Memphis-born Drew Holcomb will bring a refreshing breath of Tennessee air to his StageOne performance on Monday, March 30 with Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors and opening act Humming House.
Over the past decade, Holcomb has balanced his authentic Americana rock voice with the experiences that have shaped him as a husband, father and family-man.
Holcomb is a passionate duck hunting, bourbon drinking and first edition book collecting musician full of earnest stories to tell. With a master’s degree in Divinity from Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, Holcomb proves the depth behind each lyric.
If you like artists like Tom Petty (and the Heartbreakers), Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Neil Young or Wilco, then you will find tranquility in Holcomb’s catalog of earthy folk lyrics and beautiful melodies. Also while in Scotland, Holcomb wrote his dissertation on “Springsteen and American Redemptive Imagination.”
Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors have built themselves on their own terms, selling more than 75,000 records, playing sold out headline shows and have toured alongside Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Los Lobos, Susan Tedeschi, North Mississippi Allstars and Marc Broussard.
Their songs have been used on several television programs, including TNT’s Emmy Award Winning 2011 Christmas Day NBA Forever spot, which featured “Live Forever,” off of Holcomb’s 2011 album “Chasing Someday.”
Together, Holcomb and The Neighbors are unstoppable. With wife and bandmate Ellie Holcomb (vocals, guitar), Nathan Dugger (guitar, keys) and Rich Brinsfield on bass, Holcomb effortlessly transcends his hardship to his seventh studio album “Medicine” released on Jan. 27, 2015.
“This is the best tour we have had so far and people are responding to the new material well,” said Holcomb. “Half of our set is off of the new record and fans are singing along.”
The first track, “American Beauty,” sets the healing in motion with soft strumming guitar and soothing lyrics: “She was a good companion, eyes like the Grand Canyon / She was an American Beauty,” a sentiment that drags us into the heart of a mature songwriter.
On the second track, and one of my favorites, Holcomb slowly builds listeners with the steady strumming of his guitar.
With an acute sense of dynamics, The Neighbors build “Tightrope” through the guitar solo until Ellie joins her husband in harmony in an intimate outro.
“People are partially defined by the world they live in and in Nashville, we come from working families who love each other. We are personal songwriters, so everything hits close to home,” said Holcomb.
Other tracks like “Sisters Brothers” and “The Last Thing We Do” beautifully contrast the laid-back tempo of the album. Syncopated drums and gritty bass on “Sisters Brothers” are complemented by Holcomb’s lyrical intent and hitting guitar riffs.
“[With ‘Medicine’] I went back to the importance of having something to say, not just rhymes,” said Holcomb. “There’s a fine line between letting the music you love mentor you without trying to be derivative. We need to let people find their own voice,” added Holcomb.
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