You Oughta Know : Delta Rae

"Very early on I felt we had found something special," says Ian Holljes of his musical connection with siblings Eric and Brittany, a trio whose childhood was close yet itinerant. Carrying them from Durham, North Carolina, to the Bay area of San Francisco, via Nashville, Tennessee, and Marietta, Georgia, they relished the continuity of great music -- their parents' record collection, rich with James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon. Having written songs together since they were kids, Ian and Eric opened the door to their lion-voiced sister to begin collaborating musically as well, then also adding old friend Elizabeth Hopkins, whose singing they had always loved. The four set up home in an old house in the woods, and set about finding their collec... Moreğ

"Very early on I felt we had found something special," says Ian Holljes of his musical connection with siblings Eric and Brittany, a trio whose childhood was close yet itinerant. Carrying them from Durham, North Carolina, to the Bay area of San Francisco, via Nashville, Tennessee, and Marietta, Georgia, they relished the continuity of great music -- their parents' record collection, rich with James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon. Having written songs together since they were kids, Ian and Eric opened the door to their lion-voiced sister to begin collaborating musically as well, then also adding old friend Elizabeth Hopkins, whose singing they had always loved. The four set up home in an old house in the woods, and set about finding their collective voice, crafting their songs, and playing them live before eventually getting signed with WMG's Seymour Stein. By late 2010, the four had become six, with the addition of drummer Mike McKee and bassist Grant Emerson, and were honing their material on the road. A lot of the songs evolved through live performance: Mike, for instance, innovating the percussion with chains and trash can lids, while Grant picked up an upright bass to round out the band's sound. "It was really the uniting of the four voices, a type of music that resonated with me. Just to be in the thick of it is amazing, because the four people in this band sing with such heart -- you just lose yourself in it." ĞLess