Italy Bound by Lonesome Andy & his One Man Band is quite the amalgamation of influences. Take a talented multi-instrumentalist with a love of the blues, throw in a dash of Calypso from Trinidad… then what do you have? The end product is a song sounding as if the Memphis Jug Band produced a dark cabaret record… and it’s something else.
So, Italy Bound is rooted in the blues. It won’t make you feel blue though, it’ll have you off your feet dancing and clapping. The track features squealing blues harmonica, a popping Americana banjo-like guitar and the swinging rhythms of calypso. All this brought together with the rasping, soulful vocals of Lonesome Andy. Although an original song, it won’t sound out of place in your record collection next to Lightnin’ Hopkins, if, like me, you’re adamant on putting your records in alphabetical.
Like all great blues musicians, Lonesome Andy is something of an enigma. Take one listen, and you’ll think he’s a blues legend of yesteryear. When, in fact, Lonesome Andy is very much of the now. While the blues influence is undeniable, Lonesome Andy doesn’t come from the Deep South as you’d expect-he’s actually from Bavaria, Germany. To further confuse, the song is called Italy Bound.
So after a little digging, I discovered Lonesome Andy lives in Puglia, South Italy… that’ll explain the Italy Bound title. Incidentally, you can find him doing his thing in the small local bars! That’s enough to put Puglia on your wanderlust bucket list.
The thing with Italy Bound is you haven’t just discovered a great song, you’ve discovered an artist and a persona. There’s a vast catalogue of work to dive into and you’ll wish you had discovered him sooner. Italy Bound features on the EP of the same name, and it’s a great place to start on your Lonesome Andy deep dive. A masterpiece of blues skiffle straight from the heart of the Deep Puglia.
Discover Lonesome Andy & His One Man Band here:
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