Thunder and Rain
Patrick L.
Welcome to the first post of our new series “Feed the Band”. This series is where great music and food come together. Our first band is pretty new. However, they work as hard, if not harder than many bands on the road. I had the opportunity to interview the lead singer Erinn and ask her a few questions about the her band, Thunder and Rain. Also we will be giving away an autographed album from Thunder and Rain. So let’s get started.
If you asked me to describe Thunder and Rain’s genre it would be easy to say Bluegrass. However, that would be like saying the sky is only blue. They mix Bluegrass, Country, Rock and a little Pop. It would be easier to sum it up, not by genre, but by the word fresh. I grew up in Florida, and in Florida we have our share of hurricanes. After the hurricane there is a time when the air seems fresh. Now the hurricane did not create new air, it just organized it in a way that feels new. This is where Thunder and Rain comes in. They obviously did not invent music, but they combined multiple genres together and made Bluegrass feel new.
Erinn Peet-Lukes lead singer and the rest of Thunder and Rain have roots all over the country, but their musical roots started in Colorado in 2013 and have been growing there ever since. They have a few albums and a new one in the works. You can purchase them at www.thunderandrainmusic.com or on most all digital platforms. Let’s get the answers to the questions asked.
Patrick: As a chef there are many factors that go into developing a recipe. What ingredients do you use when writing music?
Erinn: My recipe for music always begins with writing in my journal. I write in my journal daily, almost like the prep work. Then I play guitar everyday, and try to hum some melody or sing words with a melody, just whatever comes out. At some point, the prep work I’ve done on guitar and all the journal writing come together in a song. Most days, the song is just ok or even pretty terrible. In this way I’m glad songwriting and cooking are not too similar. But occasionally, the song comes out pretty good.
Patrick: What is your normal diet while you are on tour?
Erinn: We are on tour right now, and we’ve been joking that we have been on a steady tour diet of pizza, beer and doughnuts. As traveling musicians, free is the best price for food and we take what we can get. If it’s available, I’ll convince the guys to go to Whole Foods so we can get leafy green salads and get our life right.
Patrick: What is your first fond memory of food?
Erinn: I was a weird kid, I didn’t like to eat anything out of my comfort zone. That comfort zone was pasta. My first memory of really enjoying dinner was pasta noodles with butter, watching my nana grate fresh parmesan cheese on top. To this day, if I’m sad and need some comfort, that is my go to meal.
Check out these recipes inspired by Thunder and Rain
Patrick: If you wrote a song about food, what would it be about?
Erinn: There are a lot of good songs about food, Jambalaya by Hank Williams comes to mind. I love pasta, so I’d probably write a romantic waltz about an Italian dinner.
Patrick: What is your favorite part about performing?
Erinn: My favorite part about performing is two fold- I love being in the moment with my music and my band with nothing to think about but the stage and the notes we are playing. I also love watching the audience dance, laugh, cry, listen…whatever the audience wants to hear is what i want to play. Whether that’s my song or Wagon Wheel, it’s all about entertaining them.
Patrick: If you could go on tour with any artist or group, who would it be?
Erinn: I would love to open for Turnpike Troubadours, a red dirt band out of Oklahoma. I bet their crowds are the most fun.
Patrick: What does the next year look like for Thunder and Rain?
Erinn: We are going to the UK next winter! We will also probably record another album because for the past two years I’ve toured in the summer and recorded an album in the winter. It’s a good schedule.
See and hear the magic of Thunder and Rain
We at Southern Fellow, would like to thank Erinn and the band Thunder and Rain for taking the time for us to ask them a few questions. I hope our Southern Fellow family loves their music as much as I have. You can pick up their usic here at www.thunderandrainmusic.com, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube and iTunes. We will be given out an autographed copy of a Thunder and Rain album. Follow the link below to enter. We will announce the winner on twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for more Feed the Band.
