An Evening with Delta Rae

Join us on Zoom for “An Evening With Delta Rae” and hear how a band from Durham, North Carolina—including two Duke alumni brothers—got discovered, signed (twice), traveled the world and went on to become the most-funded band in Kickstarter history. The night will be full of great music and conversation, as the band gives us insight into what life looks like now as an independent band and where they hope we’re all headed next.

At its core, Delta Rae is a band of Southern storytellers. Started in a house in the woods of Durham in 2009, the band includes the Hölljes siblings—Ian ’07, Eric ’09, and Brittany—and is rounded out by close friends Liz Hopkins (vocals), Mike McKee (drums/percussion) and Grant Emerson (bass). Leaning on four-part harmonies, Delta Rae combines sonic experimentation and genre-bending melodies to explore the ins and outs of joy, loss, and hope. After spending ten years linked to traditional labels, the sextet made its march toward independence in July 2019, launching a Kickstarter to fund its next two EPs. Released in March 2020, The Light is the band’s first full-length collection in five years and is the first of two crowdfunded sister albums, with The Dark set for release in 2021.

This event would not be possible without the support of Taïna Thermidor ’09, brand manager for Delta Rae and senior manager for consumer planning at Diageo North America, who will moderate our discussion.