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| Hometown | Evanston, IL |
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Luke Sayers’ life is his music. The love, loss, laughter, fear, and hope each of us experiences every day find their way into Luke’s songs, regardless of whether they happen to be semi autobiographical or completely made up. As an acoustic American...
Luke Sayers’ life is his music. The love, loss, laughter, fear, and hope each of us experiences every day find their way into Luke’s songs, regardless of whether they happen to be semi autobiographical or completely made up. As an acoustic American roots artist, Luke begins with the blues, draws on the story telling tradition of country and folk, then brings his lyrics to life through soaring melodies set against the backdrop of energetic grooves derived from pop rock. Though Luke has been writing, recording, and performing his original songs since 2005, he spent the first 18 years of this musical journey playing upright acoustic and electric bass in rock, blues, jazz, AfroCuban, and Americana groups. During Luke's 3 years with the successful acoustic Americana band Tangerine Trousers the group received 3 Detroit Music Awards including Outstanding Acoustic Recording for "Dressed for Success", which also got strong reviews from national magazines such as Performing Songwriter ("…damn cool!") and No Depression ("An unassuming powerhouse"). As a member of the Trousers, Luke grew from his traditional role as upright bassist into a songwriter, singer, and acoustic guitarist. In 2005 Luke released his debut solo CD ‘Songbook; the introduction’ and reunited with his fellow former Tangerine Trousers band mate Mark Iannace. This duo is the nucleus of The Last to Know band.
Luke's last EP ‘Long Way Back’ (2007) was described as "flavorful folk that weaves together blues, rock, country, jazz, and bluegrass, with bang-up harmonies at times recalling Barenaked Ladies" (John Sinkevics - Grand Rapids Press), and received praise such as "Luke Sayers has a powerful, passionate voice, and it's put to good use on the heartfelt, beautifully written tunes on his new CD" (Martin Bandyke - 107.1 FM Ann Arbor, MI). Other accolades came in the form of nominations by WYCE's “Jammie” Awards for Best Local Folk Album of the Year, as well as the Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Recording.
2008 has brought about a soulful collection of 11 new original songs for people who like honest, melodious, & deep grooving music on Luke's third release as a solo artist, and his first full length recording ‘Radio Flower‘. This new CD is full of the sound that Christian Czerwinski of the Lansing State Journal NOISE called "easy to listen to even for the hardest of rockers and the most casual of pop fans". The Illinois Entertainer said ‘Radio Flower’ has "a laid-back, easing-going vibe and an unmistakable heartfelt sincerity". John Sinkevics of the Grand Rapids Press said “Luke Sayers has been one of the best-kept secrets on the folk-rock scene. That may change with his latest album, ‘Radio Flower‘.” The online based Mlive.com added "Sonorous acoustic folk-rock doesn't get much better then what is generated on ‘Radio Flower‘.”
This year also adds another dimension to the recognition Luke has received from his peers via the Detroit Music Awards as he was nominated in the Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Instrumentalist (acoustic guitar) category, which will go along side the nominations from previous years as an Acoustic/Folk Songwriter & Acoustic/Folk Artist.
The truth is in Luke's passionate and uninhibited live performances in which a pound of flesh, blood, sweat, and tears are always given freely for appreciative audiences. Bill Keith, head of the Trinity House Theatre, says "you have to get out and see Luke Sayers and The Last to Know. He’s a wonderfully talented songwriter, but it is in the live performance that the music takes on wings." Concert halls, house concerts, festivals, clubs, coffeehouses, & live radio broadcasts all feel like home to this seasoned performer. Luke has toured internationally, recorded on several original CDs and has shared the stage with Martin Sexton, Ani Difranco, Old Crow Medicine Show, Donna the Buffalo, Jackie Green, Railroad Earth, Brave Combo, The Clumsy Lovers, Ruthie Foster, and Bluehouse. Luke has performed his original songs on the stages of The Ark, the Bluebird Café for the Sunday Showcase Spotlight, the Legion Arts-CSPS hall, the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the Detroit Festival of the Arts, the Black Swamp Arts Festival, Blissfest, and the White River Folk Festival.
