“Every song written feels like a little victory to its writer. Sure, some are better than others, and from time to time—if you’re lucky—you write something special. But every one counts,” says Eric Gibson of International Bluegrass Music Association Award-winners, The Gibson Brothers. He’s explaining how he and his brother Leigh, as well as their all-star band, ended up in the studio with producer—and dobro-playing legend—Jerry Douglas, who encouraged the Gibsons to send him all-original songs to comb through for their brand new album, Darkest Hour. “Making this record of songs Jerry deemed as keepers with him is a dream come true,” says Eric. “The songs reflect where we came from, where we are, and where we go from here.”
“The Gibson Brothers are more than a musical act that runs around the country like everyone else. They are two of the kindest, most thoughtful, and interesting people I know. They come from deep family roots that have shaped them into very good men with values that are rare these days. They have an eyes wide open interest in what goes on around them and they turn their experiences into songs that are well-deep in substance, intellect and charm,” Douglas says. “I asked them for all the songs they had written because I already liked them musically and personally, but didn’t think the broader audience knew what was in there. Then I just painted around what they gave me. I wanted to make a Gibson Brothers record that could let them express all the things they are. I’m very proud of what we made and I think it shows all the facets of their personalities, both Eric and Leigh. They are brothers but they each see things in a different light. That brings richness to the canvas, and they are nowhere near the end of what they have to say.” With the help of Douglas and a host of stellar guest musicians—Justin Moses, Guthrie Trapp, and Alison Krauss, to name a few—Darkest Hour spans from trad-grass to country-soul and back again, utilizing classically bluegrass instruments as well as electric guitars and drums to craft a sound fit for the songs it surrounds.
Fans can now stream or purchase Darkest Hour in its entirety right here. For those itching to hear these new tunes live and in-person, The Gibson Brothers are currently on tour through the end of February. They’re playing tonight in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a full list of tour dates can be found below or at gibsonbrothers.com/tour.
While The Gibson Brothers’ last release, Mockingbird, featured gorgeous production, recreating the sound on stage was difficult. “We put together a band to go out and try to recreate it,” remembers Eric Gibson. “But we couldn't. We would have to have such a huge band to try to recreate that record, but we did the best we could.”
Darkest Hour producer Jerry Douglas—who has won 14 Grammy awards and backed up everyone from Ray Charles to Paul Simon and George Jones—wanted to make a record The Gibson Brothers could actually play on the road. So, he picked the best songs out of dozens and squirreled the group away in Sound Emporium’s Studio B. But then the pandemic hit. “We did our last shows in March of 2020,” Eric says. “We were in Nashville the week everything was shutting down. It was surreal, but Jerry was like, ‘Guys, the world's going crazy. Let's let this be our little cocoon.’ And we did. We cut all of the acoustic stuff and then went home and didn't play any more gigs until things started opening. Then we went back and finished the record with Jerry in February of 2021.”
The result is arguably the strongest record The Gibson Brothers have ever made. The songs recorded in the first recording period featured Mike Barber (bass), Justin Moses (mandolin), Eamon McLoughlin (fiddle), and of course, Jerry Douglas, adding in John Gardner (drums), Guthrie Trapp (electric guitar), Todd Parks (bass), and Alison Krauss (vocals) for the final tracks, Darkest Hour showcases just how easily Eric and Leigh move from what Dan Auerbach dubbed “country soul” (“I Go Driving”) to high octane bluegrass (“What a Difference A Day Makes” and “Dust”) with Douglas always keeping the spotlight on the songs themselves. “That’s what I love about those guys,” Douglas told me, “they are just great songwriters.”
Darkest Hour Tracklist:
1. What A Difference A Day Makes
2. Heart’s Desire
3. So Long Mama
4. I Feel The Same Way As You
5. Shut Up and Dance
6. I Go Driving
7. My Darkest Hour
8. Who’s Gonna Want A Heart Like Mine
9. One Minute Of You (Song For Annie Gray)
10. Your Eyes Say His Name
11. Dust
12. This Good Day
Catch The Gibson Brothers On Tour:
Jan. 27 – Fairfield, CT – StageOne
Jan. 28 – Shirley, MA – Bull Run
Jan. 29 – Newburyport, MA – Firehouse Center
Feb. 2 – Glens Falls, NY – The Park Theater
Feb. 3 – Clinton, NY – Kirkland Art Center
Feb. 4 – Norwood, NY – Norwood Central School
Feb. 9 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head
Feb. 10 - Richmond, VA – The Tin Pan
Feb. 11 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center
Feb. 12 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Feb. 16 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival
Feb. 18 – Nashville, TN – Analog at Hutton Hotel
Feb. 19 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
