Gentry Blue

You press play, and the song starts. You are immediately caught by the smooth but crunchy, pure 70’s guitar tone launching into an ear-grabbing guitar riff. Complimenting the guitar are the powerhouse vocals reminiscent of Heart’s Ann Wilson. This is all brought together by the tight rhythm section of bass and drums. The guitar solo begins, but you are taken aback by the soloing interplay between an electric violin and guitar, both shredding on equal grounds. Such is the musical experience of listening to the band Gentry Blue.

Aforementioned powerhouse vocalist/violinist Lydia Gentry and guitar extraordinaire Brendan Debonis form one half of Nashville, Tennessee’s Gentry Blue. Playing an A-game in rhythm are bassist Will Gibson and drummer Aidan Cunningham. Bringing their passion for music from the class to the stage, Gentry Blue, first called Gentry, was formed in late 2018 at Belmont University. From there, the quartet began to build their psychedelic prog-rock sound in the vein of Rush, Jefferson Airplane, 90’s grunge, and with electric violin thrown in for good measure.

In the spring of 2018, the combined band’s creative efforts led to their first single, “Downfall”. Following a name to change to Gentry Blue, the band released a follow-up single, “What Lies on the Other Side,” in July of 2020. Excited to share their unique sound, the band began to take every opportunity to play for eager audiences at notable events, including the Big River Steampunk Festival, the Flatlands Music Festival, and the Fawkes Fest in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. At each event, waves of audiences simultaneously threw up their rock devil horns to pay homage to the wall of sound coming from the stage.

Gentry Blue was not to be stopped by the pandemic. Throughout October 2020, the band recorded their first full-length EP, “Pyrite and Steel”, with accompanying music videos for the songs “What Lies on the Other Side” and “Cutthroat” on the EP. Be sure to catch the full-length EP on Spotify and Bandcamp, and follow Gentry Blue on their website and Instagram to stay updated on announcements and news from the band. The band has many exciting projects in the works, but to hold you over until then, be sure to also check out their YouTube channel. The next time you hear a Rush song come on the radio, you’ll be disappointed with the lack of electric violin.