Pinecastle Records has announced the signing of resonator guitarist and bandleader Phil Leadbetter to the newly-reformed label.
Phil says that the contract isn’t for a specific number of projects, and that he anticipates wearing a number of hats during his Pinecastle tenure. He also explained a bit about his history with the company.
“After my first CD Philibuster came out (originally on Mid-Knight Records in 1997), Tom Riggs (who was the label’s founder and owner at the time ) came up to me at a festival in Shinhopple, NY and said ‘I wish you had done that record with us.’
It wasn’t too long until I left J.D Crowe to help form the band Wildfire. I called on Mr Riggs and he signed us. We did 3 records there. When I departed from Wildfire to help form Grasstowne, they took us on, and did 2 records for us. I was really sad to see them announce earlier this year they were closing the doors.
A few weeks back I got a call from Ethan Burkhardt telling me they were gonna re-open under a new owner. Ethan and Matt Hood had been friends of mine for a long time, and had been two of the main guys helping to run that label over the last few years. Ethan told me that they were both going to be back and working at the ‘new’ label. Ethan asked if I may be interested in signing with them to maybe do some records, produce some projects, and just generally be there if they needed me for something. I was very quick to say ‘yes.’
I really think under the guidance of Ethan and Matt that the label will really prosper. My number of records deal, I guess, is an open number right now. My next thing to do on that label will be a project on my family band The Leadbetters, which I plan to start in October.”
The Leadbetters is indeed a family band, consisting of Phil on reso, and his brother Kent on banjo, along with Phil’s son Matt on bass and Kent’s son Chance on mandolin. Darrell Webb, who Phil describes as an “honorary Leadbetter,” plays guitar.
Pinecastle has their new web site up and running, and promises ongoing updates over the next few months.
