Today we’d like to introduce you to Quincy Lancto.
Hi Quincy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, my name’s Quincy Lancto, and I’m 19 years old as of right now. I moved here to Nashville in July of 2024 to try and make a new start in one of my favorite cities I’ve ever been to.
If you want to go back to the beginning, I’m originally from Norristown, PA; I was born and raised there for the most part. I had some rocky moments in my childhood, but one thing I always was able to enjoy was music. From a young age, I can remember being exposed to a slew of different styles—from the rock and grunge my mother listened to, to the country western songs my grandmother listened to, or even the Elvis and crooner stuff my great-grandmother listened to. If you couldn’t tell, I mostly stuck with the crooner and country western songs.
I didn’t really start picking up an instrument seriously until I was about 14, when I decided I wanted to play banjo. After saving up to buy one and realizing it wasn’t exactly too easy, I ran to my grandfather’s guitar in the closet. After a couple of days, I had learned “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and maybe part of “La Bamba.” After a week or two of what I can only imagine were very agonizing renditions of these songs, my mother told me to learn some chords and start singing. For context, I’d been singing my favorite songs offline for years at that point, and there was always a piano in the house, so music was very much around. My mother played piano and tenor sax growing up. I figured singing and playing at the same time would be too hard, but I still went inside, sat down for an hour or two, and came out having learned the chords and words to my first song: “Come On, Let’s Go” by Ritchie Valens.
From then on, I was hooked, spending the majority, if not all, of my free time on music, learning about guitar, or diving into older songs in general. It was really this period where I set the foundation for who I am today, going out to guitar stores and taking it all in. Around that time, I told my mom I needed an electric guitar. After some convincing, she drove me 45 minutes away to go pick up a cheap, black Davidson Strat copy and a cheap amp for $80, I think.
From then on, things were steady for a couple of months as I learned songs and grew my catalog. Then, one day, I was walking into my great-grandmother’s complex and saw ads for the residents’ picking sessions every Wednesday. I took my very badly, personally modified D’Angelico up to the main hall, asked to sit in, and got my first gig right there with them. It was unpaid, of course, but jamming with the old-timers gave me more songs to learn and a sense of belonging. For a 15-year-old kid playing “old people music,” there isn’t exactly a large space to be seen or feel included.
Those years with them, as well as the other gigs that came along, really made me who I am today. My great-grandfather, Leon Lancto, is my biggest stylistic influence. His band, The Swing Kings, opened for Ernest Tubb, Del Reeves, Bobby Helms, and Dick Curless, and they were heard on radio and TV stations around the country back in the day—from WIRY in Plattsburgh, New York (where my family is originally from) to the Louisiana Hayride and the Wheeling Jamboree.
To sum it up, there isn’t exactly one simple explanation as to how I’ve gotten here. It is just a series of events that somehow seemed to all come together to lead me to where I am now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well, that’s an interesting one; I would say no. Most of my struggles and trials along the way were self-inflicted, due to some choices and actions that we don’t really need to get into as of right now. But I would say, in the end, so far it’s been worth it, and I’ve come out a better, more understanding person—more so than the average 19-year-old, I suppose.
To name a few: overcoming the fear of not being good enough to perform on a professional level with the cats down here in Nashville. To name another: holding onto friendships and relationships that should have probably been left behind. But life is ever-changing, and we can’t always make the right choices.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, I’m glad you asked! I do have a day job working for the Waltrip Honda dealer in Franklin. More specifically, I tint windows for them! Other than that, my main focus right now is on my music and getting out there more. There’s a very big void to fill that’s slowly being filled by new-age, vintage-inspired bands, and I’ve always felt I’ve had the capacity and know-how to at least be as good as the majority of these bands.
The specific style I specialize in is western swing and/or Travis picking. I do also tend to venture into the rockabilly and honky-tonk side of things, as well as jazz and crooner-era songs. If I had to be the most proud of anything, I’d say it’s probably my ability to keep a crowd entertained—not just with the music, but by making it an interactive experience. Whether you like what I’m playing or have heard it before or not, I want everyone who takes the time to listen to me to at least have enjoyed some part of the experience.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Well, I’d say don’t let what people say bother you personally. Yes, accept constructive criticism, but there’s a line you have to know how to walk where you can’t let it upset you. Always stay humble. A good personality will get you just as far, if not farther, than just being a good picker.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quincy_lancto56?igsh=MXJzdHRpZWRmeGF2ZQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18jzzwwsJN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
