Revelatory reverences by Johnny Lloyd

Kicking it curbside with Johnny Lloyd; photographed by William Kennedy.

The aftermath of a broken bond brings about a bewildering, soul searching, personal turbulence and spiritual tribulation. The process of picking up the proverbial pieces sends one into an insular state of mind, wondering what it was all about, what did it all mean, what's the point, and purpose of any and/or all of this, and so on. The feeling of being sequestered to your lonesome with your own cyclical thoughts as the entire world keeps on turning all around you furthers the feeling of a maddening frustration. The pangs of what could have been, what was lost, the would have, the should have, and more that spirals and spins in the gears of the fatigued and crestfallen heart and spirit.

These play out in the heartland hymn for the sullen hearted, “All the Way Home” from Johnny Lloyd and his Band of Revelations. The former-TRIBES star contends with the tabloid dramas of a life lived a fishbowl, sorting out all the complicated sentiments, and more, whilst moving on from a high-profile romance. “Home” gracefully glides with warm pub piano keys like a pensive pint imbibed at a beloved local dive pub haunt, with the tattered soul of a chapel altar bench confessional. The therapeutic process of putting yourself back together again is solemnly performed in the understated wake of what happens when two shared universes become irreconcilably shattered.

Entering his People Move On-era, Johnny sings forth from the core of his being about the effects and events of grappling with aches, anguish, and all the changes that arrive in tow. Band of Revelations plays hums of heartsick portraits portrayed by road seasoned troubadours, belting out a rustic sound straight from the gut, the heart, liver, kidneys, et al. "All the Way Home" brings it all back to where it all started, returning to the places of peace, understanding where the upset began, what changed, what is desired, and where to go from here. The Revelations reel it all in, the ripples and aftershocks felt by a big break-up, the ways in which we self-soothe when things fall apart, and all of those unstable and unrequited feelings that remain afterward.

The song centers itself on the reality of matters like an antiquated globe spinning on its own axis. Lloyd presents pastoral tropes that observe the movements of nature, and the trials of time that play out in the background as all the various stages of mourning the loss of someone that meant absolutely everything becomes front and center. "All the Way Home" is a song for everyone, the lovers, the broken-hearted, for everyone that has ever felt love, that wants to feel love, and be loved in return. It's about what we do when finding a sense of home, what happens when that sense of abode becomes lost, and how we find that place of solace from within, coupled with perhaps the company of a special somebody that makes anywhere and everywhere feel like a shared space of safety, love, and fortitude.

Books, records, & the favorite football club of Johnny Lloyd

The Wager by David Grann

I read this while we were recording the Band of Revelations album. An utterly desolate tale of 17th century mutiny, treasure and death. It made no sense to the music I was writing but I persevered with it. The spirit these guys possessed to achieve what they did can’t help but inspire you to try and do difficult things. That’s become a bit of a mantra to me.

Johnny Lloyd taking the blues to church; photographed by William Kennedy.

Desire by Bob Dylan

I endlessly listened to this album over the summer trying to hear underlying nuance between the players in the band or new detail I hadn’t noticed before. It’s Dylan’s 70s peak for me, and I’m fascinated by “Romance in Durango”. So much so that I have it tattooed on my arm.

Johnny Lloyd finding comforts of joy on the journeys of life; photographed by William Kennedy.

Football

Wrexham are my team and since being bought by the great Ryan Reynolds, they have been promoted three times in three years. A lot of thought while we were recording was put into their latest promotions efforts and I attended a load of games with my Dad, which is a special thing in my life.

Johnny Lloyd’s “All the Way Home” is available now.

Cover art for “All the Way Home”; courtesy of the artists.