Luke's last EP ‘Long Way Back’ (2007) was described as "flavorful folk that weaves together blues, rock, country, jazz, and bluegrass, with bang-up harmonies at times recalling Barenaked Ladies" (John Sinkevics - Grand Rapids Press), and received praise such as "Luke Sayers has a powerful, passionate voice, and it's put to good use on the heartfelt, beautifully written tunes on his new CD" (Martin Bandyke - 107.1 FM Ann Arbor, MI). Other accolades came in the form of nominations by WYCE's “Jammie” Awards for Best Local Folk Album of the Year, as well as the Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Recording.
2008 has brought about a soulful collection of 11 new original songs for people who like honest, melodious, & deep grooving music on Luke's third release as a solo artist, and his first full length recording ‘Radio Flower‘. This new CD is full of the sound that Christian Czerwinski of the Lansing State Journal NOISE called "easy to listen to even for the hardest of rockers and the most casual of pop fans". The Illinois Entertainer said ‘Radio Flower’ has "a laid-back, easing-going vibe and an unmistakable heartfelt sincerity". John Sinkevics of the Grand Rapids Press said “Luke Sayers has been one of the best-kept secrets on the folk-rock scene. That may change with his latest album, ‘Radio Flower‘.” The online based Mlive.com added "Sonorous acoustic folk-rock doesn't get much better then what is generated on ‘Radio Flower‘.”
This year also adds another dimension to the recognition Luke has received from his peers via the Detroit Music Awards as he was nominated in the Outstanding Acoustic/Folk Instrumentalist (acoustic guitar) category, which will go along side the nominations from previous years as an Acoustic/Folk Songwriter & Acoustic/Folk Artist.
The truth is in Luke's passionate and uninhibited live performances in which a pound of flesh, blood, sweat, and tears are always given freely for appreciative audiences. Bill Keith, head of the Trinity House Theatre, says "you have to get out and see Luke Sayers and The Last to Know. He’s a wonderfully talented songwriter, but it is in the live performance that the music takes on wings." Concert halls, house concerts, festivals, clubs, coffeehouses, & live radio broadcasts all feel like home to this seasoned performer. Luke has toured internationally, recorded on several original CDs and has shared the stage with Martin Sexton, Ani Difranco, Old Crow Medicine Show, Donna the Buffalo, Jackie Green, Railroad Earth, Brave Combo, The Clumsy Lovers, Ruthie Foster, and Bluehouse. Luke has performed his original songs on the stages of The Ark, the Bluebird Café for the Sunday Showcase Spotlight, the Legion Arts-CSPS hall, the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the Detroit Festival of the Arts, the Black Swamp Arts Festival, Blissfest, and the White River Folk Festival.
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August 2008 Traditional Country / Roots
July 2008 Jazz
Connector
August 2008 Traditional Country / Roots
July 2008 Jazz
Connector
Sayers has love for Chicago by Chicago Tribune
Since moving to Chicago this past March, Luke Sayers, who spent the last 10 years living and working in Detroit, has found fresh inspiration in his new environs. "I remember one afternoon in...
Since moving to Chicago this past March, Luke Sayers, who spent the last 10 years living and working in Detroit, has found fresh inspiration in his new environs. "I remember one afternoon in...
Finding success by tapping American roots sound by Lansing State Journal - NOISE
It's been three years since Luke Sayers ventured out on his own. Once a bassist for Tangerine Trousers, Sayers (with Mark Iannace; the full name of the duo is Luke Sayers and the Last to Know) has...
It's been three years since Luke Sayers ventured out on his own. Once a bassist for Tangerine Trousers, Sayers (with Mark Iannace; the full name of the duo is Luke Sayers and the Last to Know) has...
