(Laramie, WY) — Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone released their self-titled debut album on November 13th. The album is a knockout introduction to the Laramie, Wyoming based group.
The band —consisting of singer-guitarists and Lander-native Bob Lefevre, Scott Badham and John Poland, bassist Seth McGee, and drummer Mike Krupp, with backing vocals from Laniece Schliecher and Elianna Paninos—share an intriguing blend of poetic folk-Americana lyricism with the striking rhythms of alt-country and punk. Shaped by the mountains, plains, and prairies, Lefevre ventured to create a sound that reflects Wyoming.
“My concept of what I should do musically was to make… you know, there’s Southern rock, and it’s a sound, and it’s a place, and the sound reflects that place. I’ve always wanted to try and do that for the place that we’re in because I think it’s easy to overlook a place like Wyoming.” Lefevre said. “So I wanted to have ‘Wyoming’ or ‘Mountain Rock’ in the same way that Southerners have Southern Rock.”
Lefevre wrote all of the songs on the album, and each one tells a unique story about the melancholy of high plains living, complete with poignant observations and impressive wordplay. Like the beautiful desolation of Wyoming itself, Lefevre’s lyrics portray characters that are both jaded and hopeful, sometimes longingly sentimental, while other times defiant – but always real. From the earnest hope of opener “Break Your Heart” to the frustration of regret in the album-closing “Put a Pin In It”,” the album is a trademark for Wyoming music.
The eight tracks on the record establish a unified and authentic album that isn’t just a collection of songs. Lefevre said that opening with “Break Your Heart” works to thematically represent the band’s Wyoming roots and artistic intention. “I like the way it has a more restrained verse, but then it gets big and loud in the chorus,” Lefevre said. “I hope that it comes across as hopeful in the face of people in power who really can’t be bothered with the problems of normal folks.”
Recorded at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colo., by engineer Chris Beeble and mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Sound, the album’s eight songs reveal a band forged by years of experience and drawing from a wide range of influences, from the alt-country of Drive-By Truckers, to the urgency of Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, to the songwriting of John Prine. Capturing the feel of playing in the same room together, the band tracked almost everything live.
“When you record in this style, one of the things you have to accept is that it’s not going to be perfect, but that’s part of the magic of it,” said Lefevre.
According to Lefevre, the band originally felt skeptical about a 2020 release with pandemic precautions and canceled tour seasons. However, after withholding the album through the summer, the band was ready for its late-fall debut.
“It was easy to forget just how happy I was with the record after sitting on it for so long – now that it’s out, I’m reminded how much I love these songs, and how happy I am with how it all came together,” Lefevre said.
Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone is available for purchase as an LP, CD, and digital download on boblefevremusic.com. The album is also available to stream on all major streaming platforms such as Spotify.