Meet Lindsay Harness of the Harness Family Band

Lindsay Harness is a vocalist with the Harness Family Band, a family-oriented bluegrass band with many faithful fans here in northern Indiana. Attending their show for the first time, I was particularly impressed with Lindsay's performance. Although everyone in the family band is exceptionally talented, Lindsay's attractive country-girl looks and vocal style gave me the impression of a future country queen in the making. Curious to know more about this young lady and her musical aspirations, Lindsay graciously granted me this interview.

Welcome, Lindsay. Considering the love of music so obvious in your family, I would assume you've been singing since you learned to talk.

"Well, you are right to assume that I've been singing since I could talk, even though I don't remember an exact age (3 or 4 years?). I'm sure my parents would tell you it's true. My dad had my sister and I singing just as soon as he could make it happen, and didn't waste any time teaching us to sing harmony as well. I remember my dad calling my grandpa (Kenny Carmichael) and having us sing harmony for him over the phone the first time we learned, because my grandpa had said before that he hoped he lived to see us be able to do it."

Can you remember the first time you sang in public?

"I would imagine that one of the first times I sang in public had to have been in church. My family's band, and my sister and I got a lot of stage time at Sunnycrest Baptist as young girls. With such a big congregation, I really believe those performances are what helped both of us to be comfortable performing in front of crowds.

It wasn't always easy to get me up on stage to sing, or anywhere for that matter. My parents and family used to have to bribe me, beg me, and do anything possible to get me to practice. A family and fan favorite for me to sing has always been "455 Rocket" but I absolutely hated to sing it. I actually remember one time, my uncle offering me money to get up on stage to sing it, as I screamed and cried. Oddly enough, it's really a fun song for me now."

You're also a college student. How do your educational and professional aspirations come together?

"As for my musical and educational aspirations, the two of them seem to interfere a lot these days. I would love nothing more than to just drop everything and pursue a career in music tomorrow. However, my parents believe (and I guess I agree) that it is important for me to get a degree first so I will have something to lean on in the future.

I also play music with Aaron Moses, a Marion, Indiana-based musician that I grew up with. We have played a few shows together in the last year, and he is currently working on his first album. I will hopefully get to do more shows this summer with him, and the band as well."

Who are some of your favorite artists? Besides your family members, of course!

"I appreciate all different types of music, though my favorite artists tend be in the rock, alt. country, or blues genre. I learned to sing from Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, and Rhonda Vincent, so of course I love those artists. But I also enjoy listening to artists like Ryan Adams, Norah Jones, and Grace Potter. I'm also a huge fan of classic rock, including Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles.

I grew up on bluegrass (from my Dad) and classic rock (from my Mom) and though I didn't always appreciate that kind of music, I love it now. I know that being exposed to good music at such a young age is what made me have this passion for music I have today.

My dad always told me when I was younger that even though I hated it, someday I would appreciate bluegrass music and the fact that he made us practice all the time. Don't ever tell him I said so, but he was right! Playing in this band with my family has been some of the best times I ever had."

My thanks to Lindsay for her help with this interview. You can find a list of the Harness Family Band's scheduled performances on their myspace page.