Sayers has love for Chicago by Chicago Tribune
Since moving to Chicago this past March, Luke Sayers, who spent the last 10 years living and working in Detroit, has found fresh inspiration in his new environs. "I remember one afternoon in particular," he says. "It was April, so it was still cold, and I sat on the North Side lakeshore looking at the skyline. The setting became the inspiration for "Second City Serenade," a love letter to his newfound home. Of course, not all of his Chicago adventures have been quite so romantic; a trip to the DMV left the folksy singer-songwriter shaking his head at bureaucracy. "That place is daunting," he says. "I felt like I was in a 1950s sci-fi movie. Despite these minor inconveniences, Sayers, now in his early-30s, has fully embraced his new home and its supportive art scene—a welcome change-of-pace from his time in Detroit. "It definitely gave me a thick skin," admits Sayers. "I played to lots of unappreciative audiences, but I learned to carry myself the same in every situation." This included a concert in nearby Toledo, Ohio, that nearly erupted into a full-scale riot. "It started in the back [of the bar] and kept rolling through the crowd," says the singer. "I was trying to grab the speaker stands and the manager is yelling at me to just keep playing. It's surprising that Sayers' music didn't act as a calming influence amid the fracas; songs such as "Delaying Disaster" and "The Letter" (both streaming at myspace.com/lukesayers) amble along on the singer's comforting voice and delicate strumming. Sayers, who majored in Jazz and Composition at Western Michigan, admits to being afflicted with "musical ADD." He started off playing drums in the high school band before progressing to upright bass (an instrument he still plays on occasion with local outfit JT and the Clouds). He finally picked up a guitar after college as an outlet for his songwriting. "I worked hard at it," says Sayers. "I didn't want there to be any barrier between what I could do with my hands and the music I heard in my head.
Since moving to Chicago this past March, Luke Sayers, who spent the last 10 years living and working in Detroit, has found fresh inspiration in his new environs. "I remember one afternoon in particular," he says. "It was April, so it was still cold, and I sat on the North Side lakeshore looking at the skyline. The setting became the inspiration for "Second City Serenade," a love letter to his newfound home. Of course, not all of his Chicago adventures have been quite so romantic; a trip to the DMV left the folksy singer-songwriter shaking his head at bureaucracy. "That place is daunting," he says. "I felt like I was in a 1950s sci-fi movie. Despite these minor inconveniences, Sayers, now in his early-30s, has fully embraced his new home and its supportive art scene—a welcome change-of-pace from his time in Detroit. "It definitely gave me a thick skin," admits Sayers. "I played to lots of unappreciative audiences, but I learned to carry myself the same in every situation." This included a concert in nearby Toledo, Ohio, that nearly erupted into a full-scale riot. "It started in the back [of the bar] and kept rolling through the crowd," says the singer. "I was trying to grab the speaker stands and the manager is yelling at me to just keep playing. It's surprising that Sayers' music didn't act as a calming influence amid the fracas; songs such as "Delaying Disaster" and "The Letter" (both streaming at myspace.com/lukesayers) amble along on the singer's comforting voice and delicate strumming. Sayers, who majored in Jazz and Composition at Western Michigan, admits to being afflicted with "musical ADD." He started off playing drums in the high school band before progressing to upright bass (an instrument he still plays on occasion with local outfit JT and the Clouds). He finally picked up a guitar after college as an outlet for his songwriting. "I worked hard at it," says Sayers. "I didn't want there to be any barrier between what I could do with my hands and the music I heard in my head.
