Tap Into Indie: Justin Kemp Band

I am extremely excited to bring you the next group in our Tap Into Indie Series. The Justin Kemp Band is full of personality, talented musicians, and all around great entertainment. These artists are serious about their craft, however, they absolutely know how to have a good time and make fans smile.

As soon as I began to speak with them backstage at Alley Taps we were laughing. It actually took me a few minutes to gain my composure as we were immediately sharing fun stories and I could not stop laughing. Maybe it is the fact that I have always fit in as "one of the guys", but standing there with these talented men made me happy. They are so easy to speak to and all of them have a great sense of humor.

In addition to their personality and mounds of talent between them, they are real people with real families that encounter real life challenges. This was a special moment for them, and I was so happy to be a part of their first performance in Nashville during CMA Fest 2017. Please check out our extremely fun conversation to learn more about these fantastic artists. For now, here is part of their bio taken directly from their website. Enjoy. ~Missy

"Justin grew up in the small New Mexico town of Hobbs listening to his dad sing and play country music and watching him play bass, acoustic guitar, and piano in church on Sunday mornings. He was also heavily influenced by his very supportive aunt and uncle, Sherman and Tammy Aten of Aten Ministries, who are very successful evangelical musicians. Justin was constantly exposed to the sounds of Merle Haggard, George Jones, Keith Whitley, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Garth Brooks, and all the greats of the 70's, 80's, and 90's country music scene. By the age of 11, Justin could often be found in his room with his dad’s acoustic guitar learning to play and switch between the basic chords. He was fascinated with the instrument, and for Christmas that year, Santa delivered Justin his first acoustic guitar. His parents often joke that he picked it up and has yet to put it down..."

"...The core of the band is now comprised of Justin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, his dad David on bass guitar and backup vocals, and David’s close friend Bryan Cunningham on lead guitar and backup vocals. Justin’s twin brother Cody and younger brother Cameron both help with promoting the band and selling merchandise. Cameron majored in Music Business at SPC and hopes to take over the management of the band from David in the future. Justin’s mom, Marla, plays a key role in promoting the band and keeping up with social media, marketing, designing desirable merchandise, and keeping the boys in line. JKB, which quickly grew into Kempire Productions, LLC, is a family business that is grounded in the Kemp’s Christian faith and a strong "family first" conviction. Justin has often said that he doesn’t care if he ever becomes rich or famous; as long as he’s making a living, having fun, and doing what he loves with who he loves, that’s all that matters."