February Spotlight: Jeremy & Lynne – Homegrown, Grounded, & Tenacious

All this month, Music Connection Dayton is proud to spotlight the Singer- Songwriter duo of Jeremy Siegrist & Lynne Baker. Since 2012, these long-time friends from the small town of Minster, OH have been writing songs about life’s struggles, victories, and triumphs. Together, the pair embodies a “never give up” mentality that has carried them through the highs & lows of the music biz!

Photo by Chris Tomlian

In March of 2015, Jeremy & Lynne released their debut album called “Drawing Blood”.

The duo drew inspiration from a number of influences for the project while placing their own fresh take on the Americana/Folk genre that has made a resurgence in recent years. Check out the title track off “Drawing Blood” below!

Shortly after the release of Drawing Blood, the duo were contacted by a music label here in Ohio about signing a deal for their next CD.

Siegrist says, “We originally were contacted by the label after getting on the front page of ReverbNation and we did that by having all of our songs previewed and rated by their international audience. One of our songs, Inside My Head, scored an 8.9 or something overall and they made contact with us via the site. Coincidentally, it was that song that won an Ohio Music Award for best folk song for 2015.”    

After some thoughtful consideration, Siegrist & Baker began negotiations with the firm. The pair traveled to Columbus to meet with a young rep from the label. Jeremy recalls,

Photo by Chris Tomlian

“It really became real when they started talking about revenue streams and what we were responsible for and whether or not they would pay for the whole thing and keep a whole bunch of the rights to each song or we would pay for some and keep some of the rights to our songs. We had to do a lot of research at that point. It boiled down to a basic 360 contract where we were in essence paying ourselves, but what they could do that we can’t do or couldn’t do at the time was reach out a lot farther and push any music we recorded with them a lot farther than what we could by ourselves.”

Photo by Chris Tomlian

The dialog between the two parties continued for several months before the pair decided it was time to pull the plug on negotiations.

“In the end it took about eight or nine months, three contract revisions and a whole lotta of phone conversations to determine that this wasn’t in the best interest for myself or our newly formed band. We decided to stop pursuing them and they us. It was a mutual decision, and there were no hard feelings on either side, although I felt really bad for their guy who spent a lot of man-hours into trying to appease us.”

The frustration and wasted months would have sent many musicians reeling or at the very least put a sour taste in their mouths, but not Jeremy & Lynne.

“I would most definitely go through the process again with the right label. Of course, there’s the sting of not actually being signed. For the better part of eight months, we had every hope and every intention of being a signed band, whatever that means. Honestly, I kind of consider it part of paying our dues and working our way through the local scene.”

Baker says the pair already has a game plan moving forward with a new EP already in the

Photo by Chris Tomlian

works.

“We are finally getting back into the studio again and are really anxious and excited to get to work on this EP. A lot of the songs going on this EP and the next album as well are about relationships and life, the ebb and flow of it, the good & the bad, and I think people can relate to them. We are planning to have the EP out by spring, and then get started on a full album to be done by the end of the year. Right now, we are just getting out there and playing shows as much as we can, finding new places to play and meeting new people.”

With that kind of persistence and determination, my money is on Jeremy & Lynne to make a BIG splash on Ohio’s music scene in the months to come!

While Jeremy & Lynne get to work on the new EP, you can grab your copy of Drawing Blood on iTunes, Amazon, or CD Baby!  You can also catch them live at a number of shows this month, including their February 12th date at one of Ohio’s newest breweries, the Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein, OH. Later this spring, be sure to catch the duo at Taffy’s in Eaton, OH for the Songwriter’s Showcase March 26th with Moriah Haven, and mark your calendars for April 15th when the full band invades Dublin Pub in Dayton!  For a complete listing of upcoming shows, visit their website today!

Check out Jeremy & Lynne’s “Liar”, to be released on the upcoming EP!