Being a semi-finalist on American Idol is a huge accomplishment but where does an artist go from there? For many, post-idol fame hasn’t been much of a reality. So how does an artist bounce back after all the fame and attention?
For some, like the gifted Charly Lowry, you must continue to have faith in your abilities and be willing to start from scratch and grind your way back to the top. Being a successful artist/band in this business is no easy task. Not only do you need to be talented musically, you also need the motivation and mindset.
Today Charly Lowry is the lead singer in the band Dark Water Rising, a band she helped form back in 2008, and on Tuesday, September 10th at 7 p.m. she and Dark Water Rising will perform in the Gibbs Auditorium at Spartanburg Methodist College.
The DWR band has certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings. “Humble” in this sense isn’t an understatement. The other members in the band basically picked up and learned how to play their chosen instruments as soon as the idea of forming a band became a reality. And just a few short years later they all now play multiple instruments and have become even more confident in their abilities as musicians. There is always more room to improve as a band. It’s what motivates you to become better as an artist.
Dark Water Rising (Charly Lowry (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Aaron Locklear (keys/guitar/bass), Corey Locklear (lead guitar), Shay Jones (drums) and Tony Murnahan (bass)) continues to grow and amaze each time they perform. They are constantly developing their sound, song writing, and instrumentation. This is a band that possesses the talent, motivation and mindsets to be major players in a business oversaturated with wanna-be performers.
Indy Week’s Sylvia Pfeiffenberger describes DWR as “Native Americans who piece together Southern rock full of gospel harmonies, hip-hop inflections and Motown soul with a journeyman work ethic. With bold songwriting and bewitching arrangements, DWR breaks rules effortlessly.” Lyrically, Dark Water Rising explores all themes of life, whether it is love, heartbreak, sacrifice, celebration, despair, or pain; all the while expressing their sentiment on issues affecting Native American communities. Dark Water Rising coined the genre of their music as “Rocky Soul”, which is about as original as the songs that they create.
DWR’s most recent album, “Grace & Grit: Chapter I,” is just as engaging and intimate as watching one of their live performances. Dark Water Rising has garnered considerable radio air play on college radio and stations throughout Indian country, appeared on NPR’s “The Story with Dick Gordon” and “The State of Things”, and has earned a Native American Music Award for “Debut Duo or Group of the Year”(2010).
Make plans to experience Dark Water Rising for yourself on Tuesday, September 10th at 7 p.m. in the Gibbs Auditorium at Spartanburg Methodist College. The public is invited and admission is free of charge; and as J. Evan Wade with Home Grown Music Network shared “A fan of strong, heartfelt lyrics will find much to chew on.” For more information, please contact Yvonne Harper, harpery@smcsc.edu or 864-587-4278.