Winnipeg group ‘humbled’ by Bonnie Raitt’s Grammy win for single written by them

WINNIPEG – They say never meet your heroes but for alternative country duo The Bros. Landreth a chance encounter nearly a decade ago proved the adage wrong.

Dave Landreth was camped out in his living room taking care of his sick toddler with his wife Sunday evening when he just about fell over.

Thousands of kilometres from Landreth’s Winnipeg home, veteran singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt was taking the stage at this year’s Grammy Awards pre-broadcast ceremony to accept the trophy for best Americana performance for the song “Made Up Mind.”

“I want to thank The Bros. Landreth for writing this kick-ass song,” Raitt said during her acceptance speech.

Hearing her say that on the Grammys stage, “it was a real moment,” Landreth said in an interview.

Raitt picked up three trophies this year, including song of the year and best American roots song for “Just Like That,” a track she wrote.

“Made Up Mind” is also on her 2022 album, “Just Like That.”

The song was written by Dave Landreth and his brother Joey, and Jonathan Singleton, an American country singer.

The Juno-nominated group released their debut album, Let It Lie, in 2013 that drew upon the shared soundtrack of their childhood including influences from Raitt, Lyle Lovett and Joni Mitchell.

The following year the brothers met Raitt when she performed at the 2014 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

“Joey saw a shock of red hair stage left that horrified him because he was just terribly shy of playing in front of Bonnie Raitt,” Landreth recalled.

After their set Raitt invited the group to hang out with her backstage, said Landreth. After swapping stories, Raitt asked if the brothers had some songs they could share with her.

“At the time we didn’t have any songs because we were playing every single song that we had written,” said Landreth.

“I said, ‘if you ever want to cut one of our songs, you just go right ahead. You don’t need to ask.’”

Nearly ten years later, Raitt’s team informed the group she was recording “Made Up Mind” to include on her latest album.

The team sent the brothers a sample of the song that left them “giddy and gobsmacked.”

“It’s been this unbelievable ride that she just plucked us up out of nowhere, grabbed this little song that we wrote 10 years ago, and then has taken it on this incredible adventure. We’re so endlessly grateful for it,” said Landreth.

He added seeing the results from that first meeting come full circle gave the group a sense of validation of the work they’ve been putting into their careers.

Watching Raitt pick up three more awards decades after she launched her career speaks to the longevity Landreth aspires to achieve with his own career.

“I’d never expect to have that kind of recognition overall, but I just hope we’re still doing it 52 years later.”

The band is hoping to pick up a trophy of their own this year when the Junos take place on March 13 in Edmonton.

The group is nominated for contemporary roots album of the year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.

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