For Eisley, blowing up the music scene is a family affair

From obscurity to stardom, the indie-pop-folk band Eisley has climbed out of its hometown of Tyler, Texas and onto the national scene. They’re on tour now with Mutemath, and it’s their first supporting tour since the release of Combinations, the follow to their 2005 debut, Room Noises.

Eisley is a family five-some, with Sherri DuPree and Stacy DuPree doing vocals, Chauntelle DuPree and Sherri on guitars, Weston DuPree on drums and Garron DuPree on bass. Stacy also plays keyboards.

Eisley’s celebrity grew between their first and second studio releases. Sherri said the recording experience changed as they gained more attention.

“This time it was way more relaxing,” Sherri said. “We were young the first time. We had done some demos. We recorded (Room Noises) in smaller studios. It didn’t feel like we were working on an album, and we did it so many different places just trying to find the right match.”

While Room Noises “just finally got done,” recording Combinations was easier, more fluid.

“We recorded in Malibu,” she said. “It was like downtown L.A. All the songs were brand new, and it was so inspiring.”

Just off a headline tour, the relatives were worn out but energetic to get another recording produced and out to their increasing following.

“It was nice because we had a lot of time off,” Sherri said. “Everyone was just in good spirits, ready to start the process over. Everyone was ready to attack it.”

And they couldn’t have asked for a better reaction to the album on the road.

“Our fans really love it,” Sherri said. “A lot of people come to the show who didn’t get the first CD, who weren’t that into it, but are getting into the new stuff.”

Working together and recording for almost 10 years, Sherri said one of the most common things people wonder is if they’ve grown tired of spending all their time with each other.

“That’s like our number one question,” she said. “None of us take ourselves seriously. We grew up really close. That’s just how it always was, and it helps. We argue and stuff, but it’s nothing serious. We have a blast.”

What’s grown out of teenagers messing around at home has remained relatively the same. The time they spend together only makes them stronger.

“As far as making band decisions, a lot of our musical tastes are the same,” she said. “It’s super nice and really rare. We’ve been really lucky.”

Sherri said all of them couldn’t imagine stopping the phenomenon they’ve created. They started out hoping to make a living through their music, and now that they’ve accomplished that, they’re going to do it as long as they have the support of their fans.

“If fans feel like they can’t connect, it’s frustrating,” she said. “You can’t put yourself out there too much. Sometime we have to pull the reins back a little bit, but we love meeting our fans, and we wouldn’t be anywhere without them.”

Contact assistant all editor Adam Griffiths at [email protected].