It’s hard to define what genre Delta Rae’s music belongs to, but it’s easy to hear their magic. The group hails from North Carolina and lacks nothing in the way of headcount; there’s six of them, three of whom are siblings. Their blue-collar roots are embedded in their sound, which combines harmony-laden Americana and soul-stirring gospel with twinges of country and pop.
After four years putting out records under Big Machine Label Group, the band announced on July 1 that they were going independent, and, at the same time, launched a Kickstarter to fund their next two albums. The news came a day after Taylor Swift aired a dramatic set of grievances about Big Machine in an online announcement of her own. (Although Swift was no longer signed with the label at the time, Big Machine still owned the rights to all of her past albums. That an industry foe of hers, Scooter Braun, had just acquired the label aggravated her long-held frustrations with the group.)
Fans of Swift quickly caught wind of Delta Rae’s campaign and began donating to it out of sympathy for the band’s decision to go independent. Two months later, Delta Rae blew past their original goal of $30,000 and ended the campaign with over $450,000 in donations. They even set a new record: Delta Rae is now the most backed indie band in Kickstarter history.
Now that they’ve caught their breaths from the fundraising spree (you can see their goosebump-inducing reactions for yourself online), Delta Rae is on the road giving everyone a taste of what’s to come in 2020. They’ll be at Deep Ellum Art Company on Oct. 25 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are only $20.
Delta Rae at Deep Ellum Art Company, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. 3200 Commerce St. $20 Tickets and more info available on Facebook.