Dark Water Rising was described by the Indy Week’s Sylvia Pfeiffenberger as “Native Americans who piece together Southern rock full of gospel harmonies, hip-hop inflections and Motown soul with a journeyman work ethic. With bold songwriting and bewitching arrangements, DWR breaks rules effortlessly.” The band has performed up and down the East Coast and has garnered considerable radio airplay, including appearances on NPR’s The Story with Dick Gordon and The State of Things with Frank Stasio, and they earned a Native American Music Award for “Debut Duo or Group of the Year” in 2010. This year, they have been nominated for three categories for the 2014 Native American Music Awards: their second album, Grace and Grit: Chapter 1, has been nominated for Best Pop Recording and Best Gospel/Inspirational Recording, and the band is also nominated for Group of the Year.
Dark Water Rising is comprised of powerhouse artists Charly Lowry (vocals/rhythm guitar/percussion), Aaron Locklear (keys/guitar/drums), Corey Locklear (lead guitar), Tony Murnahan (bass) and Emily Musolino (vocals/lead guitar/bass). The band attributes their style of playing and singing to a combination of influences, which range from attending Sunday morning worship services to absorbing the diverse styles and tones of artists like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, the BeeGees, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They describe their sound as “rocky soul,” and their music explores various themes of life — love, heartbreak, sacrifice, celebration, despair, pain — all while expressing and evoking sincere emotion on issues affecting contemporary Native American communities.