Drew Holcomb
Drew Holcomb represents a generation of musicians who create compelling art while taking time to give back to others. As a rootsy singer-songwriter hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Drew writes and sings heartfelt & honest songs with his wife Ellie and band, The Neighbors. He also devotes time to give back to nonprofit organizations like Blood:Water Mission, which was founded by the Christian band Jars of Clay. Blood:Water Mission promotes clean blood and water efforts in Africa, tangibly reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Drew is also an active supporter of the Christian youth organization Young Life, which his grandfather helped to get started in Memphis over 60 years ago.The Harmony Republic Interview
Here is our exclusive Harmony Republic interview with Drew Holcomb:
1. What artists or individuals inspired or encouraged you to pursue a music career?
Personally, I did not get a lot of encouragement from other artists before I started to pursue a music career. They weren't discouraging, I just did not know anyone really who did music as a career. The encouragement came in the records I loved, Springsteen, Tom Petty, Wilco, Patty Griffin, Johnny Cash songs that made me feel that all was well in the world, because they spoke of the paradoxes of light and darkness in our lives in a way that rang true to me. I wanted to follow them, to tell my own part of the story. Practically speaking, my first producer Paul Ebersold is the 1st person who really pulled me aside, told me I had something worth pursuing and helped me figure out a way to start recording the songs I had been writing. I was living in Memphis at the time, and spent a lot of time with Cory Branan, who is one of the finest songwriters most people have never heard of. Once I moved to Nashville and started interacting with other artists I began to watch and listen to many of my peers and those who were a few years ahead of me. Seeing talented and hard working people figure out ways to do what they love and not lose their sanity was a welcome inspiration.
2. How has your involvement with Young Life impacted you personally and/or professionally?
I was involved with Young Life long before I even wrote my first song. My grandfather helped it get started in Memphis in the 1940's and I grew up going to some of their many incredible properties through the years. In college, when I was first trying my hand at songwriting, I spent one summer as a horse wrangler at Frontier Ranch in Colorado, where the oldest young life camp is. Since then, Ellie and I spend a lot of our summers, and many weekends throughout the year playing our music to high schoolers and college folks all over the country with young life.
3. What is the story behind the inspirational song "Live Forever" that appears on your latest EP?
My sister has 3 beautiful young children. Christmas of 2008 I spent Christmas morning watching them see what "Santa" had brought them and I saw their innocence and joy and wished I could bottle it up and drink it. 6 months later their whole family left Nashville and moved to Panama. I was brokenhearted, and I wrote "Live Forever" for them, hoping that they will never lose or forget how loved they are and what abundant life there is in the world, even amidst all our disappointments and failures.
4. Tell us why you lend your support to nonprofit organization Blood:Water Mission.
When I moved to East Nashville in 2006, we met the folks who run Blood:Water Mission and we became friends with a few them. Using our platform of music is often an appropriate way to encourage our fans to engage the world they live in, and be a part of something where they can give their time, money, and energy towards partnership with folks who need clean water. It is a great organization and we are proud to call them friends.
5. As an artist, how do you draw the line between your personal convictions and what messages you choose to deliver to your audience through your music or concerts?
I just spent some time with David Wilcox, who knows how to write honestly and with conviction without preaching to his audience. I can only write what rings true to me, and what is meaningful to me. For some reason, our fans connect to what we sing about, whether it makes them want to dance, cry, laugh. I am trying to capture life in glimpses, fragments, and paint true pictures. I do not tell listeners how they should encounter our music, I put it out there as is and they have the freedom to interpret how they want. The songs are not mine, we just happen to have the opportunity to put them to paper and music. I just wrap the gift.
6. What advice can you give people that are considering pursuing a creative arts career?
Be patient. Work harder than you think you can. Find kindred spirits to share it with. Do not compare yourself to others because it is true that "comparison is the thief of joy." If you find your whole identity in your ability to create successfully, you will be disappointed. Be honest. Enjoy the successes, and don't let the failures define you either.
1. What artists or individuals inspired or encouraged you to pursue a music career?
Personally, I did not get a lot of encouragement from other artists before I started to pursue a music career. They weren't discouraging, I just did not know anyone really who did music as a career. The encouragement came in the records I loved, Springsteen, Tom Petty, Wilco, Patty Griffin, Johnny Cash songs that made me feel that all was well in the world, because they spoke of the paradoxes of light and darkness in our lives in a way that rang true to me. I wanted to follow them, to tell my own part of the story. Practically speaking, my first producer Paul Ebersold is the 1st person who really pulled me aside, told me I had something worth pursuing and helped me figure out a way to start recording the songs I had been writing. I was living in Memphis at the time, and spent a lot of time with Cory Branan, who is one of the finest songwriters most people have never heard of. Once I moved to Nashville and started interacting with other artists I began to watch and listen to many of my peers and those who were a few years ahead of me. Seeing talented and hard working people figure out ways to do what they love and not lose their sanity was a welcome inspiration.
2. How has your involvement with Young Life impacted you personally and/or professionally?
I was involved with Young Life long before I even wrote my first song. My grandfather helped it get started in Memphis in the 1940's and I grew up going to some of their many incredible properties through the years. In college, when I was first trying my hand at songwriting, I spent one summer as a horse wrangler at Frontier Ranch in Colorado, where the oldest young life camp is. Since then, Ellie and I spend a lot of our summers, and many weekends throughout the year playing our music to high schoolers and college folks all over the country with young life.
3. What is the story behind the inspirational song "Live Forever" that appears on your latest EP?
My sister has 3 beautiful young children. Christmas of 2008 I spent Christmas morning watching them see what "Santa" had brought them and I saw their innocence and joy and wished I could bottle it up and drink it. 6 months later their whole family left Nashville and moved to Panama. I was brokenhearted, and I wrote "Live Forever" for them, hoping that they will never lose or forget how loved they are and what abundant life there is in the world, even amidst all our disappointments and failures.
4. Tell us why you lend your support to nonprofit organization Blood:Water Mission.
When I moved to East Nashville in 2006, we met the folks who run Blood:Water Mission and we became friends with a few them. Using our platform of music is often an appropriate way to encourage our fans to engage the world they live in, and be a part of something where they can give their time, money, and energy towards partnership with folks who need clean water. It is a great organization and we are proud to call them friends.
5. As an artist, how do you draw the line between your personal convictions and what messages you choose to deliver to your audience through your music or concerts?
I just spent some time with David Wilcox, who knows how to write honestly and with conviction without preaching to his audience. I can only write what rings true to me, and what is meaningful to me. For some reason, our fans connect to what we sing about, whether it makes them want to dance, cry, laugh. I am trying to capture life in glimpses, fragments, and paint true pictures. I do not tell listeners how they should encounter our music, I put it out there as is and they have the freedom to interpret how they want. The songs are not mine, we just happen to have the opportunity to put them to paper and music. I just wrap the gift.
6. What advice can you give people that are considering pursuing a creative arts career?
Be patient. Work harder than you think you can. Find kindred spirits to share it with. Do not compare yourself to others because it is true that "comparison is the thief of joy." If you find your whole identity in your ability to create successfully, you will be disappointed. Be honest. Enjoy the successes, and don't let the failures define you either.