LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice
Upbeat and full of life lessons!
Hi Blake and Yeekeng, welcome to LA Music Review! Tell us a little bit about you and your music?
We are Blake & Yeekeng, a country duo from the Midwest (Wisconsin specifically)….
Blake has been writing and recording songs his whole life spanning from a wanna be Paramore band, hardcore, to now mostly country/bluegrass music. Yeekeng is an experienced studio producer and musician who’s worked in a professional studio setting since graduating college. Our blend of artistry and technical ability offers a unique take on the new country music revival started by such artists as Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers.
Congrats on the release! What was your inspiration when you were writing this project?
Released August 18, 2023. ‘If This Is Death’ was a song I wrote about that time period in all of our lives when you start to make decisions that will affect you for years to come and coming to terms with the fact that things might not have gone the way you saw them going when you were younger, but being content and satisfied with every day.
The reoccurring lyric in the song is ‘if this is death, then I’ll take it happily’ which sort of points at learning to love yourself and your life in the present moment.
What lessons would you like to impart with your audience?
This song is written from the perspective of a young adult in rural Wisconsin, but I really think the message rings true for whoever you are and wherever you come from.
I would venture to say that none of our lives have gone exactly according to plan, and I think it’s important to focus on the good, and the present, rather than focus on what ‘could have been’ or ‘should have been’.
Start streaming “If This Is Death” here:
What is your favorite part of this body of work?
Our favorite part of this track I would saw would be the studio time we got to spend with some extremely talented artists. Chris Wagoner (a Madison native and fiddle legend) was gracious enough to offer his skills on this track as well as the lovely voice of Celeste Rose, another Wisconsin native. We worked so hard getting the mix perfect and we’re extremely proud of it.
Future releases? Upcoming events?
Blake is on the cusp of being a father, so there will be more music in the future… just maybe not quite right away.
Connect with Blake and Yeekeng:
