Lynn - I come from a family that has long been interested in music and artistry. Interestingly enough, I was shunned from the music scene initially, at the young age of 12; thankfully, being rejected only motivated me to try that much harder. Eventually, I found my way into punk, which was fun until it wasn't. After a really profound experience at a bluegrass festival I found my calling in roots music. From that day forward, bluegrass has been what I do.
Joe - I started music young with the middle school band, with a saxophone. I found out pretty quick that it wasn't something I would stay interested in, which ultimately led to a forceful ejection from the band (my director did not like hearing I wanted to quit). I got a guitar at 12, and I played for a while, but never as serious as I could. It wouldn't be until about 17 years old that I would start treating music like a career. But, once I found my way into college, some friends and I formed a band called Indie Pigeon that managed to last up until about April 2016. Since I found Lynn around December of 2016, it's been Bluegrass all the way.
Love Music : Please tell us more about your upcoming project album?
The album is going to be gospel themed. Old-timey. A whole list of songs that we're hoping will sound like they're coming out of the Great Depression. It's going to be about 10 songs in length and maybe around 40 minutes long. Also, it's probably going to largely be live-tracked, to get that old-time feel. We're not entirely sure on the order or the release date just yet, but what we are sure of is the line-up and the feeling we want to communicate. It's going to be American music sprung from American roots.
Love Music : What motivates you to write your best songs?
Lynn - It can be a little bit of anything. It could be a phrase, maybe an image. In the case of Maiden Girls, it was Joe being frustrating one day (true, but mostly joking here). Really, it's just things that I draw from my environment. A lot of different places are inspiration for me.
Joe - My best songs tend to come from determination. I get it in my mind that I'm going to sit down and I'm going to write something. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but sometimes I do it anyway. I know there's been a few songs where I kept stopping and asking myself things like, "Is this good?" and sometimes the answer was no (or at least, I felt it was). More and more though, I find that this doesn't stop me, instead it just makes me write harder. And I think that sort of "I am not going to stop working" determination has gotten me through a lot of writing.
Love Music : Who are your musical inspirations?
Lynn - Without a doubt, Emmylou Harris. She was kinda the first foray into that folky sound for me. I'd heard country before, but I'd never really heard anything like that.
Joe - My inspirations come from feelings a lot. I guess it isn't so much who as it is what inspires me. I know it particular that there's songs by Mumford and Sons, Welch/Rawlings and some covers by Jack White that really inspire me, but I think too a lot of my musical inspirations are ideas of how things should sound. That's vague I know. But that's how it works for me.
Love Music : Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to be a professional musician ?
Lynn - It's hard. It is not always glamorous. The way that popular music portrays it is not the average experience. There's no, you know, limos with champagne at the end of the gig, most of the time you just pack back into the van and drive 12 hours. If it's something you want to do, if you have the hunger to do it, don't let anyone tell you you can't do it. But if you do it expecting to have nice cars and mansions, then you're in it for the wrong reasons.
Joe - Work. Treat it like work and respect it like work. Because it's nothing less than that. And honestly, if you don't think you're good enough, then work until you are. I started out 2017 barely being able to play a singe lick of guitar. The best I could do was really basic picking. The way I was able to get any semblance of skill was by building that skill up, a few hours at a time. And you know what? I'm a lead guitarist. And if you're asking yourself, "does this work for everything?" just ask Lynn how she got to singing so well. She'll tell you, she did it a little bit at a time, for a long old time.
Love Music : What are your future plans ? Your vision for the coming years.
Lynn - We always said 40 years of bluegrass.
Joe - Yep.
Love Music : If you could perform anywhere, in the world, where would it have to be?
Lynn - The Ryman Auditorium.
Joe - At a rest stop in Kansas. Lynn agrees.
Love Music : Everybody needs time out. What do you do in your free time?
Lynn - we both play Video games (especially Red Dead Redemption). We also really like to cook together, especially Chinese food. Oh, and I also like my judge shows.
Joe - Her judge sows are trash, but I love them too. I've actually come to appreciate paternity court just a bit, the judge on there is probably one of the best I've seen.
Love Music : Are you active on social media? what’s the best way to follow you ?
We are active!
We have a facebook, a twitter, an instagram, a youtube channel, a bandcamp, and a soundcloud! To find us, just look for "LynnPhippsMusic" and you'll find us on whatever app you're looking on. We also have a gmail, lynnandjoeband@gmail.com. The best way to reach us is either through our facebook or our gmail.
