Interview with Crowe Boys
Interview with Crowe Boys
“The Crowe Boys are an alternative band of three brothers that have been making music since all three could pick up an instrument. Their music is rooted in its messages of hope, remembering adventure, yet revealing honesty of life and hardships. There have been milestones that contribute to what many of their songs are about… Losing family members, falling in love, and the joys of becoming a parent. The music can speak depth or strum joy. It has purpose and intention, eager to share with the world.
The three brothers have a bond that is not only obvious on stage, it is in their creative process as well. Their passion shows most when they are able to sing about things most important to them. First and foremost is their relationship to family. It is the bond that held them inseparable as boys on the road; it’s the glue that kept them tied together & mending at the passing of their mom from cancer; and as men, it is having each other to lean on through life’s ups and downs. That dynamic is played upon in this latest round of music, and it is part of what makes the music powerful and hopefully life changing for those who hear it!
The joy they know of today is found in authentic lyrics, definitive riffs, and brothers having fun despite living in historic broken times. Every song will give you a reason to move forward, the knowledge that you are not alone, and an understanding from three guys that it is in music that we oftentimes find our healing.”
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
My brothers and I actually grew up on the road traveling in a family band. Music has always been a fundamental part of our past and of who we are. What would we be doing if it wasn’t music? Hmm… that's a tough question to answer. We have tried pursuing separate things in the past but somehow we always end up back together playing music so I don’t know if I could honestly answer that question.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
We are so different when it comes to how we would each answer that question. I know we do have some similarities on what we enjoy but at the same time, we are so different from one another. Jacob really loves bouldering, camping, and the outdoors. He is definitely our more “adventure” guy. Wes is more into gaming, martial arts, and self discipline. I’m (Ocie) the really boring nerd dad. I love business and analytics. I also really love old cartoons and reading fantasy novels. However, I think it’s the things we love to do most that really pull out our inspiration and creativity. We all love bonfires, family get-togethers, getting our friends to go out and do something fun with us. There isn’t anything more fun in life than creating a really cool, memorable moment with the people we love.
How long has music been your career?
We’ve all been playing music since we could literally pick up an instrument.
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
Right now we are based out of New Orleans. It has left a huge impact on who we are and what we write music about. We’ve made so many friends here and so many moments which are what we like to write music about. It’s also where I (Ocie) got married and had my daughter, Josephine. My brothers and I have spent countless nights in the city getting to know people and connecting with artists and musicians. New Orleans will always hold a huge place in our hearts no matter where we go.
Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.
Let's start with the worst so we can end on a good note! I think it’s also important to say that a huge part of our band's purpose is people. We’ve played shows in front of thousands of people and we’ve played shows in front of a couple. It never mattered too much to us cause our purpose has always been to bring encouragement and value to anyone who might need it. That being said, there was a show we played where no one showed up at all. Not even one person. We marketed, invited people, and did everything we knew how to do to bring people in, but no one showed up. My brothers and I were also going through some difficult circumstances around that same time so it really hit hard on our self esteem. However, We look back at that moment, as brothers, where we confided in each other and we are grateful. It was a reminder of just how important it is to have family. To have people you can lean on when things get tough.
As for the best show we ever played, NOMAD music festival holds that place in our hearts. That was the first show we ever played where we got to jump and yell the lyrics to our songs with people we had never met.
Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
Favorite venue, hands down, goes to Warehouse 535 in Lafayette, LA. such an awesome, warm and intimate vibe. They have such an amazing and encouraging staff.
As for places we wanna play that we have not, Colorado would be cool! We love the mountains and cold weather. I know that’s pretty funny considering we live in New Orleans where it is flat and hot.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
Dream show? Well, the venue would definitely have to be Red Rocks. It would be awesome if we could play a show there with Coldplay and NeedToBreathe. Those are two bands we’ve always admired.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?
Wow, what a great question. Don’t wait on someone else to bring you your success. Be willing to work super hard and be open to hear what people have to say. More than anything, be you. There are plenty of “copy cat” and poser artists out there trying to piggyback on other people's success. Nobody can deny you who you are. So just make the music you love and be you.
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?
Don’t try to be what you think people want. Be who you are and you’ll attract the people who love you for being you.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
We love all of our songs but our song ‘Ivory’ would have to be the favorite. It’s everything we believe life should be about all wrapped up in music.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
Our favorite song to play is also the most requested song, ‘Leather Wallet’.
What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?
We write music from all different kinds of places. Sometimes it’s through a jam session where something bad happened and we needed to let out some frustration. Sometimes it's through a moment of deep inspiration about something beautiful that is going on. It’s also as simple sometimes as “lets just say a bunch of random words until something happens”.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
Our message goes kinda like this.
Life is way too short to let it pass by! Allow yourself to get caught up in the moment. You are so special and your life has value and meaning. If you have never had anyone around you that has ever told you that, maybe they’ve told you that you are worthless and won’t amount to anything, they are wrong. You are so incredible and absolutely one of a kind!
Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?
We are brothers so disagreement is definitely part of the package. Remembering what's really important in life always helps us get back to a better place. What you think is never more important than your relationship with a person.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
Right now we are working on recording some new music. We have a couple shows coming up that you can see on our website or social media. We plan on taking a little break soon as I’m (Ocie) getting ready to have another baby. By 2023 we plan on getting back in full swing with new music, tours, and festivals.