Exploring Music History: Flat River Band's Journey from Family Roots to Nashville's Vibrant Scene

00:00:01
Speaker 1: Taking a Walk Nashville.

00:00:02
Speaker 2: Hey everyone, it's Sarah Harrelson, your host of Taken a Walk Nashville. Here with me today on the podcast is bluegrass band Flat River Band. It consists of three brothers, Andy, Chad and Denny Joe. They grew up in a multi generational family band, performing alongside their parents and grandparents. They held residencies at Silver Dollar City and Branson, Missouri, and at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Throughout their ten year in music, The Missouri Natives have charted number one hits on the Bluegrass Gospel charts and they have opened for The Chicks Natalie Maines, Alison Carrause, Ricky Skaggs, Ronda Vincent, TG Shephard, and Moore. The trio songs can be found in the twenty eighteen movie The Least of These, a Christmas Story, featuring Dwayne Allen from the Oakridge Boys, Deborah Allen, and Taylor Lenn, who is Lerett Lynn's granddaughter. The band recently released a new five song EP, Sights and Sounds, which has given the trio exposure in the spotlight of Americana and country formats. Join me today as I sit down and talk with them.

00:01:22
Speaker 3: Welcome to Taking a Walk Nashville with your hosts, singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson.

00:01:28
Speaker 2: It's good to have Andy, Chad and Denny Joe here today on the Taking a Walk Nashville podcast. So the three of you are brothers who grew up performing alongside your parents and your grandparents, with residencies at Silver Dollar City and Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood and East Tennessee. So would you say that music came natural for all of you being surrounded by family who was always playing music through multiple generations.

00:01:55
Speaker 1: I would say it was because it was a mandatory thing. And this is one of some of us brothers.

00:02:02
Speaker 3: It takes a little longer to learn things.

00:02:03
Speaker 1: So I don't know if it become.

00:02:05
Speaker 3: Natural and what wasn't a lot of practice, you know what I mean for some of us, I don't know.

00:02:10
Speaker 1: So it was.

00:02:11
Speaker 2: Required, but you guys had fun doing it, right, That's exactly right.

00:02:15
Speaker 1: We a very unique childhood, you know, growing up seeing the world through the windshield of a bus with your family band is it's super unique that? Yeah. I don't know the many people that's got to experience life like that, childhood growing up like that, So I'm super grateful for it. I know that I'm grateful for it, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

00:02:39
Speaker 2: So absolutely, that's that's wonderful. Yeah, it's definitely a unique childhood. So the three of you were always on the road with your family. When did you guys decide to change the format of the family band to just the three of you as a trio as brothers on stage.

00:03:00
Speaker 4: I would say probably after our grandparents passed away. Our grandpa played the del Bro and my grandma played the upright base. They passed away, and then, you know, we the last five years of touring, we did every other weekend at Dollywood, and I eventually I moved to Middle Tennessee doing the songwriter thing, and uh I got to say a gig at the Alabama Grill just north of town there, and we played there on the weekends there in uh tootsies and we just uh, you know, it's it's been a journey for sure, you know.

00:03:41
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, And throughout your journey, you guys have opened up for many artists such as Natalie Mains, Alison Krause, Rocky Skaggs. What has it been like seeing your music chart on the bluegrass gospel charts, and what has it been like sharing stages with these artists along the way.

00:04:00
Speaker 1: This is the last couple of years has been like a bucket list type things happening for us. You know, we learned to sing three part harmony It's little Kids in the back of my Dad's Thunderbird to uh eight track of of All the Golden California, And so being able to go in the studio and record with the Gatlin Brothers their their first number one hit, So I wish you were someone I love when we really said a few years ago. Super cool. Then to go back in the studio with the Oakridge Boys and cut a song the Oakridge Boys which is the first time we saw that was on a rerun of Dukes of Hazard, a song called Leaving Louisianna in the Broad Daylight of Rodney Crowtune. That's it's full circle for us.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: So yeah, would say, oh, definitely full definitely full circle.

00:04:48
Speaker 1: These are like the childhood icons. And to be able to go and work with these guys, it's it's pretty pretty special.

00:04:58
Speaker 2: I love your version Leaving Louisiana in broad Daylight. We recently had William Lee Golden on the podcast, So it was very cool to see you guys in the music video with them, Dwayne Allen of the Oakredge Boys, they have been a long time supporter of you guys. The music video of people go and watch it. They can see the Oakredge Boys in the video and even John Schneider who played bo and Dukes of Hazzard. So what was it like recording that song and filming that music video.

00:05:30
Speaker 4: It was pretty epic, that's probably I mean, it's the longest I guess music video we've ever done. It's a little over six minutes long.

