Update: A few weeks after the interview, I shot this video of The Rayo Brothers at Jazz Fest 2018.
Brothers Daniel and Jesse Reaux have been playing music since they were kids. After a couple of encouraging open mic sessions, they drew upon some of their musical influences from bluegrass, the blues, and outlaw country and partnered with some of their musician friends to form The Rayo Brothers.
In their current lineup, they have Jordan Ardoin on bass, Lance Kelehan on drums and mandolin, and Sarah Jayde Williams on the fiddle. Daniel plays the guitar and Jesse plays the banjo, and both of the brothers do the vocals. Since the band’s inception they’ve played all across the South, including shows at SXSW, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Festival Internationale, House of Blues New Orleans, and Gilley’s Dallas. They are scheduled to do another showcase for Jazz Fest this year on May 3rd.
Some of the discussion topics include
- How the band got their start and developed their sound
- The appeal of old-time traditions and throwback styles
- How a distinct music video can help a band get noticed
- What other bands should keep in mind when shooting music videos
- Tips for filmmakers who want to shoot videos with bands
- Budgeting for music videos, tours, and album releases
- Building a fan base one show at a time
At the end of the episode, you can hear the song “Red River Blues,” which comes from the band’s latest album, Take You For a Drive.
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If you like exploring some of the music traditions that The Rayo Brothers reference in their music, you might appreciate this interview I did with Scott Rosenbaum, the filmmaker behind Sidemen, a documentary that premiered at SXSW in 2016 and tells the story of the Grammy-winning sidemen who played alongside legendary bluesmen Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and developed their own musical voices along the way. Show notes for that episode are here:
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Sponsor for this Episode
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Related Things
The video I shot of the Rayo Brothers performing at Jazz Fest 2018
- The Rayo Brothers website
- The band on
- Their “Gunslinger” music video
- The line up for Jazz Fest 2018 on May 3rd, when the band will be playing
- The original Twitter announcement from @JazzFest
Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow
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Films & Shows Mentioned
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Bonnie & Clyde (2013)
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Musicians Mentioned
- Bill Monroe
- Bob Dylan
- Chuck Berry
- Hank Williams
- Johnny Cash
- Mumford & Sons
- Owl City
- The Rayo Brothers
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Other People Mentioned
- Alexander the Great
- John Paul Summers, director of the “Gunslinger” music video
- Logan LeBlanc, cinematographer on “Gunslinger”
- Oracle of Delphi
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If You Liked the Show
- Say hello on Twitter: @nsavidesPRO
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