Quality Americana

The opening melody of “Mary, Keep the Faith” by Brent Funkhouser has a familiar melody and beautiful warmth from the fiddle.

Virginia Roots

“I grew up out in the Shenandoah Valley, which was a much more rural, pastoral kind of place out in the mountains of Virginia,” Funkhouser said. “It was quite lovely.” 

Funkhouser’s father was often picking the guitar around the house along with his brother. His parents would play the Allman Brother Band and Tom Petty on the home stereo.

“They would talk about times that they would go see these artists perform live and share stories, and all the different lore about them,” Funkhouser said. “I think that’s kind of what drew me to music initially was just hearing all these stories and being like ‘hey that’s some really cool stuff. I want to be a part of that.’”

Funkhouser started taking guitar lessons at ten years old, and began performing live while in college.

“I think the thing that set me off in the direction that I am musically now is around 2014 discovering Jason Isbell,” Funkhouser said. “That was kind of the big impetus into me getting into the Americana space.” 

He now helps students choose a career path for the local college outside of recording and performing around Virginia. The three song preview is part of Moonrise to be released later this year. It explores his various influences from Americana to classic rock.

Mary, Keep the Faith

Our Song of the Day looks at the experience of loss through the eyes of a friend. 

“The thing I just kind of realized I admired about them was that they always believed that there was something good on the other side for them,” Funkhouser said. “Even through all the hardship this person had never really given up and always tried to strive for, and experience new things and a better outcome ahead.”

Funkhouser described himself as an optimistic person, and keeps an open mind when considering faith and the nature of our existence.

Folk Alliance

The instruments are mostly played by Funkhouser at his home studio, and the standout fiddle was sent in remotely from Alice Hasen, a contact from the Folk Alliance. 

“She sent me one take of that fiddle recording and I just knew she nailed it,” Funkhouser said. 

The fiddle is really what drives this song in terms of the emotion you feel and reflections you have while listening.

Support the Artist

More information about Brent Funkhouser can be found here.

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