Episode overview
I first met Drew Smithers in 2014 when my late friend Jules Fothergill came to Nashville to meet and jam with Jack Pearson.1 Drew was taking lessons from Jack and was on the precipice of a wild ride up the mountain (and later crashing down) with Bishop Gunn. Drew carries Duane’s influence everywhere he goes.
Our crossroads
Duane, the Allman Brothers, Jack Pearson, guitar, the South, music, fatherhood—Drew and I meet at all of these crossroads. We are fans/students of the music that has shaped our lives professionally and personally.
Our conversation
Duane Allman, the Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe, and learning from Jack Pearson. This is our deepest connection. Unmentioned here is an amazing validation Drew gave me after he read Play All Night, backstage after a Big Band of Brothers gig with Jaimoe in 2013.2
Marcus King. In early 2020, right before the pandemic, I said to Drew, “Marcus would be great with a guitar partner.” “Marcus needs to hire me,” he said. That’s exactly what happened.
Band dynamics and chemistry. Drew had just left Bishop Gunn when we had that conversation. We didn’t talk in specificity about the band’s implosion, only in the context of what Drew learned from the experience, and how it’s shaped him in Marcus King Band.
Honoring the Allman Brothers legacy. This is an important part of Drew’s vibe as a guitarist and a human. He’s done his homework, he knows the importance of the music he carries with him.
The South and community. This is a part of every conversation I have. One of my goals here is to carry lessons of goodness into the world. Music is one of the South’s greatest gifts, and I love to celebrate that with the keepers of that flame.
🍄🍑MERCH🍑🍄