Finding success by tapping American roots sound by Lansing State Journal - NOISE
It's been three years since Luke Sayers ventured out on his own. Once a bassist for Tangerine Trousers, Sayers (with Mark Iannace; the full name of the duo is Luke Sayers and the Last to Know) has traveled the country with his blues/country-inspired folk music. He's seen bar fights, played for semi-interested audiences and achieved a measure of success in an often unforgiving genre taking first place in the 2005 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. Sayers, 32, has a sound that's easy to listen to even for the hardest of rockers and the most casual of pop fans. We caught up with him on the phone from his home in Royal Oak. Would you call yourself primarily a folk singer or are you more? I'd say it's more than that. Folk is encompassing many styles and genres into one. I'd call it acoustic American roots because it draws from all the music that comes from the ground of this country for several hundred years. They're all related with the storytelling. Describe your style of songwriting. I try to create word images and make it almost like I'm writing a scene and give some background and imagery. As far as the music, I let it go wherever. Sometimes it ends up being a more traditional pattern and rhythm. It can get more world influences or funky. I find more Motown making its way into my music. What's your live show like? There is definitely a camaraderie between Mark and I. We have a good time. I don't have a set list and I read the audience. We do a lot of banter between the two of us and go with whatever strikes us at the moment. Have you found good crowds for the type of music that you play? It's been kind of hit or miss ... you go in and one room might be packed and most of the people are watching TV. You can go to a place that's like a theater and there might be half the amount of people, but they're hanging on every word. That's why we play, because there's no other way to get it out there. How important is it for you to be a storyteller as well as a musician? It's important to me because I appreciate content in the lyrics of the songs I really love by the artists I really enjoy. If I hear a poignant lyric or am moved by a story ... that's why I try to create a scene or capture a moment. It's a common experience and it's something they can take in their own life. Do you have a favorite rock band that influences you? I'd say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They encompass a lot of qualities I like. My favorite of any artist is Willie Nelson. Has anyone ever got out of line in the audience? There was a little fight at one of our shows in Toledo about a month and a half ago. It was funny because the two involved didn't cause as much trouble as the crowd running out to see it. Someone almost ran into our speaker. Besides that, there's the off the wall comment to play some Skynyrd.
It's been three years since Luke Sayers ventured out on his own. Once a bassist for Tangerine Trousers, Sayers (with Mark Iannace; the full name of the duo is Luke Sayers and the Last to Know) has traveled the country with his blues/country-inspired folk music. He's seen bar fights, played for semi-interested audiences and achieved a measure of success in an often unforgiving genre taking first place in the 2005 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. Sayers, 32, has a sound that's easy to listen to even for the hardest of rockers and the most casual of pop fans. We caught up with him on the phone from his home in Royal Oak. Would you call yourself primarily a folk singer or are you more? I'd say it's more than that. Folk is encompassing many styles and genres into one. I'd call it acoustic American roots because it draws from all the music that comes from the ground of this country for several hundred years. They're all related with the storytelling. Describe your style of songwriting. I try to create word images and make it almost like I'm writing a scene and give some background and imagery. As far as the music, I let it go wherever. Sometimes it ends up being a more traditional pattern and rhythm. It can get more world influences or funky. I find more Motown making its way into my music. What's your live show like? There is definitely a camaraderie between Mark and I. We have a good time. I don't have a set list and I read the audience. We do a lot of banter between the two of us and go with whatever strikes us at the moment. Have you found good crowds for the type of music that you play? It's been kind of hit or miss ... you go in and one room might be packed and most of the people are watching TV. You can go to a place that's like a theater and there might be half the amount of people, but they're hanging on every word. That's why we play, because there's no other way to get it out there. How important is it for you to be a storyteller as well as a musician? It's important to me because I appreciate content in the lyrics of the songs I really love by the artists I really enjoy. If I hear a poignant lyric or am moved by a story ... that's why I try to create a scene or capture a moment. It's a common experience and it's something they can take in their own life. Do you have a favorite rock band that influences you? I'd say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They encompass a lot of qualities I like. My favorite of any artist is Willie Nelson. Has anyone ever got out of line in the audience? There was a little fight at one of our shows in Toledo about a month and a half ago. It was funny because the two involved didn't cause as much trouble as the crowd running out to see it. Someone almost ran into our speaker. Besides that, there's the off the wall comment to play some Skynyrd.
