Eureka Music Revival is a genre blending husband & wife duo from Eureka Springs, AR made up of Jason and Lorrie Davis. Also known as EMR, they’ve been performing in the Northwest Arkansas area since 2016. Their debut album, Head for the Hills, was released in March of 2018. Since the album’s release they’ve had opportunities to perform at several historic venues and festivals in NW Arkansas.
With that said, The Crafty Musician Blog is very proud to feature Eureka Music Revival in this month’s edition of Artist Spotlight…
So first off, how would you guys describe your music?
It’s what you get when you take bluegrass, rockabilly, and alternative rock and throw them in a blender on high for three minutes, and then add in some gospel. It’s a wide range that takes us on a musical expedition that can be both popular and esoteric at the same time. We don’t want to limit ourselves to one style or genre, even though our instrumentation stays the same. Mixing it up keeps us on our toes.
Sounds fun! How long have you guys been performing together?
We started playing together in the beginning of 2016.
What were your ’normal’ jobs before you started a band together?
When we met Jason was working on a government contract job and Lorrie was running a small software company she had started in 1996. When Jason’s part on the contract ended, he had the skill set needed to work with Lorrie in tending to the day-to-day operations. With the way she designed the company, we were able to bring it with us to Eureka Springs. We still run this company today. Music gets thrown in the mix with our other responsibilities, and there are sometimes difficulties in scheduling between all of them. It keeps us hopping and we always have something to do.
It’s cool that you still have your software company too. Were either of you performing before you met?
Jason was performing drums and percussion with various groups in the Northeast Arkansas area when we met. After we were married, he began playing bass with the Crowley’s Ridge String Band, who practiced at our house. When we decided to move to Eureka Springs, Lorrie picked up the bass and Jason moved to guitar/vocals, and here we are.
Oh wow, so Lorrie just picked up the bass and started playing it? Did she have any kind of background in music before you guys formed a band?
She did. Lorrie started with piano at 7 years old and got into band where she played both percussion and bassoon. She has always been musically inclined, even when not actively playing. This gave her a good excuse to get back into playing music.
Why did you guys decide to move to Eureka Springs?
Eureka Springs was the location of our first trip anywhere together as a couple. Once we were engaged, we made the decision to elope there also and then we came back every anniversary afterward. When we decided it was time to leave Northeast Arkansas, after looking at several locations around the country, we kept saying “Why not Eureka?” We took the plunge and sold our house, bought one here, and didn’t look back. We’ve been here over 3 ½ years, and still love it. The town, the people, the atmosphere. If it bites you, you won’t be able to forget it.
So what came first, the decision to move to Eureka Springs or wanting to start a band together?
We decided to move to Eureka Springs first. Jason was playing guitar and bass in the Crowley’s Ridge String Band, a 5-6 piece bluegrass group, and they didn’t want to move. lol. Jason began working on solo stuff in order to build a new setlist, and Lorrie jumped in and said: “how about I play bass?” And there it was. We started playing together around 6 months before we moved. We performed at least once together before loading up that big moving truck and heading for the Ozarks.
For those who are not familiar with Eureka Springs, AR, it’s a very unique and eclectic small town with a nice music scene that includes Classic Rock, Country, Blue Grass, Blues, and Folk music. How much of an impact has this town had on your music (besides the name of your band)? In other words, do you think you’d still be playing the same music if you lived somewhere else?
We would likely still be playing music, but the town has a definite effect on the music and just everyday attitude. The positive vibe of the town and the sheer number of great musicians and artists that live here inspire something just about every day. It doesn’t manifest immediately, but the seeds get planted.
So what’s it like for you guys being a husband and wife duo?
Your house becomes the practice space. You get used to having instruments, cables, lyric sheets, picks, and assorted music gear all over the house. But, in this type of situation, it’s no big deal. Having worked together for several years before playing music together helped work out some of the kinks of producing something as a team where criticism and corrections are involved. We learned how to interpret a lot of that in the work environment, and were able to translate it to our musical endeavors.
