We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rock Creek Revival a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rock Creek Revival, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
The truth is, all four full-time members of Rock Creek Revival (RCR) have day jobs–we all work hard and play hard. Professions in the band range from mechanic to scientist, We’re all gainfully employed allowing us to pursue our passion for bluegrass. Some in the band have been playing music their entire lives, though none of us found our respective instruments until relatively recently. Do we wish we would have started our creative careers sooner…only if we’d be enjoying ourselves as much as we are now.
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.
Rock Creek Revival (RCR) was formed in 2016 with Andrew Janosek on banjo and Sean McCartney on guitar. There have been several iterations over the years but the current quartet with Alex Orr on mandolin and Chris Blauciak on bass has been the same for years. RCR is a Maryland-based bluegrass band that draws inspiration from first generation pioneers such as the Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs, as well as more contemporary acts such as Yonder Mountain String Band and the Infamous Stringdusters. In 2018 we got to open for the Infamous Stringdusters at a festival in Ohio which was pretty awesome. Earlier this year (2023) we released our self-titled album with original material that we’re all proud of. We got a few friends to record with us which made the project all the more meaningful. Hopefully folks reading this will check us out on Spotify or Apple Music. We’re a professional band who knows how to have a good time and not take ourselves too seriously. If you enjoy bluegrass music we hope you’ll come out to a show or follow us on the streaming platform of your choice.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best thing society can do to support artists is to go catch a live show or visit an art gallery, and encourage greater funding in schools so kids graduate knowing more about music than I ever did when I was their age.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is sharing a stage with friends to play music we love, all while connecting with our audience. There are fewer things that bring more joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rockcreekrevival.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rcr_bluegrass/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockCreekRevival/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpKWsS-1j-ZYO6DxU0ldiQg
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2zfKYcUB9pN7N4f0pEseJJ
Image Credits
Daniel Purcell, Danny Lundberg, Rock Creek Revival