Don’t Tell John new single 'Grandad' + first show of 2025
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From the moment the grinding riffs and driving rhythms of Don’t Tell John’s new single Grandad kicks in, your body locks into the groove. Then it happens… the singer V opens her mouth and jaws drop as she lets out a soulful wail, the likes of which send one reeling back to headier days of Haight Ashbury and the legendary Janis Joplin and The Big Brother Holding Company. It’s been a while since a singer like this has been on the airwaves and perhaps half a century since the fusion of deep soul and heavy rock felt this natural and organic.
That’s for good reason: not only is the band made up of rock journeymen from San Francisco’s reputable Bay Area scene but it’s also a family affair, bringing together generations. Brothers in rhythm Mark (guitar) & Jack (Drums) Larkin have played with Eric Cretarolo (Guitar) since high school decades years ago and it was back in those days during which the seeds of this new band were unknowingly sewn when Mark fell for the female back up singer in his and Jack’s band Nathan’s Hand. Fast forward a lifetime to now and their daughter Veronica is the singer of Don’t Tell John, while Hendrixian prodigy William, their son, lends the occasional guest fireworks to the band. The family vibe doesn’t stop there as Eric’s cousin Pete and brother Jeff sometimes lend a hand on bass duties. The line up is completed by friend, percussionist and drummer Jon Protass.
The sound brings together generations of genres too, calling to mind Led Zeppelin, Mother’s Finest, The Black Crowes, Soundgarden, even Amy Winehouse if she had lived long enough to collaborate with Greta Van Fleet.
The music and lyrics have their genesis in Mark before V finds the melody and Eric embellishes the idea, with the band all working it out in the practice room for the final song to take form. V’s voice is timeless in all senses of the word, her tones and timbres somehow carrying and conveying complexities of lives she’s not yet lived with nuance
“Reminiscent of how a young Michael Jackson delivered Bill Wither’s classic Ain’t No Sunshine” - Lee Christian - The Fix, Totally Wired Radio
A big slab of rock with a thick slice of soul with a blues dressing, perhaps? Sure sounds tasty to us.
‘Grandad’ wraps up a big year for the band of singles - recorded at their home at Station House Studios and mixed by Grammy winner Brendan Dekora (Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow) and gigs (check out the reception they get on YouTube for footage of both) to packed houses at The Make Out Room and the famous SweetWater Music Hall in Mill Valley. 2025 looks to be their biggest year yet opening with a show at O'Reilly's (formerly Milk Bar) in SF on January 10 and with more singles and their debut album to follow through the year.
Don’t Tell John might be the best kept secret of the indie scene but that won't last for long…
Catch the band at O’Reilly’s 1840 Haigh Street, San Fransisco on January 10th.
