Artist: Mike Oberst with Clyde Brown and Kate Wakefield
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Song: “Up on the Roof”
Album: Six Feet of Earth
Release Date: October 12, 2019
Label: Reggieville Records
In Their Words: “I think one of the greatest things about experiencing music as a kid is that some songs can take you to a different world. The best songs are the ones that can still work that magic once you’ve become an adult. ‘Up on the Roof’ was always that song for me. I used to scribble the title in notebooks over and over, so as not to forget it, and pray I would hear the opening notes of The Drifters’ iconic version on early morning drives in my mother’s car to school.
“In 2015, at a raucous show with my band, The Tillers, I chanced to meet Mr. Clyde Brown, a legendary member of The Drifters living right here in Cincinnati. I couldn’t believe it! I was starstruck, but kept it cool. Turns out that Clyde Brown is the nicest human being on the face of the Earth. He has the biggest smile and the biggest heart. We became fast friends. It is an absolute honor to get to sing this song with Clyde and to have collaborated with Kate Wakefield, from the band, Lung, on the cello accompaniment. Take a listen. Drift away!” — Mike Oberst
Photo Credit: Rachael Banks
Video Credit: Evan and Alex Hand