Singer-songwriter to tune in ‘Radio Flower' by Toledo Free Press
The sky overhead is crystal clear And the stars have put the sun to bed 400 miles of interstate without one good tune on the dial The music's lost tonight Trapped by satellites I'll take love-makin' grooves Some heart-breakin' blues An old country tune by Willie — “Busy Signal” by Luke Sayers Luke Sayers knows what it's like to drive with no audio inspiration. “There were a couple long trips we took where you played every CD that you have, and you ran through the MP3 player, and you've got that four hours ahead of you on the road, and you're trying to watch all the signs go by because you don't really know where you're going,” he said. “All you really want to do is find a good tune on the radio to kind of help you tolerate the situation a little more, maybe do a little singalong in the car.” “Busy Signal” opens “Radio Flower,” the first full-length disc released last month by Luke Sayers and the Last to Know. “It does have this salute to the independent music theme that's kind of operating underneath the radar of the Clear Channel empire that has a lot of the commercial stuff locked down,” said the singer-songwriter-guitarist from his Chicago home. “But there's been some great independent stations that have been good at helping us get our stuff out there. [This song] is a salute, a nod and thank you to them, as well as showing some of the frustration.” The longtime Detroit resident also pays tribute to James Jamerson of The Funk Brothers with “I Hear You” on the new disc. The Funk Brothers were the uncredited musicians who played on Motown Records. “We try to give that track the feel of the Motown era. We gave it a boost with the tambourine in there, give it more of a soulful feeling, and add some Motown licks and harmonies,” Sayers said. The independent artist calls his sound “American acoustic roots music.” “It's blues and jazz and folk, country — those styles are all things that came from this country. I think that best describes what we're doing.” Sayers and the Last to Know will play the Village Idiot in Maumee at 10 p.m. June 14. Tickets are $5.
The sky overhead is crystal clear And the stars have put the sun to bed 400 miles of interstate without one good tune on the dial The music's lost tonight Trapped by satellites I'll take love-makin' grooves Some heart-breakin' blues An old country tune by Willie — “Busy Signal” by Luke Sayers Luke Sayers knows what it's like to drive with no audio inspiration. “There were a couple long trips we took where you played every CD that you have, and you ran through the MP3 player, and you've got that four hours ahead of you on the road, and you're trying to watch all the signs go by because you don't really know where you're going,” he said. “All you really want to do is find a good tune on the radio to kind of help you tolerate the situation a little more, maybe do a little singalong in the car.” “Busy Signal” opens “Radio Flower,” the first full-length disc released last month by Luke Sayers and the Last to Know. “It does have this salute to the independent music theme that's kind of operating underneath the radar of the Clear Channel empire that has a lot of the commercial stuff locked down,” said the singer-songwriter-guitarist from his Chicago home. “But there's been some great independent stations that have been good at helping us get our stuff out there. [This song] is a salute, a nod and thank you to them, as well as showing some of the frustration.” The longtime Detroit resident also pays tribute to James Jamerson of The Funk Brothers with “I Hear You” on the new disc. The Funk Brothers were the uncredited musicians who played on Motown Records. “We try to give that track the feel of the Motown era. We gave it a boost with the tambourine in there, give it more of a soulful feeling, and add some Motown licks and harmonies,” Sayers said. The independent artist calls his sound “American acoustic roots music.” “It's blues and jazz and folk, country — those styles are all things that came from this country. I think that best describes what we're doing.” Sayers and the Last to Know will play the Village Idiot in Maumee at 10 p.m. June 14. Tickets are $5.
CD Review - "Radio Flower" by Grand Rapids Press
Luke Sayers has been one of Michigan's best-kept secrets on the folk-rock scene. That may change with his latest album, "Radio Flower," recorded with his band the Last to Know (Mark Iannace on keyboards and accordion, Mike Gabelman on drums). Sayers' distinctive songwriting and singing is front-and-center on this acoustically graceful, 13-track CD.
