Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors
By Caroline Graham
Riding through the mountains of Greece, around midnight I had my first encounter with the unique sound that is Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. My companion disrupted my peace, jammed her earbud in my ear, and said, “You’ve got to hear this guy.” Initial irritation subsided as I relaxed into the folksy rock of the music. Little did I know that once I returned stateside, Drew and the Neighbors would be the latest rage and I would have the privilege of interview Drew and Ellie over coffee.
Raised in Memphis, Drew Holcomb has never had any formal musical training. Inspired by role-model musicians such as Bob Dylan, Drew taught himself to play the guitar growing up. He studied for a portion of his college experience in Scotland, and the slower pace of life encouraged him to begin playing more music, eventually leading to the beginnings of his songwriting.
After working a studio job with Paul Ebersold (producer of Third Day, Sister Hazel, etc.), Drew recorded his first CD, began touring, and picked up the rest of the neighbors along the way. Nathan Dugger was the first, introduced to Drew in Memphis (only 17 at the time), after which Drew married his long time friend and singing partner Ellie (a Nashville native). Jon Radford and Rich Brinsfield both joined after the band moved here to Nashville, and given their close living proximity over in East Nashville, they decided on “The Neighbors.” With so many talented musicians, the music is a wonderful compilation of little singer/songwriter, a little folksy, and a little rock-n-roll.
The band has sold over 15,000 CDs and has booked over 500 concert dates across the country. “Our music has an all encompassing demographic,” Drew told me, “a little something for everyone. Music shouldn’t be isolated.” And theirs isn’t: the music of Drew and the Neighbors surpasses boundaries of genre labels. The lively and down-to-earth attitude of the artists themselves is exuded through their music, giving this band the whole package.
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have 4 accessible albums (available through iTunes), as well as exclusive music available at briterevolution.com. Check them out on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/drewholcombmusic), myspace (http://www.myspace.com/drewholcomb), or at their home site (http://www.drewholcomb.com) for purchasing and show information.
Here are FranklinIs.com’s 5 random questions with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors:
1. What is your favorite venue to play and why?
I’d have to say four different venues. The first would be the Hi Tone in Memphis, a small rock n Roll club where Drew really cut his teeth. Second would be Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA just outside of Atlanta. It’s a listening room, it sounds great, and we’ve played there so much that it feels like we’re coming home whenever we have a show there. The third would be The Square Room in Knoxville, TN. My brother-in-law runs the place and there’s no venue that treats artists better. The room has a great feel too. Belcourt Theater would be my last pick . We do our annual Christmas show there, and there’s just something magical about the place, it’s history, and the whole vibe of the night.
2. How would you describe your music?
We sound more folk-rock when it’s a smaller number of us and more rock n roll when we’re with the whole band.
3. What inspires your music?
People. Other artists. Books. Movies. Watching the world around us.
4. What is your favorite breakfast spot in Nashville?
Loveless Cafe. It’s where we went on our first date and it’s been a favorite ever since.
5. When not playing music, what is your favorite way to pass the time?
Drew likes to read, on the road and off. He is getting his masters of literature in theology at Saint Andrews in Scotland (distance ed of course), which keeps his reading list very long. He loves it. I love cooking and meeting up with friends and family that we miss while we’re on the road.
