The Licata Brothers, Jimmy and Tony, are a growing musical phenomenon in Southern California. And “growing” is the only word for it. Jimmy, born July 14, 1997 and Tony, November 30, 2000, began making melodious music together about the time that they could walk.

 

Introduced by their parents to a wide range of musical styles, from Classical to Classic Americana and Pop, the brothers took to all the styles like bees to honey. Jimmy proved to be a guitar prodigy by the time he was 11, whipping out Jimmy Page like licks that blew everyone who heard him away.  Meanwhile Tony could do a mean imitation of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson at age 10 and was already turning into something of a tunesmith.  They are both multi-instrumentalists and display the confidence of old pros on stage.  One admiring veteran dubbed them “The New Traditionalists” because they see the value in the great river of music that has been flowing since before they were born, and are eager to jump right.

 

Their collaboration began in earnest around 2010. With the unflagging support of their parents and the wise guidance of local songwriters, musicians and performers, they began to develop a style that showed a deep admiration for the many musical masters that had come before them.  Now 23 and 20, they have “that sibling thing” one associates with the Everly Brothers.  They seem at times to be two guitar playing vocalists occupying one soul, and the result is nothing less than astounding. The Licata Brothers have been regularly thrilling audiences with a unique combination of heartfelt vocals, infectious acoustic guitar and a multi-lingual song catalog that spans the past 100 years. Their 2015 four-song debut CD Grizzly Bear, a tribute to some beloved tunes from the 1920s and 1960s, has received rave reviews.

 

This was followed up in the summer of 2016 with Gift for the Soul, an intimate and powerfully-uplifting series of original acoustic guitar and vocal arrangements set to prayers found in the Sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith. In the summer of 2019 they released their first full-length album entitled Kindle the Flame—a collection of primarily original songs that tells the story of finding hope in despair.

 

With performing put on halt in 2020, The Licata Brothers dedicated their time to writing and recording their most recent album, The Licata Brothers, which as of June 18th is available on all streaming platforms. Follow their social media pages to stay updated on upcoming shows and releases!