00:05:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we.

00:05:38
Speaker 4: Wanted to pay trivia since, like djel just said, that's the first time we ever heard the song leader Louisiana on a rerun of The Dukes of Hazzard and we've always been huge fans of The Dukes of Hazzard and we wanted to implement that kind of remake the Boors' nests in a sense, you know, and just the whole video it was like a three day It was like a three day shoot for us, and that was a lot We had a lot of stuff actually that was even edited out, you know, and but it was it's pretty epic, that wasn't it?

00:06:10
Speaker 1: It was very epic in shoot.

00:06:13
Speaker 3: We probably have so much edits in there that we could we just about have a possibly, who knows, maybe the Digson Hazard rerun.

00:06:20
Speaker 2: So I love it. Where was the video shot? Was it here in Nashville? Yes?

00:06:27
Speaker 1: Three different locations that we shot in Nashville and uh, once in her, one day in herbritage, and one day out in Hickman County. Yeah.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, so yeah, fun video. Everyone should check it out. In addition to working with them on that song in that video, you guys also worked with Dwayne Allen on the twenty eighteen film The Least of These a Christmas Story on that soundtrack. Was that your first time working on a soundtrack?

00:06:58
Speaker 1: Yes? Yes, well, well it's pretty cool to have our Christmas music used in that movie. Pretty same. I was just celestial stool being Dawayne and uh, miss Lynn Yeah, Taylor, Taylor, thank you? Sorry? My mind is what.

00:07:14
Speaker 2: What was the process like for that? Did you already have some of the songs written or did you find out, oh, I'm writing on the soundtrack now I need to create and write the songs.

00:07:25
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:07:25
Speaker 1: We had released a Christmas project and actually one of those we went in and cut with Jeanie Seely from the Rand operating Yeah, before she passed away. Uh, we were able to get in the studio and recut one of those songs off that soundtrack with Genie Seely, which was super spousal off. Another kind of a bucket list thing for us.

00:07:46
Speaker 4: But we had the Christmas album completely and uh, we just knew a friend of a friend of a friend, you.

00:07:53
Speaker 2: Know how Well that's very special. And speaking of new music, you just released a remix of your twenty nineteen song Beauty Amongst the Trees. So what is different in this remixed version compared to the original, Well, just.

00:08:14
Speaker 4: The production in general. We've been I guess for the last couple couple albums. We've been co producing with a friend of ours, Trey Corley and super Guy. We just love how you awesome drummer, ayboard player, this multi talented guy.

00:08:30
Speaker 1: It was a bandleader for me, show how could be? Show?

00:08:34
Speaker 4: We just love how he does our vocals and we've just we get such a great response when we play that Beauty amongst the Trees, live that and every dog has this day, we thought, well, let's let's go back in and recut, you know, just kind of bring him back to life. And that's that's kind of what we did because, you know, I mean, being a singer, songwriter and an artist yourself, you always want to better what you've done in the past, you know, And that's that's kind of our approach with those two songs and really brought them to lie.

00:09:08
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:09:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a beautiful song. Both mixes are great, but I love the remixed one too. I hope people will go check it out. So for live performances, you guys just performed at Chiefs on Broadway here in Nashville. You're about to embark on your summer tour. When you're not on the road where you guys call home. Is it you're in Nashville? Do you go back to Missouri?

00:09:35
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's here in Nashville. Were actually west west of town. I'm and he's in Cheatham County, Dangels and Hickman and I'm in Dixon County. So yeah, we're just kind of west of Nashville, kind of out of riff rats, you know.

00:09:48
Speaker 5: What I mean.

00:09:51
Speaker 1: We're actually headed to the studio tomorrow. We're gonna go back in the studio and we're gonna cut some new show. It's some new tens.

00:10:00
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:10:01
Speaker 1: Yeah. That venue you mentioned of.

00:10:05
Speaker 3: Eric Church is the Neon Steeple.

00:10:07
Speaker 1: The Neon Steeple. We did a we did a We had a great turnout for that shows. Matter of fact, I believe we're going to be back at the Neon Steeple. Yeah, we are. Yeah, and we're hoping to have a live recording from the Neon Steeple. It's kind of a have you ever ever been in the Neon steep Have you been in the Neon Steeple before?

00:10:22
Speaker 2: Yes, Yeah, I love that venue. I love It's just so different from you know, all the other bars on Broadway, and then that's the ticketed shows, this morn.

