Listening to live music always takes my blues away, there’s nothing quite like being in the same room as the artist when they are making music. If you just close your eyes, the harmonic vocal blends of Flat River Band will take you there, no matter where you are. Growing up on a farm gives a deep appreciation for working on the land, Flat River Band understands just that. Read on to learn about their deep family roots in making music, recording process and celebrating Christmas Flat River Band style.
A Family Tradition…
Growing up in a family bluegrass and gospel band brought brothers Andy, Dennijo, and Chad Sitze together. “My grandpa played the dobro, grandma played the upright bass, my daddy played guitar, mama sang, my middle brother played the mandolin,” tells Chad, “I played the five string banjo. Andy played the spoons when my grandma was playing the bass, he played the upright bass as well.”
After traveling coast to coast with their family band, the brothers formed their own trio. “We went with the name Flat River Band because my dad had a barber shop in Flat River, Missouri for about thirty years. Since then they changed the name, but we carried on the name of the town,” says Chad.
Every Dog Has It’s Day…
In their new album, Every Dog Has Its Day, they create a live feel with their harmony in every song. “For this collection, we recorded seven songs that are all original,” explains Dennijo. “We’re always excited about releasing new material, but I feel this collection is our best yet. Our vocals were recorded all at the same time, so we rehearsed pretty extensively. In the past, we always built around the lead vocalist. By doing this, we captured a vibe that we have never captured before.”
What Grandpa & Daddy Always Said…
When writing “Every Dog Has It’s Day” the brothers reflected back on the old sayings their grandpa and daddy used to instill in them as young boys. “In our hearts and our minds, if you don’t work you don’t eat. The song is for the working man. It inspires people of all walks of life to get off your high horse, to go out there and get it,” says Chad, “It’s not going to be handed to you, that is something I’ve passed down to my four sons, my brothers pass it along to their kids as well.”
Putting the old saying into lyrics with an upbeat melody came together easily for Chad, “There’s an old saying that all good gifts come from above, when a song comes to me, it just falls in my lap. The words seemed like it was more of an upbeat song and it took a life of it’s own.”
See Through The Eyes of A Dog…
If you want to really feel like you are in the country with the boys, just watch the heart warming fun music video staring Dennijo’s dog named Lady.
“We got Lady involved because of the lyrical sense of it and the training of her. She was really easy to work with. There’s not too many videos from the dog’s perspective. We put the GoPro on Lady’s back and it makes this video unique,” says Andy.
It’s All About The Vocals…
The brothers not only worked to combine their vocals on this album, they combined many genres set for any mood. The opening track, “In Another World” will take listeners back to the days of the soft romantic melodies of Alabama and Eagles. Co-wrote with hit songwriter, John Scott Sherrill, the song is centered around their vocals.
Evolving their recording process to create a live feel was their purpose. “We found out it creates more of a live feel as opposed to stacking. A lot of times what people will do is lay down the lead vocal first then stack the harmonies on top of that. It kind of comes across more manufactured, as opposed to having that live feel to the recording process. You can actually feel the music when you are singing,” says Chad.
Playing Live…
When the band does play live, their songs come full circle in front of them. “There’s something about being able to sit down with a song you’ve written, putting it to paper and watching it unfold with adding music and the brotherly harmony on top of that. Going out in front of people and performing is something magical. It’s almost like hearing angels sing. I can’t express the enjoyment I receive when I make music with my brothers,” says Chad.
Go Tell It On The Mountain…
With Christmas upon us the angelic sound of Flat River Band will give you good cheer! A few years ago the boys were working on an album. When Chad wrote three Christmas songs they decided to put the other album on hold. “We called some of our friends in and recorded that Christmas album in August. Since then we’ve gotten three of the songs placed in a movie called “The Least of These – A Christmas Story” (on Amazon Prime). That was an honor, we even got our mama singing on the Christmas album with us on ‘O’ Holy Night’, tells Chad.
There is Beauty in Being You…
With decades of making music for people in all walks of life, their advice to others is simple. “Stick to what you believe and have good intensions. Be yourself is number one, you will find your own sound and who you truly are,” says Andy.
In any season of life you will find a reason to press play to Flat River Band. From singing on the front porch to having a deep admiration for the beauty amongst the trees, you’ll be taken in another world and encouraged with whatever battle you may be facing.
To listen and learn about their many projects visit flatriverband.com and follow them on social media:
Photo Credit to Flat River Band Website & Socials
Farm Girl With Curls 