Like his music, there's a wide diversity to Joey Landreth's career. He blurs the boundaries between genre and discipline, writing his own songs one minute and contributing to other musicians' projects the next. From his ongoing efforts with The Bros Landreth — the Juno-winning band that he launched with his brother, David, in 2013 — to his production work for acclaimed songwriters like Leith Ross, he has spent the past decade creating a soundtrack for the current era.
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Joey was raised in a household of blue-collar artists and DIY entrepreneurs. His father, Wally Landreth, was a working musician who filled the family's WWII-era shack with songs by Bonnie Raitt, John Hiatt, and Lyle Lovett. His mother was a creator, too, decorating the backyard with homemade garden planters and a gazebo constructed from wood scraps found in the garage. "My parents weren't afraid to give things a shot, which really informed my own sense of entrepreneurship," Joey remembers. "At a young age, I learned that if you put your mind to something, you can probably figure it out."
Joey brings that same spirit to his own creative pursuits. During The Bros Landreth's early days — years before Bonnie Raitt recorded her own version of the band's "Made Up Mind" — Joey and David handled the band's business operations themselves, often doubling as their own tour managers and guitar techs. They released their award-winning debut album independently and later formed their own record label, Birthday Cake, with Joey serving as the company's creative director. Now celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic, they continue to let their self-sufficiency shine. Albums like 2022's Come Morning showcase the full range of Joey's musical abilities, highlighting not only his soulful vocals and versatile fretwork, but also his talents as a producer.
After Leith Ross contributed harmony vocals to Come Morning, Joey returned the favor by producing Leith's major-label debut album. The experience challenged him to reach beyond his own influences — the blend of North American roots music, harmony-heavy soul, and guitar-driven R&B that informs not only his work with The Bros Landreth, but solo records like Hindsight, too — and serve another artist's vision. "Being a producer is all about collaboration," he explains. "The process requires you to explore what the songs are truly about, and capture sounds to frame that intent."
Running a label is all about collaboration, too. Since its inception, Birthday Cake has grown into something far bigger that the Landreths themselves. "It started as a vehicle for our own music but soon turned into a way for us to lift up our friends, give some guidance, and release music that we believe in," says Joey. Now a thriving record label and artist management company, Birthday Cake plays an active role in shaping the careers of more than a dozen artists. It's a genuine community, spearheaded by a musician who's done much of his best work in partnership with others.
A self-described gear head, Joey has regularly appeared on programs like That Pedal Show to showcase not only the gear he loves, but the gear he's helped create, too. He's an inventive guitarist, relying on his fingers (and, often, a slide) to do the heavy lifting while embracing various pedals — including the High Road Fuzz, which he constructed in collaboration with Mythos — for added tone and texture. Championed by outlets like Guitar World and Guitar Player, he's a guitarist's guitarist who believes in serving the song itself. That's a rare balance, perhaps, but Joey is used to straddling the lines between different worlds. For him, it's all about connection, not division.
