We were lucky to catch up with Taran and Katelynn Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taran and Katelynn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success can be defined in many different ways depending on someone’s individual goals. Growing up in small farming community. One could only dream of becoming a musician. Reality was always painted as going to college and getting a good job, such as nursing, teaching or farming. Dreams were just that- dreams. For people who are big dreamers like us, the path to 9-5 never felt fulfilling. Our views on success have greatly changed as we have pursued our dreams and turned them into reality.

The music industry is a complicated industry to go into. It can be extremely hard to advance financially because this industry is constantly changing. Your music blowing up overnight is rare. Something that we have realized is that our success does not depend on the money we make but rather the experiences we have and the people we help along the way. Success to us is sharing our music with the world in the hopes that we can make someone’s day better. Success is making connections and friends along the way and spurring one another along in this journey called life.

What do we think it takes to be successful? If your definition of success is what we described, then it takes a tender heart and a lot of love. It takes determination and endurance in this cruel world. It takes support from your inner circle because sometimes it’s not easy to pick yourself up off the floor and keep going but having your people there by your side makes all the difference in the world. It takes enjoying the ride you’re on because you’re doing what you love. Smile because you are living success! Finally, it takes loving people hard. There is so much more to life than having a big house and driving an expensive car. If that happens in pursuit of chasing your dreams, then that’s pretty dang cool. Having a dope house to fill with family and friends and a sick car to drive them around in would be a great time!

Taran and Katelynn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

What started as two kids in high school playing away in their small town 12-man marching band turned into getting hitched and writing Rock n’ Roll music. Redemption River, comprised of husband and wife Taran and Katelynn Smith, is keeping the timeless sounds of rock n’ roll alive while adding in some of their country roots. This Saint Louis based band got its start while singer-songwriter/guitarist Taran Smith was stationed in San Diego, California during his enlistment in the US Navy. During the couples time in California, they started playing as a duo, but realized the songs they wrote were missing something: that soulful rock ‘n roll sound. After Taran’s enlistment ended in 2020, they moved back to their home in the fields of northern Missouri and began to write what is now their self- titled debut album. Their album flowed as singer-songwriter Katelynn Smith wrote together with Taran from their hearts in the complimentary sound of rock harmonies and bold melodies that would soon become what Redemption River was truly meant to be. In 2021, Redemption River started working with Saint Louis/ Nashville based producer John Strandell to produce their full length debut album. Their debut single Bring It On was released in September 2022. Their next single off the album, titled Time After Time, is set to release October 13, 2022.

One of the things they are most proud of is their networking. They made it a goal from the beginning to work with local creatives amongst the entire process. They are proud to say they have been able to accomplish just that. Everything from producing, photos, album artwork, band members, and studio work has all been local from St. Louis MO.

Redemption River looks forward to playing live shows in the Midwest and eventually touring full time as a band all across the world.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One of the most important things we’ve learned as a band is how to network and build relationships. The time and extra effort that has gone into meeting and working with others has really grown ourselves as individuals and as a band. All the incredibly talented people we have worked with have now become some of our closest friends and helped us share our music to so many others. It is also important just to be ourselves and sing our songs with heart. Music lovers connect the most with artists who are genuine, and that’s how we live our lives and share our music with our fans.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

As a band this may look different than the typical business model. We have strived to have the people in our teams become some of our deepest friendships. We want everyone we work with to feel respected, appreciated and loved for who they are and what they do. Each person is valuable in making a band work. Everyone from the drummer to the sound engineer is vital, so taking the time to share these things with each individual is a good morale booster.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redemptionriverband.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redemptionriver/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redemptionriver/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjAm3SGraOSYzT5V2nsr4Qg
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7E42eUkHV4cC1ViZiDTsTZ?referral=labelaffiliate&utm_source=1101lwc22jqy&utm_medium=Indie_Distrokid&utm_campaign=labelaffiliate

Image Credits
Cameron Ahlvers