Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt
Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt is an American singer-songwriter,[1] from Alabama (born in Vernon, Texas) who plays a blend of southern music that blends punk, post punk, proto punk, blues, broken-hearted honky tonk, Stonesy rock and roll, with gospel music.[1][2] Blues in London described his sound as:
"a joyfully chaotic reworking of the common sources... identifiably adhering to bluesey, country, folky, forms but happy to accept (actively embrace) a loose interpretation of the detail... a great blend of sasparilla Americana styles pulled together without meandering to 'authenticity', and played with a wit and verve that honour it's antecedents whilst managing a contemporary freshness."[2]
Eric Gebhardt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Eric Gebhardt |
| Also known as | Red Mouth |
| Genres | American roots music Punk rock Alternative rock Blues-rock Country Hard rock Acoustic Gospel Honky Tonk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar banjo lap steel |
| Years active | ?-present |
| Labels | High Society Records Orange Recordings Pegasus Records |
| Associated acts | Red Mouth The Studdogs The Throwaways |
| Website | www.redmouth.net |
Gebhardt started in a band dubbed The Throwaways who still perform every so often around the north Alabama area. The band's most notable achievement was a one-off release with High Society Records, an independent record label in Hamburg, Germany. The record did well in Europe, where the band never toured to support the release. The label folded shortly after.
Following the disappointment, Gebhardt moved to Orlando, Florida and formed The Studdogs with Dickie Evans and Jeremy Talcott.[3] Gebhardt stayed with the group for five years, releasing three compact discs. The band was signed by Orange Recordings in Los Angeles and toured all over the country, sharing bills with the Demolition Doll Rods, the Porch Ghouls, Bob Log III, and the Immortal Lee County Killers.[3] His songwriting however started to outgrow the sleazy blues rock of the Studdogs,[4] and Gebhardt left the band to pursue a solo career.
This growing interest in songwriting brought Gebhardt back to Florence, and later Biloxi, Mississippi,[1] where his delta blues-influenced solo acoustic performances[1] (and blazing red beard) earned him the bluesman nickname "Red Mouth." He spent some time duking it out in the juke joints of the area, but his desire to always move on has sent him out on the road searching for new places to play.
In 2005, Red Mouth released his solo debut Blues $1.49/lb which scored critical favor in the underground American circuits, garnering special attention in the United Kingdom. Blues in London loved the album so much that they appointed Gebhardt as their own personal "man in the States." He can be found regularly writing articles on underground American blues artists, documenting the rigors of life on the road, and occasionally reviewing records.[2]
He's been described by Joe Mauceri of the Dictator Monthly as "the bastard rebel child of Lou Reed."
In 2010, Redmouth performed in Lausanne, Switzerland at the 1st Annual Blues Rules Festival. This was a two-day concert featuring acts from around Europe and the United States.[5]
References
- Le, Bao (April 23, 2009). "MUSIC: This Little Underground". Orlandoweekly.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- "CD Review – Eric Gebhardt "Blues $1.49"". Blues in London. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- "The Orange Recordings one-sheet on the Studdogs" (PDF). Orangerecordings.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- Archived February 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Archived April 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine