Gary Louris Reflects on Love and Time in Dark Country

“Most songs are born out of thin air and don’t exist before someone invents them. But songwriters know the best songs live in the ground waiting to be discovered. Gary Louris is tapped into the soil finding melodies and words that us other songwriters would give an arm and a leg to uncover and call our own.” – Jakob Dylan

Over the last three decades, singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Gary Louris has built a deeply compelling body of music whose artistry and integrity has won the loyalty of an international audience and the respect of both critics and his peers. Best known for his seminal work with The Jayhawks, he is one of the most acclaimed musicians to come out of Minnesota’s vibrant rock scene.

But after meeting his wife, Stephanie, and moving with her to a small town outside of Montreal, Louris found the inspiration for his third solo album Dark Country. “It is a love letter to my wife Steph, plain and simple. It was written and recorded in my little studio in our home in the mountains of Quebec” says Louris.

The end result is an album that is front-to-back the most romantic of Louris’ career. He elaborates, “It is the most intimate and straight forward record I have ever made. Period. Just me in a room with my songs and you the listener. I am not typically an autobiographical lyricist but these songs are as literal as can be... all directed to my love.”

Built around his own guitar or piano, Louris called upon a few friends to assist. Occasional Jayhawk Stephen McCarthy (The Long Ryders) fleshes out “Blow ‘Em Away” with some elegant pedal steel and “Better To Walk Than to Run“ with some guitars and steel. Eleanor Whitmore of The Mastersons arranged and played a beautiful string section on “By Your Side.” Following suit with the last few Jayhawks and Gary Louris albums, Paul Kolderie (Hole, The Pixies, Uncle Tupelo) mixed the record.

Concurrent with his time in the Jayhawks, Louris has been a charter member of the part-time alt-rock supergroup Golden Smog, which at various times has included members of Soul Asylum, Wilco, the Replacements and Big Star.

Along the way Louris has produced records by various artists, contributed songs to Grammy Award-winning albums by the Tedeschi/Trucks Band and The Chicks; and recorded with acts as diverse as the Black Crowes, Counting Crows, Uncle Tupelo, Joe Henry, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, Roger McGuinn, Maria McKee, Nickel Creek, Carrie Rodriguez, Tift Merritt and the Wallflowers.

Louris' first solo record Vagabonds – recorded with producer Chris Robinson – was released in 2008. That was followed by Jump For Joy in 2021, as well as a one-off side project Au Pair (with The Old Ceremony frontman Django Haskins) – both available through his own imprint Sham via Thirty Tigers.
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Tracklist:
Getting Older (4:12) 
Couldn't Live a Day Without You (2:34)
Dead Porcupine (4:53)
By Your Side (5:04)
Living on My Phone (3:19)
Blow 'Em Away (4:11)
Redefining Love (2:48)
Better to Walk Than to Run (3:39)
Listening to Bobby Charles (3:02)
Two Birds (3:39)
Helping Hand (3:34)
Perfect Day (5:35)