‘Catch of the Day’ – Brothers Osborne – “21 Summer” [AUDIO]

Today the focus is on a pair of brothers from a small fishing town in Maryland, who grew up with jam sessions in the garage of their family home, influencing them with the sounds of George Jones, Bob Seger and Hank Jr.

As you can imagine, life in a small, coastal town like Deale, Maryland was dominate by blue-collar people who made their living off of the sea. But when the weekend rolled around, many of those blue-collars wound up at the home of TJ and John Osborne, music of all sorts filling the air. It was in these sessions that the Brothers Osborne strummed their first chords. It quickly became obvious that TJ was the singer, with a baritone voice reminiscent of Johnny Cash and a range capable of sliding comfortably from country to rock. John, the older brother, was the guitar man, easily picking out bluegrass, country, rock and everything in between.

It was this unique atmosphere that led to the Osborne's unique approach to the music they make, bridging the gap between mainstream and alternative country music. Big brother John calls it a "old-school rock and roll" approach, citing influences like Aerosmith and the Allman Brothers. That unique approach is what led them into the top-25 with their first single "Rum" and all the way to #1 with their second, "Stay A Little Longer". "Rum" was not the "beach" song that the title infers. Instead, according to John, the song is a tribute to simple pleasures that their Maryland hometown offers: friends, good weather, and the occasional drink. They even filmed the song’s music video in Deale, filling the clip with footage of friends, relatives.

“Most people we grew up with don’t go to these beautiful beaches. They can’t afford to do it. They don’t have the time for it. What we’re most familiar with is people going to the local bars and hanging out with each other.”...TJ Osborne

 

“ We tried to have the biggest time possible with what little we had. ‘Rum’ explains that.” The brothers agree, “We had to say it from our own perspective.”...John Osborne

The theme that runs through the brothers debut album, Pawn Shop, is one of appreciating what you've got. The album runs the gambit of their influences, including a duet with Lee Ann Womack on "Loving Me Back". Today our spotlight falls on the third single from the album sends you back to summers on the Atlantic Coast. The Brothers Osborne and "21 Summer" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.