Looking into the inspirations and personalities behind the music of Southern Illinois Band Muddy Creek & Co.
the world of y'allternative
What do you get when you mix country/folk and alt-rock music together? Well, you get Y’All + Alternative = Y’Allternative music. Y’Allternative is a fairly new genre rising in popularity in the music world. The genre is upbeat and energetic, while also keeping a folksy country vibe with its soul and lyrics.
Southern Illinois band Muddy Creek & Co. puts this music genre on an entirely different level. Parker Fyffe (lead vocals and acoustic/electric guitar), Ian Kemper (bass guitarist and vocals), Wes Marvel (lead guitar with slide and electric), and Steve Radcliffe (drums and percussion) are the soul and heart of Muddy Creek & Co. The band’s latest album, In Front of God and Nobody, challenges the expressive style of Y’Allternative, Americana, and rock by taking you through an impressive passage of emotions.
Muddy Creek & Co. have showcased Y’Allternative at a variety of different concert venues, weddings, festivals, and other areas. The band’s music revolves around positivity and healing. The lyrics are touchingly personal with a folk/alt-rock twist, and the music makes you feel like you’re sitting out on your porch listening to the cicadas on a nice summer evening.
With another album in the works, Muddy Creek & Co. is reaching new goals and grounding its hopeful and honest sound. The story of how Muddy Creek & Co. started, though, marked a change in lead singer Fyffe’s life and set him off toward a challenging adventure of growth and
healing.
the story of muddy creek & co.
At first, Fyffe did not plan for Muddy Creek & Co. to turn into a band.
“I had a batch of songs that came to me within a short period of time due to a challenging time in my life [...] as I'm going through the challenging period, the songs were coming to me daily or weekly," Fyffe said. "The album was written, recorded, and almost completely done before naming the band. It wasn't intended to be a band, [but] rather a studio project/outlet for this southern driven sound that was coming from these songs.”
As the passion project transformed into a band in March 2022, the four-member group was motivated to see, hear, and perform their music live. The band has performed multiple times locally around the vicinity of Lawrenceville, IL.
“The shows honestly have all gone insanely well, the nature of the band and the way that it was formed seems to create an electric atmosphere when we are performing, that electricity translates to the crowds every night we're on stage.” - Parker Fyffe
Wherever Muddy Creek & Co., a fun and exciting vibe follows them.
A full production audio/video recording experience of the song "White Lies" by Muddy Creek & Co.
in front of god and nobody
In Front of God and Nobody is Muddy Creek & Co.’s debut album. The album tells the story of losing and severing ties with someone who was once close and dear to you. For Fyffe, the someone in this album was his brother.
“It’s this idea that you can lose someone without them dying, and that sucks, and it's really hard, but it's actually okay--even if it is family," Fyffe explained. "Because, at the end of the day, we can't dwell on the past or what we could've done differently but rather should focus on now and tomorrow and see how we can change the world around us for the better.”
The songs on In Front of God and Nobody, like “Deep (Thoughts),” “White Lies,” and “Pushin’ Daisys,” as well as the other seven songs, takes you on a journey of growth with Fyffe. The songs themselves feature impressive instrumentalism with a nostalgic southern and Y’Allternative core. The lyrics dip into a story where Fyffe is climbing toward hope, and all of the songs’ main messages remind you--no matter how troubling the time is--a positive light is at the end of the tunnel.
"Deep (Thoughts)" by Muddy Creek & Co. (If you click on the video, the rest of the songs from the album will follow!)
Southern Illinois roots
Muddy Creek & Co. advertise themselves as an Illinois-based band with local southern roots. Although Fyffe currently lives in southern IL, he used to live in Atlanta, GA. Fyffe mixes the Southern culture he grew up with in Georgia with his present life in Illinois.
The band did not initially begin with a Y’Allternative sound, but they adopted the genre along the way. Muddy Creek &. Co’s music encapsulates the exhilarating rush of Y’Allternative but with a unique personalized twist.
“The genre means a lot to me at this point. It's allowed a lot of internal healing, [and] it's facilitated a lot of personal growth as individuals and artists for the whole group. For us, it's about giving someone something to hold on to, something to share, and that is quite simply 'Love.’" - Parker Fyffe
The music embraces the beauty and nature of southern Illinois and the Midwest. In “Go On (Your Way),” a song from their acoustic-driven project Unwound Sessions, you can hear aspects of nature, such as the cicadas singing at the beginning and end of the song.
“Southern Illinois, especially the Shawnee national forest area, holds a lot of the same characteristics as where I was rooted in Georgia," Fyffe described. "The rocky bluffs, pine trees, [and] the air, in general, feels very much like home. The nature of southern Illinois is very inspiring, it's resilient, it's flourishing, it's wild, it's everything we try to translate through our music!”
"Go On (Your Way)" by Muddy Creek & Co.
another album is in the works
It’s official! Muddy Creek & Co. is working on another album, which will be the follow-up album to In Front of God and Nobody. The album will be titled Fighters & Lovers. Fyffe says the album is an introspective view of day-to-day life and the ultimate feeling of freedom from the aftermath of what prompted the creation of the previous album. Fighters & Lovers will have a more positive tone, happier lyrics, an uplifting vibe, and a goal to sing and play about the hopefulness of “what’s next” after being involved in a difficult situation.
“I was fortunate to come out of the situation that prompted the first album with a positive mindset, taking all the negative energy and putting it towards loving others," Fyffe said. "Our mission is to connect with people and help them feel a sense of purpose and love.”
Some songs touch on the classic 9-5 working shift, creating music, love, expressing yourself, hobbies (if you love to fish, then you’ll love this album), finding beauty in the hardworking melody of life, and embracing your inner creativity. The title track named after the album details, in Fyffe’s words, “why we do what we do.”
"It's for my fighters and lovers, sisters and brothers, and any others that breathe // I burn as hot as the summer, sisters and brothers, and any others that breathe." - Chorus of “Fighters & Lovers.”
Fyffe pairs the two albums together as they tell a story of traveling from heartbreak and abandonment to hopefulness and finding your life purpose.
On The Peppers Podcast, Muddy Creek &. Co plays three live songs toward the end of this episode--one of the songs is the unreleased “Fighters & Lovers” title track for the upcoming album!
upcoming concerts
Muddy Creek &. Co. has a list of concerts quickly approaching:
Muddy Creek & Co. will be live at Gatter Brewing Company in Palestine, IL, from 8 PM to 12 AM this Friday, May 5th for Cinco De Mayo fun! Expect tons of covers, merchandise, and room for dancing.
The band will sleep all day and party all night for four hours of live music at the Lawrenceville Elks Lodge located in Illinois, starting at 6 PM on Saturday, May 6th. The band will cover songs from the Marshall Tucker Band, the Beatles, Tom Petty, Blackberry Smoke, Whiskey Myers, Bad Company, and other classic artists/bands.
Muddy Creek & Co. is one of the several bands included in the artist lineup for the first annual ICEBOX Music Fest located in Oblong, IL. You can find out more about ICEBOX on the festival’s Facebook page.
Later in the year, Muddy Creek & Co. will play with Rabbit in Red at the Stage Lake Sara in Effingham, IL, on Saturday, October 7th at 8 PM. The two bands will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
If you want to keep up to date with Muddy Creek & Co. for future concerts, album/song releases, and other info, you can stay connected with them on their website.
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