The Gibson Brothers Inspire with Darkest Hour

“I feel your pain” was a catch-phrase made popular by former President Bill Clinton, in an attempt to convey empathy. Brothers Leigh and Eric Gibson have a new album, Darkest Hour , set for release on January 27th, might be the best example on how music can draw empathy out of us. This is especially true in the track, “I Feel The Same Way As You”.

The Gibson Brothers have had wonderful success in the world of bluegrass, and there’s no stopping them now. Superb songwriting on “Darkest Hour” they deliver 12 tracks produced by Jerry Douglas. The album holds dear to the standard bluegrass and a few of the tracks have lap steel, percussion, and electric guitar masterfully blended together by Jerry Douglas.

Connecting through Conversation

You know Gibson makes some really fine guitars. There’s nothing like the Gibson brothers! I had an extended converation on The Long Island Sound podcast, as we took a deep dive into their back story and the pending release of their new album, Darkest Hour.

I’m so interested in families, wives and husbands and brothers who play music together. The musical journey of the brothers on a dairy farm in northern New York, about two miles from the Canadian border. Their dad would alway keep instruments around the house, he’d order a banjo or pick up a fiddle at an auction or order a guitar, but nobody played. Little did their father know that his was laying the foundations for his son’s future musical career.

The Gibson Brothers Eric and Leigh

Instrumental Influences

Eric O’Hara, who still plays in the band these days, was instrumental (pun intended), in helping the brothers Gibson woodshed and hone their craft. They began getting serious about playing music when they were eleven and tweleve years old. The influence of Country and Bluegrass music stayed steady as they listened to Merle Haggard and Earl Scruggs. Living so close to the Canadian border, the fiddle played a big part in Canadian Country music.

Early in their career, the Gibson Brothers did not have the opportunity to travel South, so they looked North. The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company), was a was an influence. The Tommy Hunter show had country music every Friday night, and they’d have American country people come up, but also really good Canadian country, artists were on the show. they would see people like Gordon Lightfoot, on CBC, and so many great songwriters from Canada, like Stan Rogers.

And that song started coming and I came through the kitchen door and my wife started talking to me said I gotta go, I gotta go upstairs ,I gotta write I gotta get this down.

Eric Gibson

Success by a Thousand Trys

Wondering if they could recall their one big break into the music industry, Leigh Gibson said “it was such a slow climb, we were prepared for when things don’t always go your way in your career, which will happen. It’s Ups and Downs, you know, but sometimes we’re glad that we weren’t that act that just jumped on the scene.”

Things sometimes go by so fast that it is hard to appreciate what just happened. The boys recounted an experience meeting a future celebrity early in their career in Nashville.

Erik: “Well, I mean, it was early on, we’re playing, playing the station and stuff. And one of the guys is hanging around was the guy named Dirk Bentley just happened to be working on a deal, you know, and nice guy. Just don’t know who you’re gonna run into.”

The Gibson Brothers / Darkest Hour

In Nashville, the Gibsons were meeting and rubbing elbows with their heroes. They met Dave Ferguson, before he hit the big time, and recorded their first album. Ferguson is a ‘s a legend now, but when they met he was second engineer, now he’s one of the hottest producers in Nashville and, and eighteen years later, he remembered the Gibsons and wanted to do a record. And then when they did the record in 2018, it was supposed to be with Dave Ferguson, and then they get a call from their manager who said, Dan Arbok of the Black Keys wants to be involved. Circumstances came together and as they say, “The rest is history”.

I Go Driving

“I go driving”, the sixth track on Darkest Hour, is one of the only songs Eric had written at night. He was feeling stir crazy, wanting to get out of the house, he went for a ride and drove on Backroads of his hometown, listening to Old Country music and just trying to pretend that things were going to be good again. Eric: “And that song started coming and I came through the kitchen door and my wife started talking to me said I gotta go, I gotta go upstairs ,I gotta write I gotta get this down.”

Energy exudes itself in Bluegrass music and the Gibsons Brothers sure know how to deliver.

Tour Dates

Eric and Leigh have begun their tour to promote the album.

Catch The Gibson Brothers On Tour

Jan. 27 – Fairfield, CT – StageOne

Jan. 28 – Shirley, MA – Bull Run

Jan. 29 – Newburyport, MA – Firehouse Center

Feb. 2 – Glens Falls, NY – The Park Theater

Feb. 3 – Clinton, NY – Kirkland Art Center

Feb. 4 – Norwood, NY – Norwood Central School

Feb. 9 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head

Feb. 10 – Richmond, VA – The Tin Pan 

Feb. 11 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center

Feb. 12 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall

Feb. 16 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival

Feb. 18 – Nashville, TN – Analog at Hutton Hotel

Feb. 19 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle

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