From Gavin Burleson to Layne Lethal: Morganton native plays heavy riffs in local rock band
Carry My Casket band members (from left) Gavin Burleson/Layne Lethal, Zakk Gendron/Zakk the Ripper, Dylan Sauers/Johnny Casket, Dalton Collins/Lee Sparx, and Austin Travis (no stage name).
When Gavin Burleson hits the stage, Layne Lethal takes over.
Layne Lethal is a headbanging, guitar-wielding member of Carry My Casket. His face is hidden behind long hair whipping up and down with his movements, but his hands are visible. One traverses the fretboard, while the other rapidly picks the strings to create the lead guitar’s melody.
When he’s offstage, the energy is more laid-back. His hair doesn’t conceal his face, his demeanor is relaxed, and he’s soft-spoken. He may or may not be holding a guitar though, depending on where you see him.
Gavin Burleson stands outside on a sunny afternoon, sporting his ‘Carry My Casket’ T-shirt.
Burleson is a founding member of Carry My Casket, a local alternative rock band that evolved from Fury 58.
Inspired by bands like Pierce the Veil and My Chemical Romance, Carry My Casket’s post-hardcore/emo music has its own sound that is distinct from the former band.
“We decided that we had been doing a bunch of the same stuff a lot of the bands around here have done,” Burleson said. “So, we decided to hone in on a specialty.”
The band’s theatrics were inspired by ‘80s metal bands like Iron Maiden, Kiss, and Mötley Crüe, Burleson said. The goal is “making the crowd feel like they’re part of something whenever they attend a show.”
Carry My Casket is not Burleson’s only musical outlet. He also creates electronic dance music and House music (another type of EDM) and DJs on the side under the name LXYNE.
“I feel like a lot of people connect to music a lot heavier if they’re moving and dancing to it, because your body kind of becomes an extension of the music,” Burleson said.
Burleson also works at Morganton Music Patch and teaches guitar lessons — but who is the man behind the music?
Burleson took time to discuss other aspects of his life during the interview. His responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Who has had a big influence on your life, and why?
Jamie McGimpsey at Homer’s Soda Shop because back in 2021, there still wasn’t a music scene really happening. It hadn’t rebloomed from being snuffed out by the pandemic and having those social restrictions placed on us.
So, I started by busking. I’d bring my guitar, amp and all, in front of John Payne Photography and run electricity to it without consent. Jamie pushed me to come to a space where I’d be more welcome. He invited me to come play behind his bar and it showed me that I could make money within music because the first few nights I did it, I raked in $200 to $300 on tips alone.
He welcomed my band with open arms when I finally got one. Homer’s was one of the first places we played, and he’s just always been supportive.
What is something you are especially passionate about right now?
The idea of being present in the moment. With everyone being on their phones — and I’m just as guilty as anyone — I feel like it’s important to separate yourself from the online world and be present and enjoy the little things around you, whether it’s street noise when you’re walking through town or just being in a beautiful space that you might not have paid attention to if you were scrolling on reels or something.
I have a bit of an anxious personality disorder, so being able to talk to people I haven’t met is more out of the ordinary for me, and a lot of us tend to go to our phones as a safety net. When we’re uncomfortable in a situation, we might pull out the phone and choose to dissociate rather than face everything. So, I’ve been trying to focus on not being so reliant on technology.
What is something people might not know about you?
I like to say I’m a jack of all trades. I try to do anything and everything that I’m physically able to do. Recently, I’ve been getting more into mountain biking thanks to them building a bunch of trails around the area and expanding that hobby to our neck of the woods. And I’ve been working on cars trying to build on what I’ve seen my dad do all his life being an auto mechanic.
