The Beginning of Herrick
A dynamic songwriting duo, Donna and Kerry Herrick are a classic example of why two is better than one. “Kerry and I met in junior high school on a blind date in Cheney, Washington, and we have been together ever since,” Donna explains. The couple met young, but knew early on that they had found lifelong companionship both on and off the stage. “We got married, believe me it is a long story,” Donna says jokingly. “There is a whole book in there believe me.” Both hailing from Spokane County, WA, the pair both come from musical backgrounds. “I was raised with southern gospel music and I had a lot of influences from my older siblings as far as Rock N’ Roll,” Kerry explains. “I also had a lot of country influence from my mom and my dad.”
Growing up, it was apparent that Donna was a talented vocalist from a young age. “When I was like 4, I would sing and I sounded like Tanya Tucker, I mean the voice you hear now is pretty much the voice I had,” says Donna. “But I was very shy, it scared me to sing in front of anyone because their reactions to my voice scared me. So Kerry helped me basically, when we got together.” For Kerry who grew up surrounded by musical talent Donna’s potential was clear from the beginning. “I just heard her voice and I was surrounded by some pretty powerful vocalists in my family so I knew a good voice when I heard it,” Kerry explains. “I thought to myself ‘wow, that girl can sing!'”
New Album: Sunderland Road
Making its debut on September 10, Herrick’s newest album, Sunderland Road ,is an embodiment of classic country at its finest. “I’d like people to know that this is probably one of the most soulful albums that we have put out,” says Kerry. “Maybe it was the mood of 2020, I don’t know, but it is probably the most soulful album we have ever made.” In anticipation of the album’s release fans can sign up on the band’s website where they will receive exclusive perks, including the digital album for free. There will also be an additional grand prize giveaway for those who pre-order the album.
With vocal power, and good old fashioned country charm, Sunderland Road features co-production by GRAMMY Award-winning engineer Snake Reynolds. “We recorded this with Snake, he co-produced this with us and he co-wrote four to five tracks,” Donna explains. “We had a great time working with him and that was our first, he actually gave us a call during COVID and said ‘hey let’s work together.’ We have been friends for years but it never happened until now.”
Written during the pandemic, Sunderland Road is a departure from Herrick’s usual more uptick style. “It was written during this whole thing,” Donna explains. “I lost my mom in November, our first single ‘Some Kind of Lonesome,’ when we wrote that it didn’t mean what it means now. We’re so used to rocking out but this album is more laid back in the sense that it is more reflective with deeper writing,” Donna admits. “Every line means something in these songs, we really dug deep and got the gritty guts of it all.”
See Herrick Live
With new content coming soon there are plenty of opportunities to see Herrick perform live, either in person or online. “We do a Herrick live show every Wednesday night at eight o’clock Central Time, it has helped us keep our momentum,” says Donna. In addition to their weekly virtual appearances Herrick has the following tour dates booked for in-person venues. Admission is free for some events and tickets are on sale now for others.
Tour Schedule
- August 27- Vanh Dy’s Speakeasy- Columbia, TN
- August 28- Puckett’s Columbia- Columbia, TN
- September 11- Puckett’s Nashville- Nashville, TN
- September 17- Puckett’s Pigeon Forge- Pigeon Forge, TN
- November 12- Vanh Dy’s Speakeasy- Columbia, TN
- December 3- Vanh Dy’s Speakeasy- Columbia, TN
What’s Coming Next for Herrick?
With their upcoming album releasing in a couple of weeks, Donna and Kerry have big plans for the future. “We have a few music videos coming out,” says Donna. “We will also be releasing the album to radio, and there will be a tour to follow plus our Herrick live show, so we will be very busy.” After the release of Sunderland Road the duo are excited to perform their new content. “I am excited about doing ‘Midnight In Birmingham,'” Donna admits. “We wrote that song with Walt Aldridge and that song has always been really special to me, I can’t wait to be able to perform that live.” ‘”Old Bridges’ is gonna do a lot for us,” Kerry chimes in. “I really think it’s a great song and I can’t wait to perform that one.”
In addition to their new songs, the duo also appreciates a good cover. “We do mostly originals at our concerts but we will do a few covers,” admits Donna. “They are usually unexpected and we like to do things that no one else will touch.” From covers of Led Zeppelin assisted by the mandolin and bass, to Journey songs executed with the acoustic guitar and harmonica, Herrick likes to do covers differently. “We try to make everything an experience, just like cutting an album,” explains Kerry. “We want everyone to have that level of an experience when we are on the stage.”
More New Music
With their newest album not even out yet, Herrick is already eyeing up its next project. “When we started Sunderland Road with Snake we were talking about a double album,” Kerry explains. “We have enough material left over to do a whole second album,” Donna chimes in. “We also want to do a gospel album,” says Kerry. “We also want to finish a Christmas album that is in the works, and we have this other album coming too.”
For more information on Herrick feel free to visit their website, or follow them on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube pages.