Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself?
RACHEL: Hi there! My name is Rachel Scott, I’m the lead singer of Lone Caravan.
MATT: Matt Ribesky, guitarist/background vocals for Lone Caravan
JACOB: Jacob Scott, guitars and backup vocals
SHANE: I’m Shane and I play drums in Lone Caravan
DEREK: I’m Derek Pothoff, the bassist for Lone Caravan
Any special meaning or significance to your band name?
RACHEL: I was the one who came up with the band name before we became what we are today, when it was my husband, Matt and I just playing around musically in our apartment.
To me, Lone Caravan symbolized a group of people who are close to one another embarking on a journey together. It fit the feel of the music I wanted to emulate; soul-rock with a kind of bluesy-Americana feel.
What got you into music and what made you realize that it was your chosen path?
RACHEL: I can remember from an early age dreaming of singing on a stage. I was (and still am) a pretty shy individual but the moment I am on stage I just lose inhibitions and just have fun, it feels really good.
MATT: I’ve played guitar since I was 8 years old, and I had a lot of friends growing up who played instruments as well so I was always around it. That really helped peak my interest in it when I was a kid and it never stopped as I got older.
JACOB: My parents were both always huge music fans, so growing up listening to a lot of great rock music especially influenced me to follow my uncle’s lead and pick up the drums…but then I got a little bored with drums and switched to guitar.
DEREK: I started playing trumpet and bass in middle school, switched to French horn in high school, and loved it so much that I could not do anything else. Music has been the thing I go to in every situation. Bad day? Play some music to feel better. Great day? Play some music to celebrate.
SHANE: I actually took about 10 years off from playing music to do real boring adult responsibility stuff like college and jobs and what not. It sucked and I realized how much I missed it so I got back into it and it has been a blast
Tell us about your new song? And what’s the story behind it?
RACHEL: Our new song “It Ain’t Even Yours” comes from a very personal life experience for me. This song was a collaborated effort, but I originally set the tone for what I was wanting to get across.
Coming out of toxic relationships (not just romantic) has really taken a toll on my self-esteem and my ability to stand up for myself. This song is a way to harness strength to take back my life and my power. I feel a lot of people can relate to this message.
SHANE: “It Ain’t Even Yours” is the first song that we wrote and recorded with our current line up. We have some earlier recorded material that feels outdated at this point.
JACOB: I pulled out that main riff and Rachel just kind of rolled with it; coming up with a great hook, then we brought it to the rest of the guys and they filled it out musically.
What makes your music unique?
MATT: We all have our own individual style which makes it fun to collaborate and write together. Rachel is an absolute powerhouse of a vocalist though, that’s what really makes us stand out, I think.
SHANE: I think our biggest draw is our versatility, we have originals, we have covers, we have male and female vocals. We can play slow acoustic tunes, but we have some bangers as well. There is something for everyone!
RACHEL: What makes our music unique is the blending of several different musical backgrounds and interests that creates the sound that we have. I love how our musical styles have evolved and melded together over the past two years.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
RACHEL: We have a bluesy-rock vibe to our music with a modern edge. Often soulful with a swirl of familiar back-home, country feels.
MATT: We’re a bit of a blend of rock, blues and country.
JACOB: If we had to boil it down to one term, we could probably be called “roots rock”.
Do you play any instruments? And why do you love it?
JACOB: I play the guitar and can pull off simple bass and piano/keys work. I love playing guitar because it’s a little more portable than drums! That, and it allows so much freedom for writing.
MATT: I play guitar, I have since I was 8 years old. Honestly, for me, it’s always been a bit of an escape and a way to relax. Add to that the ability to write and play with other extremely talented musicians and that makes it even better.
RACHEL: I learned to play guitar in high-school originally just to have something to accompany my singing. I never really learned anything more than basic chords, and now that I have my husband and the band, I enjoy not having to play so that I can just have fun singing.
DEREK: Bass, French Horn, Trumpet, Guitar. I love being able to express my ideas and emotions through music when words can’t do them justice.
SHANE: I play drums
How is your creative process when recording music?
MATT: We always have an idea of what we want to do when we go in to record, but honestly it always changes as we go.
You get the base of it down then start to talk things over and say “what could we add here or what would sound best here?” It always changes.
