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Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls Biography
Blues, Skiffle, Calypso and Rockabilly with a creepy vaudeville twist - It’s music that makes people wanna shake their bones!
Be transported to a bygone era when witches and black magic were rife. Their songs tell stories of deals with the devil, demons in love, witchdoctors, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, journeys to the deepest jungles and other exotic adventures which are told using sweet melodies and syncopated sounds.
Jo Carley: Lead Vocals / Washboard / Mandolin / Percussion
Tim Carley: Battered Archtop Guitar / Kick / Rattlin’ Shoe / Backing Vocals
James Le Huray: Beat-up Double Bass / Backing Vocals
The music takes influence from early vaudeville, blues, calypso acts such as Victoria Spivey, Cab Calloway and Wilmoth Houdini and adds inspiration from Old Time Country, Bluegrass and Rockabilly from the likes of Bill Monroe all the way to Wanda Jackson, but adding a creepy and theatrical twist that echoes Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Jo Carley And the Old Dry Skulls is made up of husband and wife duo Jo Carley and Tim Carley along with their bass player James LeHuray.
They are a DIY band, constricted to the beat-up musical instruments they have to hand. This gives them the elements of Skiffle, Blues, Jazz, Rock n Roll, Psychobilly, Rockabilly and Gothabilly.
Jo and Tim left the rat race in 2013 to dedicate themselves to music. After a few years of busking around the UK and picking up odd gigs here and there they settled in a beach bungalow by the sea on the East Coast of England where they set up 'The Voodoo Shack', a studio to write and make music.
In 2016 Jo and Tim met James at the first ever Dark Hollar Festival where they played a midnight jam together. James being a multi-instrumentalist was invited to play on the first album 'Them Old Bones'. He joined the band for a couple of tours on bass and banjo and has since joined the band as their full time double bass player.
2023 saw them playing the main stage at Upton Blues Festival, Ealing Blues Festival and they were also invited to participate in the UK Blues Challenge by the UK Blues Federation. They joined the Reverend Horton Heat and Demented are Go at the Psychobilly Freakout Festival in London.
2024 saw the band playing the Azkenna Festival in Spain (with the likes of Queens of The Stoneage, L7 and Sheryl Crow) and Rolmos Roots Rock Festival in Belgium with some of Europe's biggest Rockabilly acts. They supported Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band on their recent UK tour and joined Hillbilly Moon Explosion at their London show.
Spring 2025 sees them on tour in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands before joining The Meteors at the Pyschostock Festival (UK).
Jo Carley And The Old Dry Skulls live to play live shows and tour the UK and Europe every year.
Join the Voodoo Shack Mailing list for regular updates!
"Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls were a joy to behold. Rooted firmly in a bygone era when Voodoo and Black Magic were rife, the audience were all spellbound by the performance and its originality" - Adrian Blacklee - Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
"... a wonderfully enchanting show where magical songs were scattered." - thenextgig.nl (Netherlands)
"Tongue firmly-in-cheek they provide a full set of old school entertainment, a sideshow where vaudeville, blues and skiffle conspire to get their audiences to dance their asses off." – Hans Werkman / Here Comes The Flood (NL)
Read MoreBe transported to a bygone era when witches and black magic were rife. Their songs tell stories of deals with the devil, demons in love, witchdoctors, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, journeys to the deepest jungles and other exotic adventures which are told using sweet melodies and syncopated sounds.
Jo Carley: Lead Vocals / Washboard / Mandolin / Percussion
Tim Carley: Battered Archtop Guitar / Kick / Rattlin’ Shoe / Backing Vocals
James Le Huray: Beat-up Double Bass / Backing Vocals
The music takes influence from early vaudeville, blues, calypso acts such as Victoria Spivey, Cab Calloway and Wilmoth Houdini and adds inspiration from Old Time Country, Bluegrass and Rockabilly from the likes of Bill Monroe all the way to Wanda Jackson, but adding a creepy and theatrical twist that echoes Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Jo Carley And the Old Dry Skulls is made up of husband and wife duo Jo Carley and Tim Carley along with their bass player James LeHuray.
They are a DIY band, constricted to the beat-up musical instruments they have to hand. This gives them the elements of Skiffle, Blues, Jazz, Rock n Roll, Psychobilly, Rockabilly and Gothabilly.
Jo and Tim left the rat race in 2013 to dedicate themselves to music. After a few years of busking around the UK and picking up odd gigs here and there they settled in a beach bungalow by the sea on the East Coast of England where they set up 'The Voodoo Shack', a studio to write and make music.
In 2016 Jo and Tim met James at the first ever Dark Hollar Festival where they played a midnight jam together. James being a multi-instrumentalist was invited to play on the first album 'Them Old Bones'. He joined the band for a couple of tours on bass and banjo and has since joined the band as their full time double bass player.
2023 saw them playing the main stage at Upton Blues Festival, Ealing Blues Festival and they were also invited to participate in the UK Blues Challenge by the UK Blues Federation. They joined the Reverend Horton Heat and Demented are Go at the Psychobilly Freakout Festival in London.
2024 saw the band playing the Azkenna Festival in Spain (with the likes of Queens of The Stoneage, L7 and Sheryl Crow) and Rolmos Roots Rock Festival in Belgium with some of Europe's biggest Rockabilly acts. They supported Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band on their recent UK tour and joined Hillbilly Moon Explosion at their London show.
Spring 2025 sees them on tour in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands before joining The Meteors at the Pyschostock Festival (UK).
Jo Carley And The Old Dry Skulls live to play live shows and tour the UK and Europe every year.
Join the Voodoo Shack Mailing list for regular updates!
"Jo Carley & The Old Dry Skulls were a joy to behold. Rooted firmly in a bygone era when Voodoo and Black Magic were rife, the audience were all spellbound by the performance and its originality" - Adrian Blacklee - Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
"... a wonderfully enchanting show where magical songs were scattered." - thenextgig.nl (Netherlands)
"Tongue firmly-in-cheek they provide a full set of old school entertainment, a sideshow where vaudeville, blues and skiffle conspire to get their audiences to dance their asses off." – Hans Werkman / Here Comes The Flood (NL)
Alternative Country
Skiffle
Blues
Rockabilly
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