A “gutter folk duo” may elicit images or make you hear sounds of something, grim, dirty or perhaps the clang of trashcans in a back alley … But you would be wrong. Sure there is grit and a dust caked vibe to the songs of Driftwood Solider. On Marietta in particular, Owen Lyman-Schmidt’s voice is gruff and gristled. Deep and crackling like a raging fire inside a wood stove in the depths of January. On the inside, the combustion is all power, a bit of danger and turmoil, but there is a certain comfort in the deep, a warmth that finds its way out into the room and wraps itself around you. Something secretive and buried beneath. And with the band kicking in, the song has a driving force to it and the storied song eases in and out with the din.

Who: Driftwood Soldier

From: Philadelphia, PA

Song: “Marietta”

Latest Record: Stay Head of the Wolf

What About It: “I don’t believe love has neat edges or definite beginnings and endings, but that’s what we’ve been told to expect. In ‘Marietta’ a car crash leaves a man stranded in a small Wyoming town, where he gets involved with a woman who’s already in a relationship. His expectations are too rigid and narrow. He’s waiting for some something to change, for some sort of resolution, and when none arrives he leaves frustrated. On the surface ‘Marietta’ could be a lament about emotionally distant lovers, but I wrote it as a warning about what you risk losing if you insist that love conform to your prefabricated expectations.” (Owen Lyman-Schmidt)

The band just made a pass through Massachusetts but has a few more dates up in the Northeast before venturing back home to Philly. Check out the dates below and get on out folks…