Nashville's "The Darlins" (part two)

 The Darlins are one of Nashville's fastest rising  duo's and they are not letting anything get in their way. The last several months has involved long hours in the studio, long hours writing with some of country musics finest song writers and making as many appearances around town as possible to perform their fans and showcase their new music. Jude Toy and Erinn Bates make the perfect singing duo. Their each unique and yet those unique qualities in each make the perfect combination for what will no doubt be a hit making team.

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How would you describe the music of the “The Darlins” ? Are you country, blue grass, country rock, etc.

Erinn: “Bluegrass with a smokey eye”, haha. No, we are definitely country and on the rootsy side. 

Jude: I almost feel we are a collection of all the above styles. Erinn has a beautiful voice that has a very blue grass/country feel to it. My voice and guitar playing are sort of on the rock side. It's the combination of both rough and soft, that blend together in a very interesting way. It makes our sound unique and not like anything out there right now. It's like Janis met Dolly and started a duo.

What dreams or goals are you shooting for this year in 2013?

Erinn: So far, this year has been incredible. We've played some great venues and have been focussing on writing and recording in the studio. Our goals this year are releasing The Darlins EP “Pistol”, writing even more, booking more shows, and taking it all to the next level.

Jude: To play and write music full time. To have songs cut and placed with major artists. To finish our EP and tour.

Describe your show, visually and musically and what you think sets you apart from most other duos.

Erinn: Jude and I are so different image wise so I think fans are usually intrigued by that initially. On stage, we keep our energy high and always focus on the music. We want people to feel it! Jude is an incredible guitar player and our voices have a unique blend. We also write every song we play.

Jude: I feel we engage our audience and really relate to the people who are watching us. We not only sing but play instruments and we both play well. I think our songs are well written, and we have great harmonies and melodies.

What's your outlook on the record industry today?

Erinn: The record industry is one that is always changing. I love that we have the ability to make our careers happen on our own, without the need for a major label. The indie labels are growing even more and it's great.

Jude: I feel the industry has changed so much and now many artists are branching out and doing things on their own. Social media and the Internet have changed everything. I think the traditional labels are struggling and it's gonna all eventually favor of the artist. I think that is where the focus and money need to be anyway.

What is the inspiration behind your new EP and what would you say the message is behind the songs?

Erinn: The title track “Pistol” is one we co-wrote with Brian White. Its the perfect title because we are pistols! The messages behind the songs really are just glimpses of who we are. We are relatable and we are real. The songs reflect it.

Jude: This EP is inspired by our deep love of music and songwriting. We love to share our vision/ music with people. We are spiritual people and we love God. We want to honor the gifts he has given us and share that with other people.

What would you say is the best and worst thing about playing clubs?

Erinn: Clubs are a blast. I love meeting new people and they are great places to try out new songs. The downside sometimes is the cigarette smoke, but we can handle it.

Jude: I think the best thing is playing before a live audience who loves and appreciates what we are doing. It's connecting with people, sharing our songs. I love to play out and want to do a lot more of it this year. The worst can often be the sound person. We can't always help the way the sound is mixed or we can't hear anything on stage, very frustrating.

Tell me about your next show and why I should be there:

Erinn: Our next show is Friday, June 14th at The Bluebird Cafe at 6pm. We play the Bluebird a few times a year and we always make it very special. Our featured guests in our round this time will be Steve Pasch, who runs SB21 Publishing and has written songs for superstars like Lenny Kravitz. We will have Greg Barnhill who wrote “Walkaway Joe” for Trisha Yearwood and AJ Masters who has written songs for Faith Hill and John Berry. Also, we always ask a special guest to come up and play a song. Our past guests have been songwriters, Tony Mullins, Jon Ims, Kostas, and 80s rocker, Tommy Tutone, to name a few. This time, we will feature the mega talented and soulful singer/songwriter Paris Delane of Sonia Dada who wrote Jarrod Niemann's hit “Lover, Lover”. You can't miss it! We guarantee you'll be glad you came!

 Jude: The Bluebird, Friday June 14th. This is going to be an exceptional show with an amazing round. We think anyone who comes to this show will leave having had a great time. Steve Pasch, Greg Barnhill, AJ Masters and special quest Paris Delane. I mean serious talent. I think our Bluebird rounds are always so much fun, and the quality of these writers is just outstanding. This is a must see show! In the past we've had special guests Jon Ims, Tony Mullins, Jon Stone, Alex Harvey, Kostas, Sara Evans, and many others.

Get tickets at www.bluebirdcafe.com. Reservations open up Monday, June 10th.

For more information on Jude and Erinn and all the great things happening with “The Darlins” visit www.thedarlins.com

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About Sherryl Craig 410 Articles
Sherryl is a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor with Nashville Music Guide and her blog, Lyrics N Legends has been featured since 2012. Her articles has graced the cover and have appeared as feature stories in the NMG print edition. She is also a member of WMMW, Women of Music Music of Women, a non-profit organization in support of women in the music industry. WMMW also appears here in Nashville Music Guide.