Music Interview: The Underhill Family Orchestra

Photographed and interviewed by Matt Loveland

The Underhill Family Orchestra delivers an indie folk-rock sound steeped in a modernized rowdy Appalachian stomp. The band is made up of five musicians — Joe Grove, Steven Bryte Laney, Joelle Rosen, Benjamin Michael Cook and Roy Durand — all with diverse musical backgrounds and hailing from various parts of the South. Forming a home base in Mobile, Alabama, the band is seeking new fans and experiences across the States with a tour promoting their newly released album, Tell Me That You Love Me, which showcases what the band describes as Southern progressive pop. Drummer Roy Duran was featured in Issue 06 of Deitra Magazine with his previous band, Vagabond Swing, and contacted Editor Tamara Styer before stopping in at Front of House Lounge in downtown Springfield, Missouri. Deitra Mag's own Matt Loveland got the chance to catch up with this energetic collective to chat about their new music, performing on stage together and life on the road. 

Art Inspired Academy: Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Written by Kristen Lentz | Photographed by Matt Loveland

Back in March and April, I had an amazing opportunity to be involved in our community in such a fun and inspiring — if you will — way. The Art Inspired Academy held five weeks of classes for teenage and young adult ladies called “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” Over the span of these five weeks, girls learned how to create vision boards of fashion they love, hair and makeup tricks, wardrobing, runway walking and so much more. At the end of the classes, we held a fashion show during April’s First Friday Art Walk in Springfield, Missouri where the ladies would strut their stuff in the outfits they chose! With differing activities each week, I loved how these girls felt more and more comfortable in their own skin, as well as with each other.