The End of America at the Loft at City Winery

James A.M. Downes first played guitar at age 10 in his parents’ house in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and started touring after high school, working in restaurants on the side. His first band, a punk band named Call It Arson, was popular on the New England hardcore scene in the early 2000s. When Call It Arson ended, Downes moved from Connecticut to New York City, ultimately bartending part-time at City Winery while launching a solo indie-folk project called Haunted Continents. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Trevor Leonard fronted a space-punk band (Procession Came Opposite) and an acoustic outfit (Triangle Shirt Factory), while also playing guitar in three other bands, Valencia, Punchline and the Future Perfect. Brendon Thomas, originally from Chester, Vermont, released four studio albums as Foreverinmotion. The three musicians met in 2005 when their separate projects crisscrossed on the road, and they started singing gang vocals on each other's songs. Together they formed the End of America in 2010. The trio credits the band name to Jack Kerouac’s On The Road -- relating to travelling “across the groaning continent” in search of inspiration. The trio's third and most recent album is 2016's The End of America.

The End of America has moved away from recording album and instead will be releasing one new song every month. Tonight's performance at the Loft at City Winery celebrated the single "Break Away," released on June 7, 2019, but as one might expect, the set covered plentiful terrain. Grounded almost entirely on acoustic guitars and banjo, the performance centered on three distinct lead voices weaving cohesive neo-Appalachian harmonies over a solid foundation of folk, bluegrass and americana. Older folk might compare the pristine harmonies to Crosby, Stills & Nash, and younger fans would draw comparisons to Low Anthem. Cleverly planned, the trio performed alone for a while and then brought on stage a bassist and drummer for a thicker and more rocking sound. The pool of songs from the three songwriters proved rich and bountiful, but was overwhelmed by the airy, floating voices blending together organically. If this impressive unit needs any advice at all, it would be to accentuate the lyrics so they are not entirely overshadowed by the trio's captivating harmonies.