Locals Covering Locals 2: Julie Rhodes Covers Jonah Tolchin Now Streaming
“Every so often a voice comes along that moves you. I mean, sure, there are a lot of really good singers out there and around town. I could rattle off 15 people really easy who have great voices (probably easier than rattling off those whose voices aren’t great, there are a few…but I digress). But there is something that just clicks and gives you chills, the ones where your legs kind of lock up and your shoulders tremble. Julie Rhodes commands a voice like this and she gets me every single time.”…I don’t love to quote myself, but why reinvent the wheel when over a year after first hearing that voice, it still does it to me.
When I first asked Julie to be a part of this project she knew 
right away who she would cover. Someone who had done so much for her and been a big support system when she took that leap into being a singer-songwriter (a leap that can be scary as hell). Jonah is no stranger to the Red Line. When I first heard his latest release ‘Clover Lane” my thoughts were (here I go quoting myself again) “Jonah Tolchin is an old soul. There is heart and emotion baked into his music like southern red clay in the heat of a high summer sun…”. His music speaks in a fashion that displays a gentlemen who has seen a lot and feels a great deal about life and love and everything his wide eyes come across and he sings with a passion and deep love for music. The fact that Julie immediately knew who she wanted to, needed to, pay her respect to as a friend, musical colleague, and inspiration, I knew I made a great choice asking her to come on board the Locals Covering Locals family.
The track itself is short and sweet, just tripping over the 2 and a half minute mark, but it packs one hell of a powerful punch courtesy of Rhodes’ “bowl you over” vocal ability and the textured and untamed guitar work of Danny Roaman. Rounded out by the wails from Sonny Jim’s harmonica and the musical glue via Rich Dommings steady bass groove this is another beautiful testament to a friend. A friend that all these folks took the care and love to foster a killer cover of his song for. The blues influence remains intact here, and may even be injected a bit deeper in Rhodes and company’s take on Tolchin’s song…regardless of that, it absolutely grooves and slays each and every time I listen to it.
Another note: Julie Rhodes only has 6 days left on her Indiegogo campaign for her fantastic debut full length record (produced in part with Jonah). Head on over and check it out and give where you can! This will be a great album with a whole love and feeling weaved throughout. Check it: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/julie-rhodes-debut-album
