A Dirty Dozen with ROBERT LEE from DEL ROSCOE – August 2025

According to a recent press release: “Atlanta-based Del Roscoe are honoring a different kind of breakthrough – the completion of their debut album just before the passing of bassist Paul Abrelat, to whom the record is dedicated. Their self-titled LP is a layered, haunted mix of lap steel, mandolin, accordion, and tight harmony work, grounded in Robert Lee’s compelling songwriting. They call it gothic indie Americana, and it fits: songs like “Black Hats” blend political allegory with sonic storytelling, and the album moves between meditative folk and defiant roots rock. Their live shows are immersive experiences that bring the songs’ symbols and narratives to life, and that same vision threads throughout the entire record. Del Roscoe is a gothic indie Americana band built on grit, harmony, and haunted storytelling. The name honors two loyal dogs, Del and Roscoe, whose spirit of companionship mirrors the band’s bond. Primary songwriting comes from Robert Lee, with each member shaping arrangements and textures. The debut album was completed with bassist Paul Abrelat before his passing and is dedicated to his memory. The music moves across Americana, indie folk, and cosmic country, lit by voices and instruments that feel worn‑in and true.” We get Robert to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

The record is steeped in narrative. The instrumentation is the vessel for tales of loss, love, the apocalypse, and aging. We are not spring chickens, and we lean into the knowledge and authenticity we’ve gained through the years. Two brothers, me and Tim Lee, bring their stories from growing up in rural Ohio in the 70’s. Our mother, Carole, who turns 90 on August 29, helped write the song “Westward,” which is about her early days with Tim and Robert’s father. The lap steel is played by my high school buddy, who, when learning it, researched David Gilmour’s style rather than chicken-pickin’ country. Yanaelle Cornez (guitarist) is from France and wrote and sings the song “Red Desert” in her native tongue. We’re a bunch of friends with a common outlook on music. It’s all about fun with family. Matt, the drummer, plays a lot with brushes to give a percussive rhythm to the record. Harmonies are also a big part of the songs.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My brother Tim and I grew up with our father playing in a country western band. We were always around music and the characters who played it — lots of VFWs, Eagles, and Moose Lodges. The short answer: none of us can recall a time when we didn’t love music. All types.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

For myself, it was anything from the 70’s: Neil Young, Willie Nelson, CCR, Allman Brothers, Townes. I fell in love with R.E.M. in the 80’s and Wilco in the 90’s.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Willie Nelson or Jeff Tweedy.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

My brother and I are both illustrators. We love a narrative.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would say this first record touches on a few genres, but at its heart it’s cinematic. We tell gothic stories through a lens of neo-folk, indie Americana, and country-curious sounds. The one comparison that made me cringe: Flogging Molly.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

My brother Tim and my girlfriend Yanaelle Cornez started dabbling with cooking first. Drinks are handed out by all — sometimes one too many. My brother loves jamming on his mandolin for sure. Tim’s background is in bluegrass — too fast for my old fingers!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

It’s been years for me. The band tends to be more into home brews or truck stop coffees.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part by far is the friendships you make — the fellowship and creativity that can only be accomplished by playing a song together. Dream job: special effects makeup artist for horror movies.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Ask me what my favorite John Carpenter film is: The Thing. The question I’m tired of: “What’s your biggest influence?”

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I wish I had started singing earlier and playing roots music at an earlier age. However, the writing I’m doing now couldn’t have been written by my younger self. My songs aren’t about what it will be like to find love, but rather how many times I messed love up — closer to death than birth.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at Muscle Shoals with the Stones and so many others back in the day.

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Category: Interviews