Would you say you’re full-time musicians, part-time musicians, or something else?
Well, I don’t think we choose music. I think music chooses us. Everyone who is a musician is a full-time musician, whether they play gigs regularly or not. Their heads are always spinning with ideas, melodies, etc. We don’t get away from it. It’s part of who we are.
In addition to playing music in EMR, our music-making career has recently taken another direction, as we are now the owners of New World Drums, a company here in Eureka Springs crafting handmade drums. We are working with the community center to bring more drumming classes and events to town in the coming months.
Between playing music in EMR, running our own software company, and making musical instruments, it takes up a lot of our time, so we are probably in between part-time and full-time in a land called “Where’s my free time?”
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Man, those are some really nice looking drums. Congratulations! I might have to order an Ashiko from you sometime soon. How did you end up buying a drum shop?
In November 2013 we returned to Eureka Springs for our 1st anniversary. Lorrie found a small company here that made drums, and surprised Jason with the opportunity to buy a new, unique instrument. We met the owner, Doug, and he gave us the tour of the shop and Jason got to pick out his first drum. He was in love and we went back the next year to purchase another drum. Doug mentioned he was looking to retire and sell the business, and the wheels started working. Moving the shop to where we lived at the time wasn’t practical, and there was still the issue of training to address, so the idea went to the back burner. Once we moved to Eureka Springs and got settled in, we finally worked out all of the details and made it happen. From five years ago just talking about the idea to now owning the business, it was a project that took quite some time to bring to reality. It was worth the wait, without a doubt. For musicians to get to step into the role of not just playing but making the instruments is a bit like living a dream in itself.
That’s a great story! Out of all the equipment you guys use to perform and/or record with, what’s your favorite that you’d recommend?
We really like our Bose L1 system. It is small, light, and does a great job in smaller venues. We use it for Jason’s guitar and vocals, and Lorrie uses a TC Electronic BG250 bass amplifier. It keeps our setup small and quick to get ready to play. They are on the pricey side, but worth it.
What are some accomplishments you’ve had in your music career?
One of our biggest accomplishments has been the release of our first album, Head for the Hills. As a duo we have had the privilege to play our original music at various events and locations like Ozark Mountain Music Festival, inside War Eagle Mill, Basin Park for the 2019 Zombie Crawl, and inside a freaking castle (Castle Rogue’s Manor)! I think the biggest was getting to open for We Dream Dawn at the Auditorium in Eureka Springs. Lots of big names have graced that stage, and many more are scheduled to play this year, and we got to stand in the same place and play our music. That was a thrilling night.
I bet! What are some obstacles you’ve had to overcome on your music journey as well?
We moved to a town chocked full of musical talent. It was intimidating trying to jump into the mix with all of these superb musicians and try to get venues to book an unknown duo without anything recorded or any reputation whatsoever in the area. We hardly knew a soul when we started trying to book. Luckily there were a couple venues in town that took that chance.
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So where do you guys see your career going next and do you have any exciting projects coming up you can tell us about?
It’s hard to see where our music career is going to take us. We had no idea we would have some of the opportunities that have happened, so we try not to predict too much. We are planning sometime this year to get more studio time in with some of our new material, we just don’t have a timeline.
What advice do you have for artists looking to take the plunge into being full-time musicians?
It’s like any small business, there will be times of feast and famine. Plan as best you can, take the good times as you get them and relish in those moments. Keep moving forward in the not-so-good times and stay focused. There will be ups and downs. Don’t quit. If you need to take a break, do it. Just don’t quit.
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All great advice! Where can our readers find you guys online?
We have several online outlets available, including Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Youtube, and more. You can find most of the links at eurekamusicrevival.com. However, if you turn to search engines, you can find more. We can’t keep track of it all. Things keep popping up that we didn’t know were there.
Well thank you Jason and Lorrie so much for your time and for sharing your story with us. It was truly inspiring and we wish you both the best.
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