00:10:32
Speaker 1: Of a theater type. Yes, we really love we love that venue. So I believe, uh for the end of summer we'll be back there and hopefully we're going to do a live reporting from the Neon Steeple. So pretty excited about that as well.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: That's great. Yeah, people can check out your socials and website for your upcoming shows. Where else are you looking forward to go? Uh to going the summer.

00:10:55
Speaker 5: We're headed out west this year, so I'm pretty excited We're going to out Portland, Oregon, Northern California, Zootfalls, South Dakota.

00:11:06
Speaker 1: We're going to be in Are we in Montana this year? Yeah?

00:11:10
Speaker 4: Livingston, Montana. We'll be in Livingston, Montana.

00:11:12
Speaker 1: Okay, So we're sending we're excited about it, and we've got some huge support from zeb Coo Rotten Reels this year for summer tour.

00:11:21
Speaker 4: So yeah, looking forward, we feel super blessed.

00:11:24
Speaker 1: We really feel super blessed, very.

00:11:27
Speaker 2: Cool, very excited for your upcoming shows and upcoming music since you guys will be back in the studio. I also as an East Tennessee and myself, I love that you guys played at Dollywood quite a bit. Did you ever run into Dolly during your time there?

00:11:45
Speaker 1: A few times? Ran into a few times, And we actually shared the stage with her uncle uncle Bill. Oh nice in between he did a show. We would do a show. He would do a show. We do a show, I know, And so we enjoyed our time cutting our teeth.

00:12:00
Speaker 3: Listen, we rode every roller coaster in between sets.

00:12:03
Speaker 1: As d matter of fact, we ran late for our first show.

00:12:07
Speaker 2: Because you're a little roller coaster. I love that. Yeah, one of my favorites. There is the one that's you know, it's not as steep, but it's the one where you're in the dark and then it has that huge drop in the end and you can't Yeah, yep. Oh fun. Well, my last question for you guys today we are on taking a walk in Nashville, So I want to ask you what is the most memorable walk the three of you have taken in Nashville.

00:12:42
Speaker 1: Hmmm, wow, wow, wow wow.

00:12:45
Speaker 3: Well I just recently, I just recently took a walk from across the street to the Rhino. You can't get more memorable than the rhine up or you know what I mean. So that was just recently. I don't Mine would probably be for the walking from Broadway over to the Rhymon.

00:13:01
Speaker 1: That would be my memorable moment recently. What about you yet? What was the park we light down there? It was fifty four bucks?

00:13:09
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh.

00:13:11
Speaker 6: I would say my my most memorable walk down there is whenever I first I remarried about twelve years ago, and my wife is into fine dining and she got into that and she's real.

00:13:23
Speaker 2: She's a food food ooty.

00:13:25
Speaker 1: She's a foody food connoiseur. And the first thing she did job wise, Actually, maybe the second thing she did was get food tourers. Oh, I'll love your cat.

00:13:33
Speaker 2: I know she she's popping into say I.

00:13:37
Speaker 1: Uh so I did a food tour with her and when she first started that and we hit I don't know, nine restaurants or something, and uh, wow, there's so many great restaurants and uh see you Grays and downtown there. Why did you finish the walk? Barely barely finished the walk. I was just so miserably full. But it was great.

00:14:02
Speaker 2: Oh that's great. There's so many great restaurants in Nashville to take a walk too. And unfortunately you do have to pay the price of parking for that. Yeah, well I hope. Well, I'm sure you guys will be taking another walk together in Nashville soon for your show. Upcoming show at Neon Steeple, at Chiefs on Broadway and other upcoming shows. Where can people find you? On social media?

00:14:31
Speaker 4: We are Instagram, We're at the Flat River Band, and then of course Flat River Band on Facebook. And what you're doing the TikTok, what you ad on that.

00:14:43
Speaker 1: It's official flower.

00:14:45
Speaker 3: It should be a blue check mark just for so I'm like every all of our talents at the blue check mark. We have been getting a few impersonators, so you know, look for the blue check mark.

00:14:58
Speaker 1: Seriously, look for that blue check mark on YouTube it's Flaterbird TV or just google Flat River Band and all of our socials will come up.

00:15:08
Speaker 2: Amazing. That sounds great. I hope people will follow you since you have upcoming music and shows. Andy, Chad, Danny Joe. Thank you so much for being on the Taking a Walk Nashville podcast today.

00:15:21
Speaker 4: Thy thanks, thanks, appreciate you.

00:15:25
Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to Taking a Walk Nashville with Sarah Harrelson. Please check out our other shows produced by Buzznight Media Productions, Comedy Save Me and Music Save Me hosted by Lynn Hoffman, and Taking a Walk hosted by Yours Truly Buzznight. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and are part of the iHeart podcast network