Newsome Corbitt, photos by Alyshia Marie

Playing music is what they do and they seem to love it.

Vocalist/guitarist Newsome and harmonica blower extraordinaire/mandolinist Isaac Corbitt are ecstatic that “we’re actually rolling around doing this as a job,” Newsome says, even though answering questions like “where are we going to sleep and shower, it’s kind of weird.”

The brothers say, despite some of the uncertainties that come with life on the road on a budget, cruising around the Southeast in van living the life of a traveling musician bringing good-time, Southern-flavored jams to crowds is truly a dream come true.

“We’re incredibly blessed,” Newsome says.

Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., and with family and a base of operations in Franklin, N.C., Newsome and Isaac say those two points, along with Murfreesboro, form a nice geographic triangle, an area they want to saturate with the sounds of the Corbitt Brothers.

The group performed in virtually all of the music halls and juke joints in Murfreesboro during the 2008-2010 period, including weekly stints at Willie’s Wet Spot and HandleBar.

“It blew up over there. It was packed, we were bringing in so many people to jam with us,” Isaac said.

While Murfreesboro music lovers embraced the group, the brothers wanted to travel a bit more and spread their sounds after releasing their locally-recorded, self-titled CD last year. So now Newsome, younger brother Isaac and drummer Brandon Buck are kings of the road, with an old but sturdy full-size van as their chariot (“Stand by your van”).

Isaac Corbitt

Though the idea of the band having drums in the group “was something Isaac and I always argued about,” said Newsome, but “the core band will be the 3 of us now.”

The legacy of the van actually began when Isaac was invited to open up for Blues Traveler with the last Straw in Kentucky, Newsome explained.

“We went to the show, everything was great, we met John Popper,” he said.

The next day when traveling back to Tennessee on I-65, their S-10 pickup decided to leave its back axel and spun out of control

“It was horrible; we should have died,” Newsome said. “But it came at the perfect time.
We get in this crash where no one was hurt, and get $5,000 (in insurance money for a truck that would have needed to be replaced soon anyway).

Keep it upbeat.

As much musical talent as can be found at a Corbitt Brothers performance—a wide variety of guest players are welcome on the stage with the band though from time to time—the brothers say there’s never been an official “Corbitt Brothers rehearsal;” they introduce new songs, sections and guests right in front of audiences.

For a chance “for a hollar and a swaller and to raise a little hell with the Corbitt Brothers” locally, check ’em out on Wednesday, May 25, at Bluesboro on the square; you never know who may show up to jam when the Corbitts are in town.