Brooklyn Del & The Revelators

Brooklyn Del & The Revelators are a Portland, Oregon–based Americana outfit carving out their own stretch of desert-country - music that feels sunburned, restless, and cinematic. Rooted in classic country and desert rock, but shaped by a modern, roots-forward edge, the band emerged fully formed with their debut EP, Lights and Last Resorts, a four-song introduction that immediately announced a new voice in the Northwest scene.

Front woman Brooklyn Del had already established herself as a solo artist before assembling The Revelators, but this project marked a turning point. What began as a recording experiment quickly became something bigger. "The songs on this EP were written by me as a solo artist," Del notes, before noting how organically the band came together. "As soon as I heard how their talents complimented this music, I knew we had to do more."

The band lineup brings together deep experience and intuitive chemistry: Brooklyn Del on vocals and guitar, Matt Stark on guitar and backing vocals, D. Rives Curtright on guitar and vocals, Jim Castle on bass, and Troi Richards on drums. Featuring members of Power of County and Forest Grove Outlaws, The Revelators bring decades of collective feel to Del’s stark, evocative songwriting. As Del puts it, "I would never play the music that I write the way that they can play it, and they wouldn’t write music the way I write it."

That tension - between youthful perspective and seasoned musicianship - powers Lights and Last Resorts. The EP’s title captures both its emotional and physical landscapes. "I consider 'Last Resort' to be the title track, but it pulls from the song 'Shaniko' as well," Del says. "I felt that this title spoke to the album as a whole and the feeling that the music gives you, like an old dusty road in the middle of nowhere."

The four tracks - "Last Resort," "Shaniko," "Wish You Were A Man," and "In My Way" - circle themes of desperation, frustration, and resolve. "There is an underlying theme of making a last ditch effort throughout a lot of the songs," Del explains. "The narrator is pleading and somewhat desperate early on, but as the song builds so does the frustration and the narrator’s perspective is much different."

That emotional push-and-pull is matched by moments of sharp lyrical imagery. On "Wish You Were A Man," Del leans into provocation. "The line 'I wish you would be a man,' is more about wanting someone to be real with you and do the things you ask of them, but saying it that way is very attention grabbing for the listener," she says. Elsewhere, reality blurs with myth. "'Watch for cowboys rolling cigarettes' from 'Shaniko' is based on a true story," Del recalls, recounting a night stranded near the Oregon ghost town. "We ended up seeing them while looking at the stars later that night, and that’s what made us hustle full speed back to camp."

Though the EP feels road-tested, it was recorded before the band ever played live. "Becoming a band was really a happy accident," Del admits. "These songs were recorded long before we ever played them live... Testing them out live was really just for fun, but the snowball effect of that is what pushed us to work at it the way we do."

In the studio, the songs took on a life Del hadn’t imagined. "The EP came out better than I heard it in my head," she says. "Before it was recorded, the only reference I had of these songs were vocals and an acoustic guitar, but the band really brought it to life in a way I couldn’t have dreamed." Even songs she once doubted surprised her. "'Shaniko' was an old song I had written at maybe 15 or 16. It surprised me not only how much [the engineer and producer of the EP] had a vision for it I didn’t see, but how much other people have commented on that song particularly."

Musically, Lights and Last Resorts is full of subtle highlights that reward close listening. "One of my favorite parts of the album is the instrumental sections in 'Last Resort,'" Del says, singling out Richards’ dynamic drumming. She also points to "the Baritone Saxophone in 'In My Way' by Rives Curtright - it was the icing on the cake."

Del sees the band as part of a broader resurgence in roots-based music. "I think now is a better time than any to make country music," she says. "It helps us create something that appeals to all kinds of people, and feels new." That openness carries into their live shows, where the songs continue to evolve. "The music sounds similar live if not better; Live music gives you a lot of room to experiment with something once you’re happy with how it sounds."

"In My Way" holds a special place in the band’s story. "It was the first piece I felt had really warranted a full band," Del says. "I think that song led toward a lot of what we’re doing now, so it will always be special to me." That forward momentum has already led them to share stages with artists like Jesse Dayton, Hillstomp, Federale, Smokey Brights, and others across the Northwest.

With Lights and Last Resorts out in the world, Brooklyn Del & The Revelators are playing as much as possible throughout the region and looking ahead. "If anyone is listening and enjoying the record it feels like a success to me," Del says. "The more we can share the record and play this music with this group, the better."

That next chapter is already underway. The band is currently in the studio recording their debut full-length album, expected in late 2026 or early 2027. "This record is a combination of songs written by Brooklyn Del, Rives Curtright, and Matt Stark," Del reveals. "It’s heavy-hitting, tough feeling, and will get your feet moving. If you want a sneak peek you can definitely catch one at a live show." For Brooklyn Del & The Revelators, the road stretches on - dusty, loud, and wide open.