Turning Stones to entertain at St. Joseph Block Party and Ogden Fest
Turning Stones will bring their unique sound to the St. Joseph Block Party on July 29 and Ogden Fest on August 26.
This marks the first time the band has played either event, and lead singer Russell Hance is excited to make some new fans.
“We are very honored and excited for both events,” Hance said. “Both event parties reached out to us directly and asked us to play. So far, all of our bookings this year have been requests from others and not our own reaching out. It seems the word of mouth about Turning Stones is branching out further and further. It’s quite a blessing, and we are very grateful.”
The band has been playing together for about three years. Hance on lead vocals and guitar, is joined by Greg Jarling on backup vocals and lead guitar, Chad Jeffers on drums, and Michael Crisp on base. Crisp is the only new member from the original lineup, after taking over as base player just a few weeks ago.
Turning Stones plays a mix of covers and originals. Hance currently does the originals in acoustic styling, while Crisp gets more familiar with those songs. Once that happens, he expects the band will resume a full sound on those tunes.
With influences that range from Chris Stapleton to Jason Isbell and Blackberry Smoke along with southern rock, Hance describes the music as Dirty Americana Grunge Country.
He explains, “Dirty represents a blend of the black dirt and red dirt country genres. Americana represents more of the storytelling/singer-songwriter side. Grunge Country is because you get the best of both genres at our shows. After that… Add some southern rock!”
Hance came up with the band’s name pulling from childhood memories, saying “Turning Stones is a representation of some of my fondest memories as a child. I spent a majority of my childhood in the woods, rivers, ponds, and creek beds. Especially the creek beds of Possum Hollow, Ind., where my grandparents lived.
“I loved turning over stones in the creek to see what I could find. Snakes, turtles, crawdads… you name it. They were the treasures of my more innocent days as a kid. I think of those days often.”
Turning Stones was also the title of Hance’s first solo album. But, he hopes to one day record with the band and says working as a group offers him new perspectives on crafting songs. Ultimately, he would like to see a release on vinyl, as the format is making somewhat of a comeback in modern times.
He says the band’s hope for those who come to a show is to enjoy favorites while being introduced to new songs.
“We hope our song selection brings back fond memories of the past and inspiration for the future,” he said. “We also know that going to see your favorite artists live isn’t always in the cards, so we hope to make you feel like our performance of their songs is just as good as being there for the real thing! Lastly, we hope our originals become your new favorite songs.”
In addition to the shows in St. Joseph and Ogden, the band will make their debut at Pippa’s Pub in Champaign on August 19 and will play the Muncie Fall Festival on October 7.
