Alone Again, Naturally

In the mid 1990s, Mike Delavante and his older brother Bob founded the imaginatively named The Delevantes, and put out a record on Rounder in 1995, Long About That Time, that was one of the proto sparks of the musical movement now known as Americana. The brothers, who grew up in the not musical capital […]

Mar 26, 2025 - 13:35

In the mid 1990s, Mike Delavante and his older brother Bob founded the imaginatively named The Delevantes, and put out a record on Rounder in 1995, Long About That Time, that was one of the proto sparks of the musical movement now known as Americana.

The brothers, who grew up in the not musical capital of the world, Rutherford, NJ, had moved to Nashville by the time of their debut record, and, being caught up in the newly minted Americana wave that included Lucinda Williams, Wilco and the Jayhawks, upgraded to the bigger leagues of Capitol Records — home of the Beatles, just saying, for the kids out there. Capitol released the brothers’ second, highly well received album Postcards From Along The Way. Like the first record, it sold well, critics did some appropriate drooling, and it looked like the Delevantes were on the express train to stardom and all that comes with it.

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So, naturally, that didn’t happen. What happened, as it so incredibly often does, is that flavors change, people move, artists are left outside when the door closes, and, after label executives that loved and championed the Delevantes left, well, the new guys had different priorities. Dropped, and figuring they’d had some unexpected great times, and a chance to do something most people only dream of, they both picked up graphic design careers, at which they have prospered, and stayed in Nashville.

End of story, right? No, of course not! In 2021 they went back into the studio and recorded and self-released A Thousand Turns, more than twenty years after their last album (doing a 15 Minutes Live Performance for us back in the giddy, post-pandemic days of 2022).

That record too was well received, including a rave review in something called Rolling Stone.

Following that, Mike, once again stricken by the music bug, started feverishly writing new songs. I’m imagining this was done feverishly although Mike has not said this himself, but he was turning our deeply personal stories quite prolifically and quickly. They were intended for The Delevantes, but it became clearer to Mike as he started to work them out musically that he should do a solo album. He discussed it with his brother, who has put out three solo albums of his own, and Bob said “go for it!”

And Mike has. His new record, September Days, comes into the wider world at the end of March, on Truly Handmade Records, a label co-founded by Tamara Saviano, one of those ex-Capitol Records executives who had originally supported The Delevantes. It’s a beautiful record of 13 heartfelt songs, pining for the better world we never get. Mike sings the songs and plays guitar, with Bruce Springsteen regular Garry Tallent (who has history with the Delevantes, having produced their records) on bass, and Nashville session drummers Bryan Owings and Jamie Dick. And brother Bob is on harmonica. The album was produced by Joe Pisapia, who has stalwart Americana chops.

In a way the album feels like it’s in the wrong time. Which is a compliment, because the album sounds timeless and authentic and imperfect. It’s not what Spotify regurgitates all over you when you play today’s new music, where all roads eventually lead to Sabrina Carpenter. Mike Delevante sings and plays like he couldn’t tell an algorithm from an African rhythm. And that, brothers and sisters, is a truly wonderful thing.

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