By MacKenzie Reagan
Singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc brings his introspective blues-rock to Jammin’ Java Feb. 1. We caught up with him ahead of his show to chat about his influences, his daily life and what three albums he’d bring with him on a deserted island.
Q: Your new album, Cautionary Tale, deals with themes of isolation and soul-searching. Where does this come from?
A: I think it just comes from, you know, a manifestation of where my life’s been, where it’s headed now.
Q: When you were younger, you went through a period of alcohol abuse. How does that experience influence your songwriting?
A: When I drank, it was about achieving balance. Now that I don’t drink, it’s also [about] trying to achieve balance. I became out of balance over the years.
Q: There’s a line in “Easy Way Out” that goes, “The lash I felt from the Bible Belt brought me down on my knees/When I thought that I could stand on my own two feet.” What’s the story behind that?
A: I grew up in a Southern Baptist home, and I just couldn’t live with the ideology or the guilt that came with it. In 2012, I finally just lost it, and had to go another direction altogether. It took a toll on me.
Q: You’ve been performing since you were a teenager. How have you grown as a performer since then?
A: I think I’ve grown a little bit with trying to get better at connecting with audiences and engaging with crowds a little more, being a more confident performer. I’ve surrounded myself with good people who are extremely professional. I think that helps an awful lot.
Q: What’s a typical day like for you?
A: If I’m on the road, a lot of times, I do phone interviews. I’ll read, listen to a lot of music. If I’m at home, I usually just clean the house, try to get it looking nice for my girlfriend when she comes home from work, take the dogs for a walk. I do a lot of meditation, too.
Q: OK, lightning round. Dream collaboration:
A: I don’t know. I honestly do not know. There’s so many people I’d like to work with.
Q: Your sound in three words:
A: It’s kinda cool.
Q: Three albums you’d bring with you on a deserted island:
A: Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan, Good Old Boys by Randy Newman and The White Album by the Beatles.
