Singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc will look to his musical influences on the new EP Pastimes, due in June. The first release from the project is a sweeping cover of “Gentle on My Mind,” originally penned by John Hartford and made famous by Glen Campbell.
LeBlanc doesn’t mess too much with the arrangement of “Gentle on My Mind,” letting the wheels-in-motion brushed drums and restless acoustic guitar figures carry things forward. There’s a little extra atmosphere from steel, piano, and even washes of strings, while LeBlanc’s airy vocals add an extra layer of wistfulness compared to the relative warmth of Campbell’s delivery.
Elsewhere on Pastimes, LeBlanc leans into his love of classic rock, covering Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California” and the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire” along with songs by Bob Dylan, JJ Cale, and Buffalo Springfield. Pastimes was recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, down the road from where LeBlanc cut his 2016 album Cautionary Tale at Single Lock Studios in neighboring Florence, Alabama. LeBlanc’s most recent full-length is 2019’s Renegade.
Pastimes will be released June 18th via ATO Records. LeBlanc has a handful of shows lined up, including an appearance at the 2021 Pilgrimage Festival outside Nashville.
Pastimes track list:
- “Play With Fire” (The Rolling Stones)
- “Expecting to Fly” (Buffalo Springfield)
- “Sensitive Kind” (JJ Cale)
- “Gentle on My Mind” (Glen Campbell)
- “Blind Willie McTell” (Bob Dylan)
- “Going to California” (Led Zeppelin)