Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Decker
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Oak Hill Drifters’ current iteration was formed in 2014, which includes Rachel Decker, Craig Roy, George Dimitrov and Tom Pearce. Our collective resumes include work with The HoneyBees (Chicago), Nick Curran, Hindu Cowboys and Rocket-88 (Orlando).
We have three releases – in late 2022, we released a five song EP titled “The Iris Sessions.” It was produced by Billy Chapin, whose accolades include recordings with Edwin McCain, Sister Hazel and Don Henley. The release received critical acclaim both within the United States and abroad. The EP debuted at #26 on the Relix/jambands.com radio charts. The EP also climbed to #88 on the AMA Americana Albums chart and remained in the top 125 for multiple months in 2023.
We spend most of our time at this point in Central Florida. However, we’ve toured throughout the US, traveling and playing in places like Alaska, Las Vegas and Nashville, and South Carolina all the way to upstate New York. We’ve been fortunate enough to get to participate in some really great festivals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s never a completely smooth road, but we’ve been playing together for over ten years now and we all know each other pretty well. I personally feel very lucky to get to play music with these fellas, who are not only incredibly talented but also genuinely nice people. We all get along. George and I get along so well, in fact, we actually got married a little over three years ago. We get to play a lot of music together, both with the band and with our duo, Rachel and George.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We really try to pay homage to the roots of country and rock and roll. Music from the 40s-60s that led into modern sounds – everything from Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb to Fats Domino, Jimmy Reed and Elsie Carlisle. Throw in an occasional 1930s gypsy jazz song or a Hüsker Dü ripper and we cover a lot of ground but we do it with our style. Even if you think that’s not your bag, I think you’ll find something in our set that is!
We imbue our original tunes with our own flavor, as well. As an example, our first single, “Carpe Dame’, off our latest EP (The Iris Sessions) is highly influenced by the western soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone. George, our lead guitarist, grew up in Bulgaria and learned English by listening to The Beatles, Pink Floyd and watching spaghetti western films on Bulgarian television. All of our histories come into play, as they do for any artist.
A more succinct description might be “Original Americana with Heavy Country Gravy”. We play with a lot of energy, and we honestly believe that every show deserves the best of us, no matter where we’re playing. Dive bars to big fancy stages, we give it our all.
Come see us sometime and let us know if that’s an accurate description!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
We’re not from Oak Hill, Florida! Or Oak Hill, anywhere…our name comes from Hank Williams, Sr. He was declared deceased in the back of a Cadillac in Oak Hill, West Virginia. His first band was The Drifting Cowboys. Put it all together and there you go. An homage in a name.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oakhilldrifters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakhilldrifters
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakhilldrifters
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/oakhilldrifters
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wF9ikxI8xRp5XQ95k1Pry?si=9MzIIKpfT_SGXTnlmTr1EQ
Image Credits
Jim Leatherman
Marshall Huggins
Cat Ridgeway
Oak Hill Drifters
