Musical Influences
We have always wanted to play guitar. We used to take our Mom's broom and use it as a guitar when we were two years old. When we were a little older, we set up the upright vacuum in our bedroom and used it as a “pretend” microphone. We listened to a lot of classic rock when we were little Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (and Neil Young solo), the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), James Taylor, Eric Clapton etc. We also listened to lot of country musicians.
We have diverse musical influences. Two of our top favorite musicians are Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ellis Paul — electric blues and folk, respectively.
We first heard SRV's album “Texas Flood” when we were 8 years old. At the time we only had acoustic guitars but that didn't stop us from learning some of his songs. There was a time when we listened to his music non-stop and exclusively. Although we have many other influences, we still believe SRV is just about the best electric blues guitarist ever, a force to be reckoned with. The two main albums that influenced us, at a young age, to play the blues were John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (the “Beano” album), and Texas Flood.
Here's a list of other musicians who have influenced us: Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Rogers, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Bruce Springstein, Steve Earle, Richard Thompson, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, The Band, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, George Jones, B.B. King, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Pete Townshend (The Who), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Bill Kirchen, Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Ray Charles, Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Derek Trucks, Andy York, Robert Randolph, Doyle Bramhall II, Robert Cray, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Jimmy Wayne, Garth Brooks, Ellis Paul, Mark Erelli, Nickel Creek, Ray Bonneville, Chris Smither, Don Conoscenti, and Corb Lund.
We have been to quite a few shows, and there are some we would like to mention. We saw CSNY live in 2006. It was incredible. Another great one was when we saw Bill Kirchen live at a joint called the Birchmere for our birthday (2009). He has got to be one of the best performers out there. Whenever we see Ellis Paul it's a blast. Of course, we always have fun with Jimmy Wayne. He's such a great guy and great musician too!
We also learn a lot from all the other musicians we meet at our shows.