Luke Sayers has been one of Michigan's best-kept secrets on the folk-rock scene. That may change with his latest album, "Radio Flower," recorded with his band the Last to Know (Mark Iannace on keyboards and accordion, Mike Gabelman on drums). Sayers' distinctive songwriting and singing is front-and-center on this acoustically graceful, 13-track CD.
Sayers' folk sound all about roots by South Bend Tribune
Luke Sayers may not have heard much folk music growing up in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, Mich., but he did receive an auditory education that has helped shape his American roots sound. “As a teenager in Detroit, I was listening to jazz, rock and the blues,” Sayers says by telephone from a vacation stop in San Francisco, “but back then, I was also playing in these garage-type bands.” Today, the music from the bassist-turned-singer-songwriter echoes those jazz-and-blues-inspired riffs while tapping deep into the storytelling traditions of country. “I feel like I tried everything there was to try,” Sayers says. “Right now, musically, I finally feel that where I am is where I’m supposed to be.” Where Sayers and his band, The Last to Know (Mark Iannace on keyboards and accordion and Mike Gabelman on drums), will be about 9 p.m. Thursday is South Bend’s Fiddler’s Hearth. The gig is the first of three area stops (Sept. 20 at Constant Spring in Goshen and Oct. 10 at The Livery in Benton Harbor) for Sayers and The Last to Know, who are touring the Midwest in support of “Radio Flower,” their first full-length CD. Independently released in May, “Radio Flower,” which features 11 original tracks plus a cover of the Johnny Cash-penned ditty “I Am a Worried Man,” has received much-coveted radio airplay on stations such as WQKL-FM (107.1) in Ann Arbor and WVPE-FM (88.1) in Elkhart. “It’s definitely my masterpiece so far,” Sayers says about the project. The 33-year-old Sayers, who moved to Chicago in March, spent the first 18 years of his musical life playing upright acoustic and electric bass in a number of eclectic Detroit-area bands. He may be best known, however, for his three-year stint with the Americana band Tangerine Trousers, which received three Detroit Music Awards, including Outstanding Acoustic Recording for “Dressed for Success,” during Sayers’ tenure. “(Those years playing with Tangerine Trousers) is when I got more exposed to the roots music scene,” he says. “That’s when I realized that American music is all based on the blues — from jazz to rock ’n’ roll to roots music. It’s all this natural organic sound.” His time with the band also helped Sayers grow from his traditional role as an upright bassist into a songwriter, singer and acoustic guitarist. In 2005, a year after Tangerine Trousers splintered, Sayers released his solo debut, “Songbook; the introduction,” a six-track EP that reunited him with Iannace, a fellow Tangerine Trousers bandmate. Sayers’ first foray into solo songwriting offered a rootsy sound that, like that of his hero Willie Nelson, managed to cross musical boundaries. Sayers teamed again with Iannace to expand on this idea for the release of 2007’s five-track EP “Long Way Back.” “The first two EPs were more snapshots of where I was at the time,” Sayers says. “ ‘Radio Flower’ gives a more complete picture of the type of music I want to continue to make.” Sayers manages to find the common thread that exists throughout American music, whether it’s in the swinging rhythm of “Bitter Wine” or in lyrics that recount the open road (“Busy Signal”) and broken homes (“Delaying Disaster”). Guest artist Bobby Parker provides a taste of jazz fusion with his trumpet on “They Don’t Want Me,” and Iannace anchors the harmonies throughout the CD. It is Sayers himself, however, who shows how jazz, blues, folk and country can be so similar and simple, switching from steel-string to nylon-string acoustic guitars to mandolin. On about half the tracks, Sayers says, he even played some upright bass. “I guess now,” he says of his sound, “it’s really come full circle.”
