When you first see the well-groomed, classy young man pull up to a venue in a mini van, with his beautiful wife of three years and his cuter-than-life young toddler in tow, you might not embrace the full extent of Owen Pye. But observe just a little while longer and you'll experience the honest, raw and passionate sounds he so effortlessly creates.
In 2011, Owen released a full length entitled, The Truth About Man. The record is a collection of songs meant to share his world with yours. He won the AgapeFest Battle of the Bands in 2011, showcased at South by Southwest and toured with both Nick Flora and Dear Future. He signed with SloSpeak in November, marking a new milestone in his career. "I now have support from people that care about me and what I'm doing, AND know what the heck they are talking about. I'm so looking forward to working with guys like Davy [Baysinger]. Everyone I've met in the SloSpeak community, when I talk to them, seems to be getting it right," Owen comments.
With the backing of the label and its artist development program, he plans to have 12 new songs ready to bring to the studio in March. "I suspect soon after the release of that magical record, there will be more tour dates than I can count," he hopes. "And I suspect that if someone is reading this, I will eventually get to shake their hand and say,'sup'."
This didn't all happen overnight though – Owen took quite the journey to get here. First he had to start playing music with the neighbor kid, play in a band called Cat, Jump! (You know, what you tell your cat to do when it's not jumping…). After high school he started playing solo gig and then formed Owen Pye & The Sunday School Band. After those members slowly dispersed to various parts of the country, Owen continued pursuing his art as a soloist – occasionally having up to six people on stage during shows, but touring with only himself and a guitar.
As far as writing goes, he takes elements from his surroundings, friends, family, bad habits, articles he reads and sermons he hears – and combines them all to create relevant songs. And he of course never forgets to ask his wife's input. "She isn't a songwriter, but she's smart, likes good music and is really honest. So if it sucks, she'll tell me and then I'll probably go write a song about how sad I am that she didn't like the first song," Owen reveals.
So until you see Owen on tour and have the opportunity to exchange a slight head nod and a "sup," stay updated on everything Owen Pye via his Facebook and Twitter pages. Share some laughs, post some photos, make some retweets. Basically, he really wants to be your friend and if you listen to his music along the way, that makes it that much better.
