Exclusive: The Deslondes’ Riley Downing Discusses the Band’s Renewed Energy and Their New Album ‘Roll It Out’

September 6, 2024 8:30 am

Today, the Deslondes return with their fourth studio album, Roll It Out. However, they’re not just coming back with a new collection of songs. The New Orleans-based five-piece returns with a new drummer and vocalist in Howe Pearson and a renewed energy.

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About the album, multi-instrumentalist John James Tourville said, “It reminds me of back when we were starting our before we were even the Deslondes—back when we were the Tumbleweeds. It’s like we’re moving forward to get back to where we were.”

Ahead of the release of the album, Riley Downing (guitar/vocals) sat down with American Songwriter to discuss the band’s new energy, sharing songwriting duties and more.

The Deslondes Return Reinvigorated

The Deslondes came back from a long hiatus with their 2022 album Ways & Means. That album by no means lacked the fire that the band exhibited before. However, with Roll It Out, it sounds as if they’ve doused that fire in kerosene and fanned the flames. “We’ve got a new drummer and singer in the band now. He just brought a new energy to the band,” Downing explained. “The album we made right after the pandemic, I think, was a little more just us waking back up as a band. The new album represents the new energy of the band.”

“We took our hiatus around 2018. Some of the guys had started families and we were gone too much for them to be home as much as they needed to,” he explained. “So, we all agreed to pump the breaks a little bit. Then, obviously, during the pandemic, we weren’t really doing anything. Now that it all really kicked back into gear, there’s no shortage of gigs and places to go.”

Some bands have a principal songwriter who handles the bulk of the writing duties. The Deslondes don’t operate that way, though. Every member of the band is a competent songsmith in his own right. Downing explained how they incorporate everyone’s ideas when creating an album.

“When we get together, especially to make a record, we kind of just put whatever we have on the table,” Downing explained. “There’s always a lot left over. But everybody writes, even John James who doesn’t sing,” he added.

Tourville wrote two songs for the album—“Grand Junction” and “Line to Go”—on which Downing sings. About that, he said, “I respect his songwriting just as much as anybody else’s even if he doesn’t want to sing. If he asks me to do one of his songs, I look at it as an honor just like I would if anybody else asked me to sing their songs.”

Summing up the process, Downing explained, “We kind of just put it all on the table and shuffle the cards around, take a look at them, and listen to each other when they say, ‘Hey, I think we should do this one.’ We’ll take everybody’s opinion into consideration. We’re pretty democratic when it comes to that. Nobody’s voice goes unheard.”

Riley Downing’s Songwriting

Downing wrote two songs for Roll It Out—“Hold on Liza” and “Who Really Loses.” He spoke about his writing process when asked about the inspiration behind the album opener “Hold On Liza.”

“I did most of my writing in Missouri where I grew up. I just have a little shed there on my dad’s farm and I usually just write out there. But that was one that I wrote when I was in New Orleans. I was just thinking about home and talking myself into holding on and keeping going,” he recalled.

“Writing, for me personally, is just to entertain myself or to get through a moment or try to make a feeling make sense. I put it into a song and hopefully, it’ll translate for somebody else and make a feeling make sense,” Downing added.

The Deslondes Finally Record “Drifter’s Wife”

The only outside cut on Roll It Out is a cover of “Drifter’s Wife” by JJ Cale. Downing explained why they decided to end the album with it.

“That was one that Sam [Doores] brought to the table years ago and kind of worked out his own rendition of it. I actually heard his version of it before I heard the JJ Cale version,” Downing said. “We kind of used it as an encore closer song for a long time. It’s kind of a singalong. We encourage the crowd to sing along if they already know it. I think we put it on there because we’ve been playing it so long and we’ve had feedback from people asking where they could find a recording of it,” he explained.

“Some songs, like ‘Hold On Liza’ I wrote that song ten plus years ago. It was a similar thing where people were asking for a recording of it. So, we got it down just to get it down.”

Riley Downing’s Favorite Songs from Roll It Out

Downing couldn’t pick a favorite track from the new album. However, there are things about Roll It Out that he really enjoys. Mostly, it’s seeing his bandmates shine.

“It would be hard for me to pick a favorite song. But, I will say that Dan Cutler, our bass player who maybe isn’t as known for his writing as me and Sam but he really shines on this record,” Downing said. “I love anything that Dan writes and I was kind of glad to see him get more songs on this record than he has in the past. He’s a great writer and singer and I was glad to have more of his stuff on there,” he added.

“Howe, our new drummer, his additions were definitely welcome as well,” Downing said of the newest member of the Deslondes. “In the past, it had been me, Sam, and Dan mostly singing. Having Howe sing on there is a nice, fresh take on the band. He’s a great musician and singer/songwriter in his own right. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do a solo album one day.”

Roll It Out Tracklist