To sum up the Lonesome Travelers, John Thomas Griffith says the laid-back acoustic duo (Griffith along with Paul Sanchez) is just about "American folk music in general."
Quite the change from the pair's day job: playing guitar in the legendary Southern rock band Cowboy Mouth.
Sanchez and Griffith forged ties in the mid-`80s in the New Orleans music scene. Griffith was then a member of punk group the Red Rockers, and Sanchez, a guitarist in the Backbeats.
"We'd always talk about writing songs together and nothing would come of it," Griffith remembers.
The duo eventually began writing songs at Sanchez's house and putting acoustic club shows featuring their folksy/country/rock blend, but the Travelers were put on hold when Cowboy Mouth was born with lead singer/drummer Fred LeBlanc and original bassist Steve Walters.
During a rare break in the demanding Cowboy Mouth schedule, however, the Lonesome Travelers were resurrected.
"One spring we had a full week off so Paul and I went into the studio and recorded a Lonesome Travelers CD," says Griffith.
Their self-titled CD blends Americana, country, gritty old fashioned rock and roll with gospel and folk. Joined by Cowboy Mouth alumni Rob Savoy on bass and John Herbert on harmonica, the disc also features Mark Mullins (Harry Connick, Jr.), Susan Cowsill and famed engineer/producer Mike Mayeux (dB's, Peter Holsapple).
The Lonesome Travelers, when not playing in front of 5,000-plus people a night with Cowboy Mouth, enjoy performing in front of 25 people during one of their "living room" shows. The intimate settings provide personal interaction with their fans in the comfortable security of the audience's private home.
The rule is first come, first served. Any fan within twenty minutes of a Cowboy Mouth show can request the duo. For one and a half to two hours, avid fans and newcomers alike can kick back and listen to the two trade leads and the stories behind the songs. There are no amps, no set list and everyone is welcome to sing along and request anything they want.
The living room shows usually go pretty well, but once in a while they are thrown for a loop.
"One of the odd shows was when we played for just two girls," Griffith recalls. "When we got there we asked where everyone was and they said `we're it'. So they just sat on the couch and we played for the two of them."
Whether two or 5,002, the Lonesome Travelers stay grounded focusing on their roots and playing just "American folk music in general."
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