Luke Sayers may not have heard much folk music growing up in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, Mich., but he did receive an auditory education that has helped shape his American roots sound. “As a teenager in Detroit, I was listening to jazz, rock and the blues,” Sayers says by telephone from a vacation stop in San Francisco, “but back then, I was also playing in these garage-type bands.” Today, the music from the bassist-turned-singer-songwriter echoes those jazz-and-blues-inspired riffs while tapping deep into the storytelling traditions of country. “I feel like I tried everything there was to try,” Sayers says. “Right now, musically, I finally feel that where I am is where I’m supposed to be.” Where Sayers and his band, The Last to Know (Mark Iannace on keyboards and accordion and Mike Gabelman on drums), will be about 9 p.m. Thursday is South Bend’s Fiddler’s Hearth. The gig is the first of three area stops (Sept. 20 at Constant Spring in Goshen and Oct. 10 at The Livery in Benton Harbor) for Sayers and The Last to Know, who are touring the Midwest in support of “Radio Flower,” their first full-length CD. Independently released in May, “Radio Flower,” which features 11 original tracks plus a cover of the Johnny Cash-penned ditty “I Am a Worried Man,” has received much-coveted radio airplay on stations such as WQKL-FM (107.1) in Ann Arbor and WVPE-FM (88.1) in Elkhart. “It’s definitely my masterpiece so far,” Sayers says about the project. The 33-year-old Sayers, who moved to Chicago in March, spent the first 18 years of his musical life playing upright acoustic and electric bass in a number of eclectic Detroit-area bands. He may be best known, however, for his three-year stint with the Americana band Tangerine Trousers, which received three Detroit Music Awards, including Outstanding Acoustic Recording for “Dressed for Success,” during Sayers’ tenure. “(Those years playing with Tangerine Trousers) is when I got more exposed to the roots music scene,” he says. “That’s when I realized that American music is all based on the blues — from jazz to rock ’n’ roll to roots music. It’s all this natural organic sound.” His time with the band also helped Sayers grow from his traditional role as an upright bassist into a songwriter, singer and acoustic guitarist. In 2005, a year after Tangerine Trousers splintered, Sayers released his solo debut, “Songbook; the introduction,” a six-track EP that reunited him with Iannace, a fellow Tangerine Trousers bandmate. Sayers’ first foray into solo songwriting offered a rootsy sound that, like that of his hero Willie Nelson, managed to cross musical boundaries. Sayers teamed again with Iannace to expand on this idea for the release of 2007’s five-track EP “Long Way Back.” “The first two EPs were more snapshots of where I was at the time,” Sayers says. “ ‘Radio Flower’ gives a more complete picture of the type of music I want to continue to make.” Sayers manages to find the common thread that exists throughout American music, whether it’s in the swinging rhythm of “Bitter Wine” or in lyrics that recount the open road (“Busy Signal”) and broken homes (“Delaying Disaster”). Guest artist Bobby Parker provides a taste of jazz fusion with his trumpet on “They Don’t Want Me,” and Iannace anchors the harmonies throughout the CD. It is Sayers himself, however, who shows how jazz, blues, folk and country can be so similar and simple, switching from steel-string to nylon-string acoustic guitars to mandolin. On about half the tracks, Sayers says, he even played some upright bass. “I guess now,” he says of his sound, “it’s really come full circle.”
CD Review - "Radio Flower" by MLive.com
Sonorous acoustic folk-rock doesn't get much better than what Luke Sayers generates on his latest CD. The duet "Bitter Wine," with singer Jill Jack and guest Pat Shanley on guitar, sizzles with rare electricity. The Detroit Music Awards nominee knows how to write and sing.
Sonorous acoustic folk-rock doesn't get much better than what Luke Sayers generates on his latest CD. The duet "Bitter Wine," with singer Jill Jack and guest Pat Shanley on guitar, sizzles with rare electricity. The Detroit Music Awards nominee knows how to write and sing.
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