Delevantes, The Biography

Delevantes, The Biography

With Everly Brothers-like vocal harmonies set to hard-edged, roots-oriented arrangements, the Delevantes created some of the most exciting music of the late '90s. Their second album, Postcards From Along the Way, was produced by E Street Band bassist Gary Tallant, who joined the Delevantes on tour, and featured Benmont Trench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on keyboards. The sons and grandsons of General Motors workers, Bob and Mike Delevante created a formidable collaboration. Playing guitars since childhood, the brothers made their stage debut as members of Wreckless Abandon, a band formed at Rutherford High School who specialized in bluegrass versions of Top 40 hits. Although the brothers briefly separated to attend art school, they reunited to form Who's Your Daddy? in the mid-'80s, and became fixtures on the Hoboken, NJ, circuit. While attending a new music seminar in New York, the Delevante brothers were encouraged to bring their music to Nashville. They made several trips over four years before moving permanently to Tennessee's music city in 1992.

Signing with Rounder, the Delevantes released their debut album, Long About That Time, in 1995. An immediate hit, the album reached the sixth slot on the Gavin Americana charts, thus making them the first alt-country act to reach the Top Ten. Nominated for a Nashville Music Award, Long About That Time was named Pop Album of the Year by NAIRD (the National Association of Independent Records and Distributors). Switching to the larger Capitol label, the Delevantes continued their success with their sophomore effort, Postcards From Along the Way, which spent four weeks at the top of the Gavin Americana chart. Pursuing their own respective directions, the Delevante brothers separated in the late '90s. While Bob released a solo album, Porchlight, Mike worked with Jeff Black's band.