Photo by CreateWell

Channing Marie is singer and collaborating songwriter with the folky foursome that call themselves Lake and Lyndale. The band just released a new single “Still Here” and you can watch them change clothes in their fun official music video here. This latest release is their third single since moving to Music City and carries a timely message that resonates with the current struggle we face. Lake and Lyndale’s fresh sound is sure to find its way on both Country and Americana playlists.

Here’s what Channing had to say about the positive inspiration for the song: “We’ve been doing the music thing for a long time now and “Still Here” was a reflection of that. We’re still here, we still love it, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

Of course, there are no tour dates on L&L’s calendar but like many they’ve been streaming some stuff at their Facebook page. Thanks, Channing for visiting with 11 Questions and look forward to seeing you and the band in the brighter days to come.  For a taste of the band live, here they are at WMOT’s “Finally Friday’s.”

Where are you from originally, when did you move to Nashville and why?

I (Channing Marie) am originally from Assumption, IL. Tyler Kloewer (drummer) is from Defiance, IA, Jonathan Krentz (guitar) is from Watertown, MN, and Eric Clifford (bass) is from St. Paul, MN. The four of us met in college in St. Paul where we started playing music together. We toured the Midwest for several years, while making frequent trips to Nashville. Nashville just has so much magic to it. I would leave feeling inspired, wanting to work harder. It also felt like somewhere I could call home. We ended up making the move together a little over two years ago and couldn’t be happier.

What are the first and the last records you bought, and where did you buy them? Were they CD, vinyl or digital?
Honestly, the first CD I probably ever bought was the Spice Girls’ CD. My friends and I were obsessed. I spent many hours of my childhood making up dances and pretending I was “Sporty Spice.” Ha! The last album I bought (digital) was Caitlyn Smith’s new record, Supernova, which is an amazing record.

First and last live concerts that you’ve seen?
I believe the first live concert I ever went to was The Oak Ridge Boys with my parents and grandparents. To this day, the first thing my Dad does on Christmas morning is put on their Christmas record. The last concert I went to was Brandi Carlile at the Ryman Auditorium right before everything shut down. I’ve got to say it was the best concert I’ve been to. She is incredible and to be able to see her show at my dream venue was pretty special. That concert is going to be a hard one to beat.

Whose star should be added to the Music City Walk of Fame?
I’m a huge Kacey Musgraves fan. I fell in love with her music instantly, and I have so much respect for her as a songwriter and artist. She didn’t play into “the game” that comes with a lot of careers in this industry. She has stayed true to herself, and you can hear that in her records. She’s got my vote.

Where do you go in Nashville for coffee and pizza?
Mmmmm, I drink way too much coffee! I have found several places that I really enjoy, but I’d say Just Love Coffee Cafe, Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, and Bongo East are at the top of that list. As far as pizza goes, you can’t go wrong with Five Points Pizza.

What’s your favorite record to ever come out of Nashville?
Of course, there are so many classic records that have come out of Nashville, but a few ones that were released in my lifetime that have had a huge impact on me are  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand, Kings of Leon’s Only by the Night, and Chris Stapleton’s Traveller.

Where’s the best place to eat late night after a show?
Our post show hangout spot is Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge. We love the atmosphere there, great hang, great drinks, and as far as food goes, they have tacos there that are always spot on.

The Bluebird calls and asks you to host an “In the Round.” Pick three local songwriters to join you.
Whew! This is tough. I’ll just go big here and say if I could convince Will Hoge to come join the round with us, that would be a dream come true. We are such huge fans of him and his music. I would also ask Kayley Hill and Graham Bramblett, both amazingly talented songwriters here in Nashville.

What are your favorite music venues to play in town?
We had the opportunity to play at 3rd & Lindsley back in January and that was a highlight for us and hope to do that again. I mentioned this earlier, but the Ryman Auditorium is a dream venue of mine, and, we would love to get the chance to play there one day.

Name a musician who you’d like to see move here?
Zachary Scanlan. He’s a phenomenal fiddle and keys player who we played with for several years in MN. Honestly, we tried really hard to get him to move down with us and to this day, we call him up every couple of weeks and say, “You ready to move yet?” It’s gonna happen one of these days. 🙂

Finally, what’s in your musical future?
That has been a pretty tough question as of late. It’s hard to say what the next year will look like with everything that has gone on. But we are grateful to be getting some shows put back on the books. We know touring schedules aren’t going to be normal for a while, but we hope to start touring again in the near future. We did have the opportunity to write a lot of new material over the past few months, so we are hoping to start working on a full-length record in the near future.