Music Preview: Eli Locke is a musician locked to the truth - Jonny Whiteside, LA TIMES
Locke's approach is an appealing mixture of traditional and contemporary country and, as showcased on songs like his bittersweet tale of romance gone sour, "Tail Lights," and the boozy honky-tonk hookup anthem "3,2,1 (Ask Her to Dance)," he displays an emotionally convincing vocal style. As a lyricist, he has a command of some critical genre elements — an amiable sense of irony and a simple, direct use of language.
In performance, his Locke & Loaded Band is a powerhouse of fast-moving, hard shuffling country. "Our music is more on the traditional side of country and we try to always be authentic, drawing from the sounds of heroes like Merle Haggard, George Strait," Locke said. "These days I'm drawn to both the honky-tonk feel of the Bakersfield sound and a lot of Texas country and red dirt music." [Read More]