Lipscomb welcomes sibling trio, Daves Highway, along with new contemporary music program, this fall
Lacey Klotz |
Lipscomb welcomes sibling trio, Daves Highway, along with new contemporary music program, this fall
Lipscomb’s campus has been swaying to the sounds of Southern roots music this semester, as some of its newest students have become the hottest act on campus.
Delaney, Zachary and Erika Daves, the members of Daves Highway, a family singing trio that has recently released three full-length albums and an EP, became three of the first students in Lipscomb’s contemporary music program this fall.
They were drawn to Lipscomb after learning the producer of their EP, Charlie Peacock, a Grammy-Award-winning record producer, would direct Lipscomb’s newest music program.
With deep Southern roots, carefully crafted harmonies and a unique blend of country and folk played on a collection of instruments including the guitar, piano and mandolin, Daves Highway likens the tone and style of groups such as Needtobreathe, The Lumineers and The Civil Wars.
Coming from Mississippi roots, Delaney, a junior, as well as Zachary and Erika, who are sophomores, are all majoring in contemporary music and studying under the leadership of Peacock, who is also Lipscomb’s Artist-in-Residence and founding director of Lipscomb’s contemporary music program in the College of Entertainment & the Arts.
In 2009, Peacock caught wind of Daves Highway through a mutual friend who passed along a YouTube video of the group.
“I found out about the group from a trusted friend in the music business, Tricia Walker,” said Peacock. “From there I followed up with their father and we struck up a production and music publishing relationship.”
Later that year, Peacock offered to produce the group’s first studio EP titled, Just For You in Nashville.
Peacock, who has produced several award-winning groups including The Civil Wars and The Lone Bellow, admires Daves Highway’s natural ability and the way they are bringing their own uniqueness to a movement that many music legends have set before them.
“Both The Civil Wars and The Lone Bellow are rooted in a Southern aesthetic with deep American music roots, including gospel music,” Peacock explained. “Sibling harmony is so much a part of American roots music, and Daves Highway is adding its bit to this long history of vocal harmonies.”
Peacock was not the only one who saw Daves Highway’s potential from their YouTube posts.
As the trio continued to post covers of artists such as Needtobreathe, Little Big Town and the Eagles, Grammy Award-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin also reached out to Daves Highway.
“Chris Tomlin saw one of our YouTube videos and tweeted that he would like for us to join him on stage one day,” said Delaney. “So on July 7, 2010, we got to join him on-stage in Memphis in front of 10,000 people to sing ‘Jesus Messiah.’ That was a surreal, rock star-kind-of-moment.”
Since recording its debut EP in 2009, Daves Highway has released three additional full-length albums including its most recent release, An Acoustic Christmas in November 2014.
Daves Highway also maintained its relationship with Peacock who shared that Lipscomb was launching a new College of Entertainment & the Arts featuring a new contemporary music program that would include academic programs in songwriting and music production. And with Peacock as the founding director, Delaney, Erika and Zachary made the decision to transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College to Lipscomb University in fall 2015.
“Charlie Peacock is our favorite person,” Zachary explained. “He is so professional about everything, and challenges us to be the best we can be. We have so much respect for him and his work.”
Erika echoed this sentiment and adds that Peacock’s impressive resume of works he has produced, gives her a lot of confidence in his training in the contemporary music program.
“We feel so lucky to be studying under his leadership,” said Erika. “Working with someone who has produced 50 percent of our favorite music is incredible.”
“He is also our teacher for our seminar class and is an introspective teacher,” Delaney continued, referencing Peacock’s unique teaching style. “He helps us learn more about ourselves, which ultimately helps us overall as a group.”
Peacock said the growing program also benefits from having a group like Daves Highway as students in this new and growing program.
“The trio brings a tremendous amount of performance experience to the contemporary music program,” Peacock explained. “Like a few other accomplished students, they’ve been out performing across the mid-South improving their craft and making fans.”
He continued, “As much as I love their music, I love them as people just as much.”
Daves Highway wants to be a positive, uplifting voice as an alternative to the negativity they often see in their generation.
“We want to be a light in the music industry,” Zachary explained. “People want to be positive, and we want to be that outlet, while staying rooted in what we believe.”
Erika added, “We want to mix in with current artists, but we also want to be a group that parents would want their kids to listen to.”
The members of Daves Highway explained how excited they are to be able to hone their craft at Lipscomb, working under Lipscomb’s leadership and growing creatively with their peers.
They also explained how they have already found multiple outlets to perform on-campus including: the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Family Fall festival, Lipscomb’s Founders’ Day Chapel, the faculty and staff annual fund picnic and Lipscomb’s Trunk or Treat.
Daves Highway is currently preparing for its first contemporary music program concert on Nov. 10. The concert features singer/songwriter Scott Mulvahill, and students in the program will perform 10 separate ensemble combinations with original compositions and covers of popular songs by All Sons & Daughters, alt-J, Avicii, The Beatles, Ellie Goulding, Tobias Jesso Jr. and more in Shamblin Theater at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on Daves Highway visit: www.daveshighway.com/ or www.facebook.com/Daveshwy