Raccoon Antlers has a new lead singer and a new name: Lydia Rose and the R.A. Boys.
Lydia Rose, a 2017 Park Rapids graduate, joined her brothers and dad in August.
They all sing – and play the kazoo – but John Christensen, 13, is the drummer, while Jack, 11, plays five-string bass guitar. Their father, Joe, also plays guitar. Candy, their stepmom, is the band’s manager, promoter and booking agent.
With the addition of Lydia Rose, the band’s musical style is evolving.
“We went from playing a lot of Waylon (Jennings), Willie (Nelson) – the classic country from the 70s – to a lot of current country, with a lot of classic rock,” Joe explained.
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“I’ll sing anything,” Lydia said. “There’s a lot of different genres within our music.”
The family band is also writing original music while they polish cover songs. Joe anticipates at least three new songs will be ready within the next year.
The band credits Vineyard Church for their launch. John and Jack regularly performed at church services. During a youth retreat, they played at a talent show before a crowd of 400.
Candy recalls John saying, “I know what I want to do. I want to play in front of a big crowd.”
“It just snowballed from there,” Joe said.
The newly expanded band is rehearsing regularly between school, work and tae kwon do. “Before a big gig, it’s extra hours of practice,” Candy said.
Their goal is to perform every weekend and at larger venues. They have played at bars, festivals, dances and more throughout the region.
“We’ll book for weddings, bar mitzvahs. Honestly, we’ll book for just about anything – your grandma’s surprise 90th birthday party,” Lydia said. “We just love to jam out and make music.”
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To contact Lydia Rose and the R.A. Boys, call 218-255-4266, email raccoonantlers218@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page. A website is in the works at https://lydiaroseandtheraboys.wordpress.com. They send out a quarterly newsletter.
