Leadbetter Band Photo credit: Briana Leadbetter
While writing the Leadbetter Band’s latest album, Eric Leadbetter was experiencing something of a rebirth. New songs poured out in a creative surge, band dynamics were exhilarating, and he was savoring being out of the grip of alcohol. Aptly, the hard rockin’ trio’s new album is titled Spell, as in “free from your spell,” a lyric from the album’s rousing and revealing soul ballad, “The Hard Way.” It’s a song about being a better version of yourself, and that spirit flows through the masterful 11-song collection.
“We live in complex times. This is when people need to reclaim their power, stay positive, and be the change they want to see in the world,” says the Bend, Oregon-based artist. “That’s built into this album. I want these songs to move people’s bodies, touch their hearts, challenge their minds, and inspire their souls.”
Leadbetter is a seasoned music biz vet who, to date, has released 11 albums in 25 years. He’s a shamanistic hard rock poet, penning earned-wisdom songs rooted in rock n’ roll, blues, and soul, and beyond. As a vocalist, he moves effortlessly from a whisper to a wail—capable of stirring you into action or lulling you into serenity.
The Leadbetter Band formed in 2017 following the breakup of Leadbetter’s former group, Jive Coulis. The trio explores the sweet spot between hard rock and jam-band experimentation. Spell marks the band’s fourth album—and the second featuring multi-talented bassist/vocalist/songwriter Aaron Moore and Swiss Army Knife drummer Kaleb Kelleher. The band actively tours the Pacific Northwest and has shared the stage with heavyweights such as ZZ Top, Blues Traveler, and Gov’t Mule.
Spell represents the Leadbetter Band 2.0 in its finest form. The album is the trio’s most diverse, swaggering through brawny blues-rock, trippy Pink Floyd-like psychedelia, dexterous jam band improvisation, soul, funk, blues, a sun splash of reggae, and impassioned grunge. The album recalls when bands like Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band, and the Rolling Stones roamed the earth and made wildly eclectic albums while maintaining a core band identity.
The album also features a couple of firsts for the Leadbetter Band. Spell includes the band’s first co-writes. Horns make their debut in the Leadbetter sound, arranged by former Jive Coulis drummer Collin Braley. The horn section includes Moore on trombone, Jim Goodwin on sax, and Tucker Heintz on trumpet. Braley also contributed Hammond B3 organ, with Jarrod Donetelli adding percussion.
Some of the creative openness here may be attributed to Leadbetter’s newfound California sobriety. “Getting off the sauce has been a big inspiration. I have a five-year old son and a wife, and I want to be a great partner and a great dad,” he says. “I’m sharing this because maybe it will inspire others to make healthy changes in their lives.”
Many of the songs on Spell were written in recent years, save “That’s Enough” and “Solemn Winter Glow” which are Jive Coulis songs reimagined with Moore singing lead vocals. Another throwback to those good old days is having Mark Johnson onboard as a co-producer alongside Leadbetter. Johnson once did sound for Jive Coulis, and since then has been a friend and mentor to Leadbetter. Johnson also played keys on several tunes. Spell was recorded at the stunning Blue Jay Studios in Jacksonville, Oregon, nestled among madrone and oak trees.
Spell offers a song for every rock taste, from vintage classic rock, to riff-tastic grunge, and beyond. “Demon Dance” recalls the churning but catchy riff-rock of Soundgarden, and boasts a cameo from Leadbetter’s son, Silas, on wolf howls. The reflective “Lost August” features lyrics by band friend Joe Mike Matt and a deeply emotive vocal performance recorded just after Leadbetter learned of a friend’s passing.
The moody alt-rock track, “Reckless Abandon,” is a co-write with Aaron Moore, and it embodies some of the album’s sonic diversity with its reggae-flavored pre-chorus and hooky 1990s-style chorus. Meanwhile, the heavy-hitting “Shame” is both self-reflective and empowering. The lyrics here are biting, insightful, and speak to resilience. Leadbetter sings: “Always been wrong and you’ve always been right/Try to sit still, you just wanna fight/Try so hard just to get your fix/Burn out my soul, but you can’t burn out the light.” Here, you come for the enlightenment, but stay for the trippy Eastern-tinged middle section.
Leadbetter’s fluid blues-rock guitar soloing shines on “Whole and Broken,” a stately psychedelic and blues rock masterstroke that recalls Pink Floyd and the Allman Brothers. The song has an organic pulse that ebbs and flows, allowing for each section to breathe. “Whole and Broken” is inspired by the Japanese art Kintsugi where cracked pottery is repaired with gold fillings. Leadbetter says: “I love this theory when applied to the human heart. It’s worth it to put your heart back together—don’t give up hope.”
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