The Time BurnersThe two things The Time Burners always get compliments on are Becky’s singing and Travis’ guitar playing, Travis Koester explains. The husband-and-wife duo started out as high school sweethearts and have blossomed into a vintage music pair, performing their blend of rockabilly, country and roots music across the Midwest.
“We’re a mix of what we both like,” Koester explains. “Becky’s into like old ’20s music, stuff I would have thought was crazy until she got me to listen to it.”
FAQ
The Time Burners
Album Release
WHEN & WHERE — Album debuts Dec. 3; next performance 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Ramo d’Olivo in Bentonville
INFO — thetimeburners.com; album will be available through all streaming services and at live shows
The Time Burners meld those old-fashioned elements with traditional blues and rockabilly influences for a sound that is uniquely them, plus a little touch of the South, Koester says of the Ozark transplants.
“We make it sound really full for just the two of us, and we put our own spin on everything. Sometimes the kazoo gets people interested,” he demonstrates, “we’re big fans of ’50s classic country… We don’t pigeonhole [our music] with one genre. We just do what we do.”
And now what they do is an old school blues/rockabilly sound on their new album “Beck and Tall” — another mix of the two musicians, Koester points out with a smile in his voice. (Beck, for Becky’s name, and Koester is quite tall.)
“It’s an album that’s fun, yet actually means something on the songwriting side,” Koester shares of the new project. “We touch on some personal stuff; there’s a song about losing somebody. Anybody can relate to that. But we always try to make people smile. We have songs that will make people smile, tap their toes, and just have a good time.”
The Time Burners are already drawing attention for “Beck and Tall,” and it isn’t even released until Dec. 3. The project comprises some covers, a few public domain tunes (published in 1923 or earlier) and, of course, some originals by the Nebraska natives. The first single, “Little Wolf Man,” debuted earlier this year and earned the duo a spot at the largest rockabilly festival in the world: Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend in April.
— Jocelyn Murphy
jmurphy@nwadg.com
NAN What’s Up on 11/24/2019
Print Headline: ‘Beck And Tall’ Out Dec. 3