The Delines at Rough Trade East

The Delines

Rough Trade East, 24 March 2025

I finally got to see Willy Vlautin's incredible band with Amy Boone, made even more special as it was in the intimate setting of the always wonderful Rough Trade East.

I already had a ticket to see The Delines at the Union Chapel next week when they announced this but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the band in such a small venue: perfect for my live introduction to them! They've just released their fourth album, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom, so I have no idea why it's taken me so long to finally see them live, although I will say whenever I've seen that they are playing live, it's always been sold out, which just goes to show they have a very dedicated following, and deservedly so.

I saw Richmond Fontaine a few times back in the day but seeing Willy Vlautin performing solo last year while promoting his last novel, made me determined to finally catch The Delines. He actually previewed a couple of tunes from the new album that night but of course it's a different experience to hear those songs sung by the incredible Amy Boone.

I had wondered if this would be a more stripped down show than the one at Union Chapel next week, as the in-stores at Rough Trade East are often acoustic affairs but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived inside to see the stage set up for the full band. And then on they came: Sean Oldham on drums, Freddy Trujillo on bass, Cory Gray on keyboards and trumpet, and of course Vlautin (looking very dapper in a suit) on guitar and Amy Boone taking her place at the front at the microphone. Boone had a very simple outfit on with a stripey waistcoat on and her hair tied back, and she reminded me a lot of Kim Deal for some reason: I thought she looked great.

They began with the title track of the new record, probably one of the band's more upbeat tunes, written apparently because Boone had asked Vlautin to write a love song for her to sing that didn't have a tragic end! Of course, even with this in mind, there's still that sadness and feeling of regret at the heart of his songwriting, which is made even more effective by Boone's world-weary soulful vocals, which are often reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry, someone Vlautin admitted being a big fan of at the Q&A for his book last year,  so it completely makes sense that he wanted to collaborate with Boone in the first place.

Tonight was definitely a showcase for the new album (fine by me, as it may well be their best!), with the band playing seven out of the 11 tracks, and I'm sure they said, some of these songs were being played for the first time, but you would never know it. Boone said that someone came up to her asking what Nancy & The Pensacola Pimp (a country-soul number worthy of Gentry herself) was about, but she just chuckled and told him, you better ask the man who wrote it, referring to Vlautin. But this one was actually a title of a song written by the protagonist in Vlautin's last book The Horse. Not surprisingly it's a novel in itself, but then, most of his songs are: one of the albums highlights, beautifully sung by Boone tonight, was Maureen's Gone Missing, tells the tale of a woman who robs a drug operation and disappears with the loot. It's easy to just close your eyes and listen to the soothing sound of Boone's voice and get lost in the stories (and I often see Boone seemingly do just that) but the band is also so good, you want to watch them play, with Oldham and Trujillo keeping the groove in the background and Gray adding atmospheric keyboards and jazzy trumpet (what is it about the trumpet that is so forlorn and evocative of lonely city nights?), while Vlautin remained a strong figure on the side of the stage, supporting Boone through his guitar and backing vocals. He may be the mastermind behind it all but he seems more than happy to let the light shine on his Boone and his fellow band members rather than himself.

There was also, tremendous chemistry between Boone and Vlautin. They made jokes and teased each other and near the end traded lead vocals on the older track, My Blood Bleeds The Darkest Blue (I mean, that's a story in just the title!), smiling as they sang to each other: it was a treat to see!

They did give us a few songs from previous albums, That Old Haunted Place and Where Are You Sonny? from The Imperial and Surfers In Twilight from The Sea Drift, which was a thrill and I'm sure they will play more at the Union Chapel show next week, but even then, this was a satisfying 12 song set tonight ending on an absolutely beautifully yearning version of Don't Think Less Of Me, from the CD that accompanied Vlautin's brilliant 2021 novel The Night Always Comes (currently being turned into a Netflix series no less!). It was a lovely, downbeat and atmospheric way to end the set, perfectly showcasing Boone's lonesome and husky, country noir vocals.

After there was a signing, and I did stick around to get my vinyl copy of the new record signed by the band, and Boone was so nice saying she saw me at the front enjoying the show, but I was so nervous and shy I just laughed and didn't know what to say! I wish I had told her what a magical evening it had been and how much I loved hearing her and the band live for the first time. But I just said thank you and maybe that was enough. I can't wait to see them again next week!

My signed copy of Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom