Storyteller Gabe Lee talks songwriting, family and growing up in Nashville

Songwriters and storytellers are at the core of Americana music. Few conversations in the genre go very long without the mention of names like John Prine, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch and others. Most of those folks flocked to Nashville at one time or another to get a publishing deal, cut some records and try to make it in music.

Gabe Lee never had to flock to Nashville. He was born and raised there. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, his mother a pianist, Lee studied to be a classical concert pianist as a kid. Adolescence derailed those plans and Gabe joined garage bands and caught the music bug in a different way.

He now has emerged as one of Nashville’s most promising singer-songwriters. His four albums have shown a maturation into an artist who has been compared to the Prines, Isbells and Welches of the world. He even tells a story of his in-laws thinking of him as the Asian John Prine, a title he’s proud to represent.

Lee sat in with Roots Music Rambler this week to talk about his upbringing and influences, his albums and his music. We discussed everything from listening rooms to college professors.

Lee’s latest album Drink the River came out in 2023. He says he’s intentionally taking time to build up a catalogue of “bangers” for a new LP, which he admits may not come out for another year. But he continues to drop singles, play tours opening for the likes of American Aquarium and dotting music festivals, and sit in with cool podcasts.

Frank and Falls also talk about their own musical abilities (or lack thereof) and offer up their normal pickin’ the grinnin’ picks for the week.

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