Folk-pop cowboys play with New York flavour

Kiwi trio Streets of Laredo (front, with their backing band) have been signed by Dine Alone Records.

Taking a bite out the Big Apple is starting to pay off for Streets of Laredo, writes Lydia Jenkin.

It sounds vaguely like the premise for a TV show based around our fourth most popular folk-pop act, except they're called Streets of Laredo, not Flight of the Conchords, they're a trio rather than a duo, and instead of a well-meaning but useless manager named Murray, they team up with a savvy and successful American manager, tour the country, and sign an international record deal.

Yes, brothers Dan and Dave Gibson plus Dave's wife Sarah Jane Gibson, took a bit of a leap of faith when they moved to New York two and a half years ago, and it certainly hasn't all been roses, as Dan tells me down the line from their apartment in Bushwick. But they're pretty psyched about how this year has turned out for them, particularly reflecting that both Dan and Dave were at the point of giving music up entirely three years ago - Dan was in pop-rock outfit Kingston and Dave was the frontman for Elemeno P.

"I'd been working really hard on Kingston, and that came to its natural end, and I was a bit exhausted. I knew I still had songs in me, but I was finding it hard, working in a cafe and trying to pay rent, just like everyone else. I got a bit down on the idea of music, and I remember telling Dave I was gonna hang my boots up for a bit."

Dave was at a similar point, with Elemeno P finished, but then Dan wrote a song to perform at their other brother's wedding, and asked Dave and Sarah if they'd sing with him, and they found themselves wondering if there might be something in the idea of making a trio.

They didn't have any specific ideas but forged ahead anyway.

"There's always sonic stuff that inspires you, and there's also just songwriters that Dave and I are both really into - we're Paul Simon fans, and my Mum and Dad were both really into folk-pop, so I suppose we sort of wanted to go back to the songs. It's become a bit of a mash-up, it's got folk structures, but sonically, it's a lot of bands that we listen to, like Delta Spirit and War on Drugs and Kurt Weill."

So Streets of Laredo were born, named after the classic American cowboy ballad, which they felt a strong connection to. Then they decided to move to New York.

"Dave and I had been there a few times, and really liked the energy, and we wanted to have an adventure."

It wasn't easy though. The first 18 months were tough, financially and emotionally without the help of New Zealand family and friends to fall back on.

Soon enough they were playing shows and recording demos. They returned to record at The Lab in Mt Eden, turning out enough songs for two EPs (Volumes I & II, which have now become the album), with the help of mates including Ben King and Haddon Smith.

But when it came to playing those songs live, they realised they needed a bigger band. So they slowly pulled in a bunch of guys they knew - Tom Darlow, Si Moore, Sean McMahon, Andrew McGovern.

"So it's turned into a bit of a circus up there with six or seven people."

With some recordings under their belt, and playing as many shows as they could including influential New York music industry showcase CMJ and then got picked up by the heavyweight Windish Agency. That turning point led to new management, and touring slots with bands like Kaiser Chiefs and Cults. Then SoL got signed by Dine Alone Records, the label keen to release the two EPs as an album - in New Zealand, Australia, the US and Europe.

So that's what they're doing at the moment, touring relentlessly, touting their songs across the globe, and occasionally squeezing in a bit of time in Liam Finn's Brooklyn studio to record more new songs.

Are they homesick at all?

"I seriously miss home big time, and we really want to tour back home - hopefully some shows might pop up over summer."

No, they haven't played Laredo, Texas yet. But they are due up the road in Austin on an extensive US and Canadian club tour which has them in Toronto tonight before heading to the West Coast.

But being New Zealand's most popular folk-pop trio-plus living in New York has its advantages too.

"Our accents are so weird to everyone here, people seem to respond really well to it. You always the get the "oh Flight of the Conchords' thing, 'cos New Yorkers love Flight of the Conchords, they just love it. So being Kiwi is a great advantage."

Who: New York based Kiwi band Streets of Laredo
What: Debut album Volume I&II out now

- TimeOut