We recently connected with Kerosene Drifters and have shared our conversation below.
Kerosene Drifters, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
Hindsight is 20/20. I think a lot of people look to their past with some regret, some loss and gained insight. Creatives in particular possess a push/pull of regret and respect for that regret. We respect the space our minds and our hearts were in when we first discovered the spark of passion. We respect the struggles in our path, the growth of our spirit, the hard lessons that continue to be learned. At the same time it’s easy to say “if I knew then what I know now” and wish we would’ve started the professional climb at a younger age. Maybe we’d be further along in our career, maybe we would have burned out and life taken another path, maybe we would have changed the world.
Korey started his musical journey at a young age born into a musical family. He learned guitar at age 12 and played tenor sax in high school band while serenading his classmates in empty classrooms during lunch with his guitar. He inspired a handful of peers to learn guitar over the summer because it obviously makes the ladies swoon; a sentiment I can agree with since I was also one to swoon at guys in high school who played guitar. After wandering in cover bands as a hired gun throughout his 20’s, Korey will tell you it wasn’t until he met me and we began to write that he understood exactly what he wanted to do with his creativity. He was always steady in his path of being a professional musician; he just didn’t know which fork he wanted his path to take.
I grew up intently listening to music, singing along, learning piano/clarinet/sax/guitar and eventually bass, writing songs, learning music theory and thinking I’d have an early career in music education or therapy. I got scared and pivoted into social work. I was scared of being vulnerable, of rejection, of not being good enough. I couldn’t stay away from music though and joined a cover band while working in foster care and adoption. It wasn’t until I met Korey and we began to pursue a side project (then Korey & Dana Acoustic Duo) that the confidence, love and passion buried underneath apprehension grew to prevail. Mind over matter, I decided pursuit of passion was more important than living in doubt and fear.
We wish we would have met sooner than our late 20’s. We wish we would have started writing immediately, recording albums, networking and learning the business side earlier. That has been the largest learning curve – learning the business side. It is only for the kindness and desire to help from others that we have had any of the success we’ve seen. This is truly a collaborative business and we are blessed to know many amazing people in it.
Looking back, it’s easy to say we wish things were different. Existentially speaking, maybe we would be further along or maybe we would be different people now with different lives, who knows? It’s easy to say hindsight is 20/20.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My husband Korey and I are singer-songwriters, recording and performing artists, collaborators, networkers, and all-around music lovers. Our sound is comprised of all the things we love about music – vocal harmonies, raw lyrics, musical passages that evoke a stirring of the soul or an ease of spirit, finding songs that go with every mood and situation, and appreciating the weight of silence. Over the years we’ve honed our brand as Drifter Rock, mixing our influences of rock, blues and country. We call it that because one song might lean deep into rock while another one is a two-stepper playing on Texas country radio. The both of us were always passionate about music, Korey staying true to his path of being a professional musician and mine deviating for some of my 20’s but coming back because I couldn’t deny my passion and sense of belonging. Music feels like home. I think our unique brand and sound were born out of each of us bringing 100% of ourselves to the table and trusting one another with our vulnerabilities. What sets us apart is our harmonies, our eclectic songwriting, and our love of performing. Having a female lead singer/bass player is an easy way for people to remember us too. The journey this crazy industry has taken us on has been a long hard road of paying dues, making friends with like-minded people and constantly searching for opportunity. We’ve been a part of many successes that we’re proud of, all building blocks that lay the foundation for the next step. We’ve opened for Grammy award-winning Reckless Kelly and twice for Micky & the Motorcars, played the San Antonio Rodeo and other festivals. Our music video for “Barb’s Wired” not only aired on national television REELZ channel’s “Indie Music Battle” Season 1, but also continually placed in the Top 3 every single week the show aired. We placed in the Top 3 of Dream Night Talent Search, a national competition for performing artists. Three singles have been released from our second album with radio success. “Bad Mojo” charted in the Top 10 on the Blues chart in Virginia and “Redemption” charted into the 60’s on Texas Regional Radio. We’ve done live television and radio performances, radio and online interviews (thank you CanvasRebel for this one!). Our music has been featured in an independent sci-fi film that we were also extras in. We get to travel to Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and all over Texas playing music. That’s probably what we’re most proud of: we’ve worked to build a life writing and playing music with the one we love. It’s not easy but it sure is fun.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Hands down the both of us emphatically endorse the non-fiction series by Steven Pressfield, beginning with “The War of Art”. This book is a short easy read that provides a kick in the ass to any creative, entrepreneur or anyone looking to find their purpose. It helps guide the emotional back and forth of starting a creative venture, provides insight to our mental blocks and inspires motivation. Pressfield has three other works in the series, “Turning Pro”, “Do the Work” and “Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t”, all short easy reads going into greater depth of becoming a professional creative and honing your craft. These books are near-scripture to us. We reference them often, re-read them when we need a push and recommend/gift them to our creative friends and family.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Although our paths have been internally individual and unique, Korey and I share a similar basic drive on our creative journeys. Music, the writing of, performing, enjoying, is how we express thought and emotion. Over the years it’s grown to define us and make us feel like we belong somewhere. The driving force for me is now that I know who I am (most days), I have a sense of urgency to put my creative works out to the world. It helps me express myself, overcome fear, gives me energy and hope, and while performing takes me to the otherworldly place that transforms my soul. I can only hope that my expression is able to help someone else understand and express their thoughts and emotions. Korey mimics this sentiment, adding a drive for the will of not only who he is currently but for who he wants to be. Knowing and having a clear picture of the kind of person you want to be sets the goal of ever changing betterment.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kerosenedrifters.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kerosene_drifters
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kerosenedriftersrock
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerosene-drifters-405058171
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeroseneDrifter
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/KeroseneDrifters
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZidxrEjTxmAeCVAiR4uAY?si=suknUEV_S526iVS1L3Dl1A TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerosenedrifters
Image Credits
Jessica Waffles, Ken Maxwell, Alba Fernandez – Lonia Photography, Bruce Davis