Gartrells pay homage to Atlanta soul

When it came time for Black Lips bassist Jared Swilley to name his new band with former Gaye Blades bassist John Kang on drums, blues guitarist Rod Hamdallah, and younger brother and guitarist Jonah Swilley, he looked to the first family of Atlanta soul: the late Mighty Hannibal and his widow, Delia Gartrell. “Jared told me he already had a band name: The Gartrells,” Hamdallah says. “I fucking loved it.”

The Gartrells name is an homage to the soul singer whose slinky double-entendres in songs such as “See What You Done Done (Hymn No. 9),” “Fight Fire With Fire,” and “Starting A Movement” embodied with the tribulations of a woman caught in the crossfire of America’s turbulent ’60s and ’70s with equal parts political and sexual swagger. “My friendship with Hannibal was and still is a big part of my life,” Swilley says. “I called him my mentor, and he called me his protégé. We had a special friendship. I reunited him and Delia, got close with a lot of his family over the years, and got even closer after we did the funeral. Gartrells is an awesome sounding name for a group, and it has a deeper meaning to me.”

Swilley’s garage rock background blends seamlessly with Hamdallah’s love for blues, soul, and rockabilly sounds. “Jared and I wanted to start a shitty R&B and rock ‘n’ roll band, but it turned out that we’re all really great musicians so we can’t be that shitty,” Hamdallah says.

The end result makes Gartrells the sonic children of Delia, Hannibal, and others, whose secularization of African-American church hymns influenced what became the three-minute pop song. “All the music I make is rooted in American rock ‘n’ roll, soul, gospel, and country,” Jared says. “We’re all decades apart in age from Delia and Hannibal, but we come from the same musical upbringing.”

Gartrells goes through long periods of inactivity due to Swilley’s demanding touring schedule with Black Lips. Hamdallah stays just as busy, spending months on the road playing guitar with Nashville’s rockabilly-punk outfit the Legendary Shack Shakers. Toss in Jonah Swilley’s InCrowd recording sessions and live gigs with rock ‘n’ soul revivalists Black Linen and Curtis Harding, and that’s a recipe for scheduling conflicts. Kang is busy as well, setting up a home studio at his residence, repairing guitars for local musicians, and performing occasionally with roots reggae outfit the Razorcombs. When opportunities to rehearse and perform arise, it’s a laid back affair. “We don’t get paid, and we only do it for fun so it’s just a casual thing,” Swilley says.

The veteran ensemble’s current live set took shape rather quickly. “When Jared and I said we wanted to start writing songs, within a day the ideas were there,” Hamdallah says. “John and Jonah were there backing it up. Then they started doing their own songs, which is perfect.” The initial batch of Gartrells songs includes five numbers written by Jared, five penned by Hamdallah, and one each by Jonah and Kang. It’s a collaborative effort, with each member having sway on the creative process. “That’s the only way I can do bands,” Swilley says. “I like teams. Especially when everyone on your team is an MVP.”

When the band’s songwriting core isn’t working on the next Black Lips and Legendary Shack Shakers albums, over the coming months Gartrells plan on booking some studio time. “We’re looking to record all the songs we play live with my buddy who I recorded my solo EP with this summer,” Hamdallah says. “We’re hoping to record an EP or two 45s. Whatever’s feasible to get out there.”

Despite playing only a handful of shows since debuting last December, Gartrells have done its namesake proud. “I saw King Khan in France recently, and he said, ‘I talked to Delia the other day. She loves the name,’” Hamdallah says. “I was always afraid of what she might think. ... But as long as she digs it.”