Drew and Ellie Holcomb have been married for almost 20 years and, for the most part, they have kept their musical identities separate. While Ellie began as a backup singer with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors in 2008, she launched her own successful career as a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) performer. She has won several accolades from the prestigious Gospel Music Association (GMA), including the Dove Award for New Artist of the Year (2014) and for Children’s Album of the Year (2020).
Drew and the Neighbors have received their share of praise as well. They have released 10 albums since 2005, with six of them reaching the top 40 on the Billboard Rock listings. Their 2023 record, Strangers No More, reached number one on the Americana chart, and its single “Find Your People” topped the listings for Americana Radio Singles.
While Nashville native Ellie and Memphis-born Drew seem to be quite different, they share the same family values and have managed to make it work. “It’s a classic example of opposites attract,” Ellie said over the phone from their Tennessee home. Drew waited until his wife was finished talking about the mutual respect the two had for each other before adding, “We do not feel competitive. Our differences bring us closer together.” He mentioned that this was not always the case. The 20 years together as a family unit with children brought them closer musically.
Ellie compared their situation to that of two lead actors in a play. “We realize there is space enough to mix individual and together songs,” she said. “We take turns captaining the stage and our audiences understand that it is all part of the same performance.” Drew said that they designed their live shows to involve their audiences, who are expected to be part of the community celebration. Drew commented that he was always a little nervous when performing with Ellie, because she can be a “loose cannon,” and he does not always know what she will say. The shows may have a setlist, but they are not scripted.
Drew and Ellie’s latest project, Memory Bank, is the Holcombs’ first full-length album as equals. They collaborated on writing the tracks as well as singing harmonies and duets. Many of the cuts offer stories about their past and present circumstances and the love they have for each other. Titles like “Rain or Shine,” “Never Gonna Let You Go,” and “You Drive Me Crazy” suggest their relationship is an enduring one.
“We wrote the songs while we were on tour,” Drew said. “We found ourselves stuck in the Midwest in February with nothing to do during the day, so we would go to the basement of the theaters we were playing and start to write. We had never done that before,” Ellie explained. “We create in very dissimilar ways. I am a ‘throw it against the wall’ girl and see what sticks. Drew likes to start with a plan. I start with a melody. Drew begins with a lyric.” The two were aided this time by producer Cason Cooley, who acted as a referee and cowriter.
The Holcombs have become entrepreneurs. They create, distribute, and promote their own records. “We take the risks. We get the rewards. Or suffer the losses,” Drew said. He noted how the music business has changed radically since he first started out. He emphasized the positives even as he cited the negatives. “The good thing is you can put out a record and your fans can hear it that day,” he said. “They don’t have to go to the record store and see if it’s in stock or purchase the album for just one song.” However, Drew noted that he preferred to release an album’s worth of material at once rather than drop a bunch of singles. Ellie offered a positive benefit of worldwide distribution and releasing single cuts. “Our cover of Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’ was the number one record in Germany. We have never played that county. The new technology has become the ultimate bridge builder and can reach across oceans!”
Drew and Ellie both agreed that it took them 20 years to write this album, rather than the few weeks they spent composing. They share a deep respect for each other based on the time they have spent together. They have grown to depend on each other. “He keeps the wheels on track at home when I am out touring,” Ellie said. “And he knows he can count on me to take care of things when he’s on the road.” She was referring to taking care of their children. The Holcombs also like to travel as an entire family whenever possible.
This explains the presence of the one cover song on Memory Bank, the Walk the Moon cut “Shut Up and Dance.” Drew said their kids love the song and when the adults sang it in the car, the kids would shut up and behave. He noted that the duo switched roles—he sang the woman’s part, Ellie crooned the male lyrics—as a way of having fun with the ditty. Ellie and Drew both note the importance of family feeling to the creation of music.
And by family, the Holcombs do not mean just their blood relatives. They mean everyone who travels with them, including the other musicians in the band and their assorted entourage, the people in the audience, and the society in which we all live. “The purpose of our music is to bring joy,” Ellie said. “We do this by expressing our gratitude in song.”
Hear Drew and Ellie Holcomb live at the Englert Theater in Iowa City on March 6.