As an aside to Jeb’s regular column on this site and in advance of the full release of his fantastic new record – The Jeb Loy Nichols Special – we thought it was time to give a bit of insight into this enigmatic new addition to the Caught by the River cast.
Jeb is a Midwestern émigré now transplanted into the rural heart of Wales. Having swapped the open skies of Missouri for those of Powys, he’s carved a career for himself as a musician, writer and artist. A true believer in the redemptive power of song, you’ll know if you’ve been following Jeb’s monthly jukebox selection that the man knows his stuff. And if you’re familiar with the two amazing Country Got Soul compilations that he put together for Casual some years ago you will have already had the benefit of his musical knowledge and insight. This is a guy worth listening to.
The Jeb Loy Nichols Special is a record that finds Jeb twisting the radio dial gracefully through the very best in Southern soul, reggae, folk and blues… hell, there’s even a song that could be David Mancuso DJing at the Grand Ole Opry. It’s officially released at the end of this month but an advance ‘deluxe’ edition is on sale now at the Rough Trade shops. With that you get a bonus disc that features a selection of Southern soul masterpieces – lifelong favourites of Jeb’s – that show you where he’s coming from, so to speak.
There’s a bunch of videos, like the one above, with Jeb talking about these inspirations. We’ll post some more up over the next couple of weeks.
Jeb’s going to be playing under the Caught by the River banner at the Dinefwr Literary Festival on 1 July and at Port Eliot on 22 July.