Biography
Kelly Thomas and Ryan Malott bring their own separate tales of love and loss to the table, where they douse them in whiskey, light them on fire, and belt them out for the considerable pleasure of their listeners. Thomas, regionally known as the Fabulous Pickups’ fiercely fun leading lady, is a country girl whose pipes tend to sneak up on their subject with impossibly patient resonance. Malott takes a somewhat different tack, but with a sweet face belying a raucous philosophy, he’s made an equally tireless run as front man for nationally recognized rockers 500 Miles to Memphis. Together, the two have found something close to poetry, though still a ways from peace. Their forthcoming self titled EP propels Johnny & June into a new generation with stand-outs like “Can’t Keep Holding On,” a track that sums up the duo’s combined view of love as a beautifully precarious force that too often overstays its welcome. Vocal familiarity soaks “You Don’t Have to Find Jesus” and “Everybody’s Darlin’” in classic Country sadness and then wrings them niftily through the ages with a little help from well-manned guitars and lap steel. Kelly’s usually commanding voice takes a backseat at just the right turns as an acoustic guitar narrates and Ryan drawls his way toward the door in “Ready to Run.” Meanwhile, the equally jangling and gentle “Easy Tonight” tells of exhausted lovers too tired to do much more than drink about it.
As a duo, Kelly and Ryan nurture a common spirit, but they know that achieving perfect harmony often means refusing to stay comfortable for too long. The result is equal parts collision and collaboration, both a rite and a rumble—in other words, the very best of two worlds.
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