Essential 8: The Dryes

Courtesy of the Artist

“Little Big Town John Mayer.” Those are the first five words Derek Drye utters when asked to describe the sound of The Dryes, the duo he and his wife Katelyn formed in 2010, not surprisingly right after seeing Little Big Town open for Carrie Underwood in concert. “Heart. Love. Heartache.” Those three words are how Katelyn characterizes the essence of the duo’s music. “Timeless” is what both agree is something they strive for when writing their deeply personal songs.

Today, the duo shared the first single from their upcoming EP, “Amen," a soulful country rocker with its seeds sown in church. Katelyn – who grew up singing in the church choir where her father was a pastor – recalls that Derek – then a long-haired member of a rock band – one day walked into church and she knew instantly that she’d found the man she was going to marry. Fast-forward and Katelyn says they basically wrote “Amen” “to make light of our relationship with how we met, and just make it like a fun thing.” Derek adds that after their first date, “I text my buddy and said, ‘I’m probably gonna marry this girl’ and she texted her friend the same thing.” Here, Derek and Katelyn answer their Essential 8 and talk songwriting, Chipotle, collaborating, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Derek: I have friends that’ve had specific mentors which is fantastic, but I really fell in love with the blues first, which is a genre that you literally have to feel through to learn. For example, BB King or Stevie Ray Vaughan can hit the same note and it sounds totally different, almost like a different emotion. That’s how I found my voice on guitar. When I started to sing, I approached it that way as well. Silverchair’s “Diorama” album helped me experiment with harmony.
 
Katelyn: I was also mentored “afar” through my favorite female artists growing up. Some big ones for me were LeAnn Rimes, Dixie Chicks, & Shania Twain. I remember going on trips often to visit family since both sides lived in different states. I would play their albums over and over and pretend I was performing shows while in the passenger seat of the car haha. My parents can attest to this. Those artists and albums all have a part in why I chose this route.
 
With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Katelyn: Yes, it was actually when we tried it out live. We knew that it was a keeper after we had people asking us what “that one song we played about Amen” was after the show that night.
 
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations,
made-up stories, something else or a combination?
Derek: We usually write from personal experience.
Katelyn: It’s much easier to connect on stage and is more authentic when you know what you’re singing about!

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What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
Both: Chipotle. Chipotle. Chipotle
 
Do you have any touring tips?
Since 90% of the time is spent traveling or interacting with others around you, there isn’t much separation of friendship and professional relationships with who we travel with. We have the best time, and you should to! In short, surround yourself with the most professional and friendly hangs. Its gotta be a balance of both.
 
What has been your biggest struggle so far?
The biggest struggle has definitely been the unknowns: taking risks both creatively and business-wise. It is so tough sometimes, but anything worth doing should be that way. 
 
What has been your biggest success?
This is directly associated with the last question. The risk that we took to write, produce, and record this EP together is something that we believe will be our greatest success yet. Sure it felt great, but we grew from doing that together.
 
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Derek: Wow. There’s honestly so many. From a pure melodic standpoint, Tom Yorke (Radiohead). Next would be Chris Martin, who I think has a similar sense of melody, just maybe more “accessible/pop.”
Katelyn: Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga - they all have impacted the music industry in ways that have never been done.

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