By Johnny Griffith
One of the many things I enjoy about getting to interview local musicians is the ability to follow them over the years and watch them perfect their craft in front of audiences around the area. One of the acts I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with has been the Darrin Morris Band. DMB is one of the hardest working bands in East Texas, constantly adding shows to their calendar and you can literally see them all over the East Texas landscape, sometimes on opposite sides of the region in the same week.
The band is anchored by Darrin Morris on vocals and consists of long-time members Jeremy Moore on drums, Blake Watson on bass, and Michael Olson on guitar; and they’ve recently added veteran guitarist Philip Griffith to the roster as well. Playing a dynamic mix of favorite country hits as well as a solid lineup of originals that consistently show up on the Texas Country Radio charts, the Darrin Morris Band is a fantastic reminder of all that is good about country music: relatable lyrics, memorable music, and an authentic delivery on stage.
I recently had a chance to catch up to Darrin at the East Texas Taco Fest in Marshall and we sat down to catch up a bit.
Johnny: It’s been about 3 years since we last talked for EGuide and you guys have had a lot going on. What have been some of the highlights since then?
Darrin: Man, so much has happened in the last 3 years it would take me forever to tell. I guess a couple of the most significant things would be releasing our latest album this past year and we had one of our songs go to number 31 on the Texas charts. That same song “Green Eyed Texas Angel” also has over a half million streams on Spotify.
Johnny: About how many shows a month are you guys averaging these days?
Darrin: I’d say we are probably averaging about 10 shows a month, so we’re blessed to be staying pretty busy right now; but we’re always on the lookout for more opportunities to get our music out there to our fans, old and new.
Johnny: What has been the most memorable gig the last couple of years?
Darrin: We’ve had the privilege to take the stage for some really awesome gigs over the last couple years. I would say one of the most fun was the Houston Rodeo two years ago. We played the after-party the same night Luke Bryan played on the main stage and the place was absolutely packed. That crowd was really amazing. Another great gig the past couple of years would be the Texas Country Music Cruise, which was a blast to do.
Johnny: Speaking of the Texas Country Music Cruise, by the time this goes to print, you’ll have just gotten back from this year’s version. Tell us a little about what that is and how excited you guys are to be in that lineup?
Darrin: The Texas Country Music Cruise is a 7 day tour of the Carribean with some of the biggest names in Texas country putting on shows each night. We’ve actually done that 2 years in a row now and just got a contract for year 3. It is definitely one of the most fun gigs we have ever been a part of and we are absolutely looking forward to next year. The lineup of musicians is always amazing, we get to play for some amazing fans, and we’re on a cruise!
Johnny: What have been the biggest challenges you and the band have dealt with since we last talked?
Darrin: There are plenty of challenges to pursuing music for a living, but honestly, at the end of the day, it’s always the same challenge for a working band: money. Most people don’t realize how much money it takes to keep a band up and running. There’s always something that needs replacing, travel expenses, equipment upgrades, and plenty of other things that always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times.
Johnny: You’ve had several singles released over the past couple of years. How has the response on Texas Country Radio been?
Darrin: Texas radio has been very good to us. To date I think we’ve released five singles and our best one so far has been “Green Eyed Texas Angel” which landed at #31. We just released our latest single “Dancing in the Rain” and have big expectations for it as well.
Johnny: Anything you’re really excited about or on the radar the rest of the year into 2020?
Darrin: We have a ton of shows lined up to round out 2019 and we’re already looking forward to 2020. We’ve got several big opportunities in the works for next year and are excited for the journey moving forward.
Johnny: What’s the next big move for you and the band? New album? Tour more outside of Texas?
Darrin: We are going to release a new set of songs after the first of the year, but we aren’t sure if it will just be an EP or a full album yet. We are definitely working on trying to tour more outside of Texas for next year but always want to leave plenty of dates available for our core fans here at home.
Johnny: Anything else on your mind before we wrap it up?
Darrin: We just want to make sure and thank everyone here in East Texas for all the support over the last few years. This is an incredible ride we’re on, but we’re really just getting started. We can’t do what we do without our amazing fans and we thank them so much for everything. We love every single one of them and hope to see them all very soon.
Follow the Darrin Morris Band at darrinmorrisband.com and facebook.com/darrinmorrisbandmusic.
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