Name Gary Louris
Best known for Being a founding member of The Jayhawks. We are sometimes called one of the pioneers of Americana or alt country and for that I sincerely apologize!
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Current city The Laurentian Mountains, Quebec, Canada. (Viva Canada!)
Really want to be in Everything my wife Steph and I watch, listen to or dream about is British. I have been an anglophile since I was a little kid growing up in Toledo, Ohio. For us it is all UK, all the time. BBC radio, The Crown, The Royal Report, The Great British Bake Off, etc., etc. So, if we were to pick one spot it would either be London, England or somewhere in the English/Scottish/Welsh or Irish countryside. (I suppose technically that is 2 places…oh, well!) If we were to live in the country, there would be lots and lots of dogs and hopefully some horses wandering the grounds of our humble estate.
Excited about I am excited for my new solo album Dark Country (released on February 14). It is a collection of love songs, an ode to my wife, and the most intimate and personal record I have ever been a part of. We both found each other later in life and I believe that has contributed to never taking a moment together for granted.
There is also a new Jayhawks album in the works and a book about the band coming out hopefully in 2026. It will be the 40th anniversary of The Jayhawks and our first record, so we are calling 2026 the Year of The ‘Hawk!
You can find any and all things Gary Louris or The Jayhawks on my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/garylouris(shameless plug).
My current music collection has A healthy dose of British Invasion, ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s country, rockabilly, blues, soul, power pop, folk and British punk rock.
And a little bit of Krautrock, prog rock, garage rock, classical, jazz, and anything I got for free when we moved from label to label!
Preferred format Of course I prefer vinyl. However, I am badly in need of a real stereo, and vinyl does not play well on long car trips.
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:
Let me preface this by saying THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. Even if SPIN had asked for the 50 records I couldn’t live without it would have been heart-wrenchingly, hand-wringingly, and insomnia-inducingly difficult. How could I leave my favorite band the Kinks, or Pink Floyd, or the Stones, or the Velvets, or the Replacements, or my obscure favorite Relatively Clean Rivers off this list ??? How could I???!! Well I had to…apologies to all.
1
All Things Must Pass, George Harrison
If I had to pick one band as my favorite it would have to be the Beatles (or the Kinks). Isn’t it ironic that my favorite album made by a Beatle is a non-Beatle record? A bit of sweet revenge for George who was sort of kept in the corner and given a small piece of the writing pie once in a while. Stellar songs, great arrangements fantastic production (I don’t buy that it’s overproduced…it’s perfect).
2
Five Leaves Left, Nick Drake
The pure beauty, the pain, the technical virtuosity—it’s all there. Just for the string arrangement of River Man alone, not to mention the cool electric guitar by Richard Thompson, I love this record. This was a tough one because Pink Moon is also a real tugger of the heart strings. Nick is an inspiration for all those who are or were under appreciated in their day but whose talent became apparent and their importance eventually emerged. Like many records on my list it is more about the vibe of the album than it is about the individual songs.
3
Sell Out, The Who
Growing up I so wanted so to be a mod….for the music, for the clothes, for the Vespas, for the culture. And for me this album defines that culture. When I was a teenager I used to stand in front of the mirror at home and practice my windmills on my cheap little Spanish classical guitar. I wanted to be Pete Townsend. Although I loved many of their ensuing records I think this one is my favorite. I preferred when Roger sang and didn’t shout. And the guitar playing is so uniquely Pete. I am not saying this is the greatest record on earth, but for me it represents my teens and 20s and my love of all things British.
4
Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan
I mean c’mon…this has got to be on the list, although choosing between Dylan records (Bringing It All Back Home,Blood on the Tracks, Highway 61 Revisited, Desire, Hard Rain) is like trying to choose your favorite child. But the homework said five records so I am going with Blonde on Blonde…from the lyrical power of “Visions of Johanna” to the snarl of “Leopard-Skin Pillbox-Hat,” to the pure pop of “Just Like a Woman”…it’s all there, backed by a crack Nashville outfit of session players that emit almost a brittle, mercurial biting edge to an already spewing Dylan.
5
Odessey and Oracle, The Zombies
Talk about a masterpiece that has it all but only got its due years later! And even then it spawned more future musicians than actual record sales. (See Nick Drake above.) I think every self-respecting pop musician from my day cut their teeth on this record…I love the breathy quality of Colin Blunstone’s almost whispered vocals. I love the jazz-inspired keyboards by Rod Argent that adds a sophistication to these perfectly composed and beautifully arranged gems. “This Will Be Our Year,” “Care Of Cell 44,” “A Rose for Emily”…not to mention “Time Of the Season” with its creative vocal percussion. A true example that out of adversity can come something great. (Re: “Band on the Run”). I love the story that the band had already broken up and Blunstone was working in an insurance office when “Time of the Season” became a hit.
Again, this was painful and possibly emotionally scaring task. I am sending this off before I start over with a completely different set of 5 albums I couldn’t live without… Damn you SPIN!! 
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