It’s been over a years since husband/wife folk-pop duo Sarah Lee Guthrie (the daughter of Arlo and granddaughter of Woody) & Johnny Irion (a S.C. native) brought their modern take on traditional roots music to a local stage. Next week, on Sun. Sept. 9, Irion leads one of his latest solo projects — The Mattress, featuring bassist Jay Brown and drummer Zeke Hutchins — back this way for a set at the Pour House.
Some older scenesters may remember Irion for his work in the ’90s with Durham/Raleigh-based indie-rock band Queen Sarah Saturday. His latest material on the album Ex Tempore (Rte 8 records) is a mellower mix of piano balladry, Americana, chamber pop, and folk-style fingerpicking … spacious, emotional, chime-y stuff. Guests include Sarah Lee, members of Chatham County Line, Hobex, and Corner Pockets. Ryan Picket, My Morning Jacket’s live sound mixer, coproduced and engineered the session at his Durham studio. You can check out tracks at Myspace, too.
