Backstage Pass: Larkin Poe

Backstage Pass programs offer students the opportunity to explore a variety of music careers, hear artists' stories first hand, and meet industry professionals. On March 23, students are invited to join us for Backstage Pass with Larkin Poe featuring a performance and Q&A in the Sanders Soundstage. Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are carrying on the American roots tradition with their own innovative blend of blues, Americana, rock, and beats on their new album, Peach.  During this program, they will demonstrate how to reinterpret traditional blues songs and how to bring traditional blues of the past into the present as young female artists. Recommended for 4^th grade and up as well as college students.

Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, Larkin Poe named the band after their great-great-great-grandfather, a distant cousin of writer Edgar Allan Poe. Their new album, Peach, is comprised of half blues covers and half original material, that harkens towards Megan and Rebecca's southern gothic heritage.

Earlier last year, Rebecca & Megan were asked by T-Bone Burnett to be part of the backing band for the MusiCares 2017 “Person of The Year” event honoring Tom Petty, and performed with such musical luminaries as Jakob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Elle King, Gary Clark Jr., Don Henley, Randy Newman and Lucinda Williams. The process of learning 40 Tom Petty songs inspired Megan and Rebecca to keep furthering their musical prowess by covering classic bands and traditional blues songs on social media. Within 5 months their video posts had been shared 200k times, they had amassed millions of views and 145k+ new Facebook followers.

Megan and Rebecca have previously hit the road as support for Bob Seger on his arena tour, have opened for Gary Clark Jr and Queen, and have been the opening and backing band for Conor Oberst, Kristian Bush (Sugarland) and Elvis Costello who praises that “they have a head start on the rest of us with the unique power and beauty of sibling harmony”. Larkin Poe have performed at England’s Glastonbury festival twice, were named “Best Discovery of Glastonbury” by the Observer, recently performed at Pilgrimage and Newport Folk Festivals, and their electric and slide guitar riffs earned them the title of "little sisters of the Allman Brothers" among fans and followers.