Videos by American Songwriter
Before he became the lead guitarist for some of southern rock’s loudest, liveliest torchbearers — logging two years as Kevn Kinney’s sidekick in Drivin N Cryin before joining Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit in June 2013 — Sadler Vaden steered his own ship as the frontman of Leslie, a Charleston-based power trio steeped in British blues, garage rock and dirty soul. Leslie broke up years ago, but Vaden is still playing solo shows whenever his touring schedule allows, including a Wednesday early show (6 p.m.) residency in November at The 5 Spot, the unofficial headquarters of East Nashville’s left-of-the-dial music scene.
He’s still recording new material, too. Sometime early next year, Vaden will release a self-produced EP, which doubles as the follow-up to 2012’s full-length Radio Road. He’s getting by with a little from his friends, too, including keyboardist Derry Deborja (another 400 Unit bandmate), bassist Rich Brinsfield (Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors) and drummer Jon Radford (Steelism), all of whom play on the kickoff single “Yesteryear.” Shot through with ’70s-era guitar riffs and thick harmonies, the song paints the picture of a nostalgic person who’s finally learning to turn his back on the past and shuffle toward the horizon.
“The song is a bit autobiographical,” Vaden admits, “but the song is for anyone who’s trying to move forward and get out. You can trip your way back through the yesteryear and note what you did wrong, but you can also promise not to make those mistakes again. I’ve been there before.”