JACOB: A lot of it is really realizing, I think, that some ideas you have come up with may or may not sound right once they’re recorded but realizing that this just forces you to be more creative and actually leads to a much more rewarding experience and satisfying end product.
What makes a good recording session?
MATT: Honestly, any recording session is good to me. I love hearing an idea come to life and seeing all the pieces come together.
RACHEL: A good recording session for me is when I can loosen up and not worry about the specific part but be able to just feel the music. Sometimes I surprise myself with what comes out when the nerves are gone!
Who are your biggest musical influences?
JACOB: Some of my biggest musical influences would have to be Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Supertramp, and The (Tom Johnston-era) Doobie Brothers.
RACHEL: I remember feeling very inspired by Shania Twain, Celine Dion, and The Cranberries when I was really young, as I got older I found inspiration in artists like Tracy Chapman, Adele, Grace Potter and Beth Hart. I really enjoy a strong, unique female lead vocal. Beth Hart’s vibrato kills me! Love it.
MATT: Personally, people like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, and Lindsey Buckingham are a few of my biggest influences.
SHANE: Dave Grohl
DEREK: Flea (Bass), Dennis Brain (Horn), Hermann Baumann (Horn), Victor Wooten (Bass).
Any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
MATT: Too many to list.
RACHEL: I don’t really have any specific bands in mind that I can think of to collaborate with, but I’m very excited at the prospect of finding those musical soul mates, so to speak, that we can just create with.
JACOB: I know they’re a bit old school, but I would absolutely love to jam with The Doobie Brothers or Mark Knopfler.
Which is the best moment in the musical career that you’re most proud of?
MATT: Personally, it was when I was able to see our music end up on places like iTunes and Spotify. That was a big moment for all of us seeing all that work start to pay off.
SHANE: In Lone Caravan, I would have to say at one of our earlier shows when we played at a brewery and had 3 encores. We were legitimately out of material and while embarrassing at the time we played songs again that we had already played, the crowd was drunk and didn’t care they just wanted us to keep playing. That was a fun show.
RACHEL: There are two instances that stick out in my mind. The first was when I was playing open mic nights by myself back in 2013-14 and was invited to be a featured singer-songwriter for She Rocks- Wisconsin. It was an honor to be among so many talented female musicians.
It humbled me, realizing I was so inexperienced and it gave me such valuable insight into the music world. I learned a lot. Secondly, I was quite proud when Laura Nowe from 88.1 WYCE invited Lone Caravan on the Open Mic segment. I am proud of our band and can’t wait for whats next!
DEREK: I have 2. Earning my MM in Horn Performance, and performing on a concert tour in Europe.
How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?
RACHEL: Balancing music with everyday obligations can be tough, especially with 5 adult members in the band who all have lives and jobs and obligations of their own.
We try to set aside a day each week to practice. Most of the time we have a pretty regular practice schedule which is really nice. Since we are all friends we do a lot of things together outside of the band as well, which is nice to step away from the “work” sometimes to just have fun together.
MATT: It’s difficult at times because we all have very different schedules, especially for work.
Personally, I travel a lot for work so that makes things really difficult at times. But everyone else is pretty understanding so I’m thankful for that.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
MATT: Enjoy yourself and the people who listen to your music and come to see your shows will enjoy themselves too.
RACHEL: My biggest piece of advice to aspiring musicians it to JUST DO IT. It is so easy to let stage fright and nerves cripple you and get in your way but really, just do it. The more you play, the easier it gets.
DEREK: If you truly love making music, stick with it. It will be very hard and sometimes will feel like you will never progress, but you will. Stick it out, and you will receive the best payoff you have ever had.
SHANE: DON’T TAKE 10 YEARS OFF!
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
MATT: Thank you for all the support thus far! Everyone who has repeatedly come out to our shows, shared all our news online and helped spread the word about us. We couldn’t do anything without that support.
DEREK: Thank you for all of your support! Without you, we would just be a group of people making noise.
JACOB: Thank you all so much for the support so far and stay tuned!
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects or tours?
JACOB: Right now we’re working on a full length album with producer/engineer Nick Scott (I See Stars, September Mourning, First To Eleven).
It’s been a bit of a slow process to get going, but we’re plugging away at it and hope to have it done sometime in the fall or winter.
SHANE: That’s why we made sure to get “It Ain’t Even Yours” out now to generate some interest!
