LARKIN POE

Southern siblings Rebecca and Megan Lovell have reinvigorated the roots scene as Larkin Poe. They tell us about hitting hard, the importance of writing bad songs, the battle for equality and rock ’n’ roll’s post-pandemic fightback

- Henry Yates & Jamie Dickson

From the bandmates scattered into solitary lockdown, to the fans left wondering if they have felt the hot crush of the front row for the final time, these have been hard months for all who thrive on rock ’n’ roll’s fundamental push-and-pull. Larkin Poe has keenly felt the loss of live music. Since 2014’s debut album, Kin, the onstage telepathy between Rebecca and Megan Lovell has been something to behold, the Nashville-residing sisters switching up instruments as they stoke a setlist taking in rock, blues, soul, and psychedelia. Thankfully, while the live scene revives, this year’s anthemic Self Made Man album is the closest thing to the shivers of a night out in their company.

What’s the backstory to Self Made Man?

Megan Lovell (lap steel/backing vocals): “We did a lot of touring in 2018 and 2019, leading up to making Self Made Man. It was an incredible experience, we felt such a groundswell beneath us. We were touring like we never had before – entire tours selling out, people knowing all the lyrics. For this album, we were trying to capture that live energy we were feeling at our shows, and writing songs we could imagine singing with the audience.”

How did you settle on the album title?