- Bryon Harris
Flat River Band - Exclusive Interview
Flat River Band is a music trio of siblings. The three brothers are Andy, Dennijo, and Chad Sitze. They have opened for the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines, Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, and TG Sheppard, among others. The brothers have also charted #1 hits on the bluegrass gospel charts.
What got you into music?
Our Grandparents...use to take us to music festivals when we were real young
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
I love the idea of the writing a song and then working it up with my brothers vocally then instrumentally and then proceeding to the studio.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
After recording many albums with our family band ...its like walking and chewing gum. Artistically speaking it would be compared to watching Bob Ross paint pine trees on the horizon and whispering magical affirmations.
As a songwriter or musician, are there any obstacles you have had to overcome or obstacles that you are facing right now in your career?
The biggest obstacle is ourselves...everyday is a journey!
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
Chris Stapleton seems to be authentic..his raw sound pierces the heart. Lauren Daigle and Zac Williams have some powerful uplifting songs out that we're drawn to.
To date, what do you think your best song is? Can you describe the song for us?
In Another World we actually co-wrote the song with John Scott Sherrill. It has a R &B feel to it...and we wrote the song around our vocals
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
Yes we are currently working on a couple different collections. Some new cover songs and some old originals that we have revised.
Tell us where fans can access your music?
Visit our website. Connect on Facebook.
More information on Flat River Band
The Flat River Band have had their songs featured in the 2018 movie “The Least of These — A Christmas Story” featuring Duane Allen (Oak Ridge Boys), Deborah Allen, and Tayla Lynn (Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter).
The band's new album is Every Dog Has Its Day. Aaron McDaris, who plays with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, was brought into play banjo, and much to the brothers’ surprise, he brought with him his 1934 Gibson RB-3 that was owned by Sonny Osborne who recorded the University of Tennessee’s theme song “Rocky Top” with that same banjo in 1967. One of Dennijo’s guitar superheroes, Johnny Hiland who is legally blind was brought in to play the electric guitar, while Stuart Duncan played fiddle. Nashville’s top tune-smiths are also on the disc, such as “In Another World,” a co-write with the highly respected John Scott Sherrill (“Some Fools Never Learn,” “The Church On Cumberland Road.”). Telling stories – whether it be that of John or their own – is what the Flat River Band is all about.