The Delines

The Delines formed when Willy Vlautin, former frontman of Richmond Fontaine, heard Amy Boone sing a ballad. He was so moved that he spent over a year writing songs for her before asking whether she wanted to make music together.

The result was a band centred on Boone’s expressive voice and Vlautin’s literary storytelling.

With Sean Oldham on drums, Freddie Trujillo on bass and Cory Gray on keyboards and horns, The Delines have created an understated, soul- and country-inflected sound often described as cinematic and narrative-driven. Vlautin is also an acclaimed novelist, and several of his books have been adapted for the screen, including Lean on Pete. Author Ursula K. Le Guin has called him one of the bravest contemporary American storytellers.

Now The Delines are back with new music. The album The Set Up, released on 6 March, is in many ways a sister record to last year’s Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom. Where romance previously took centre stage, the band now venture deeper into a darker, more vulnerable world. The Set Up portrays the lives of those burdened by drugs, the con artists and the lost – clearly shaped by an America marked by the aftermath of the opioid crisis. Songs such as Dilaudid Diane, The Reckless Life and Walking With His Sleeves Down carry a loneliness and fragility that heighten the band’s distinctive, atmospheric sound.

With The Set Up, The Delines cement their position as one of the most atmospheric and narrative-driven bands in modern American roots music. Don’t miss the chance to experience them live at Debaser Nova on 10 October. Tickets on sale now!

Ages 20+ (18+ with an advance ticket)