’s Southern rock roots; originally known as Southbound, the band began by performing cover songs by groups like the Eagles and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Over the years, however, they broadened their musical palate, incorporating riffs or harmonic ideas from a range of American music traditions, including jazz. The band officially changed its name in 2022 to Ludlow Creek before releasing its second album, Which Way is Forward. The name brought to mind fewer connotations of genre and allowed for more artistic freedom, guitarist Dave Benson said in an interview with the Dayton Daily News.
Ludlow Creek is available on all major streaming platforms. The band will perform at Riverscape MetroPark on August 8, 2024. For updates about upcoming show dates and music releases, visit their website, or follow on Facebook or Instagram.
Text by Peter Day, adapted from a studio session recorded by Juliet Fromholt on March 2, 2024.
