>>Yes I try to ease your heavy load.

Maybe we could heal this broken-- >>Fro the second floor of the Orlando Public Library welcome to Melrose in the Mix, our series of live recording sessions from here at the Melrose Center.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Jim Myers.

Today's session features Evil Billie comprised of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jen Lowe, guitaris and vocalist Stephen Currence, and bassist and backing vocalist Joey Antrim.

Evil Billie is based in Wes Central Florida and has garnered a loyal following through a series of unique live shows with evocative songwriting that blends pop and Americana influences.

Before the session, we had a chance to talk to the band about those influences, how they formed, some of their memorable shows thus far, and more.

Don't expect for you to understand.

Every day I do the best that I can.

I don't expect you will lay eyes on me.

Even if you did, who knows what you'd see.

I'm a runner and a fighter.

I'm a killer and a lover.

Truth teller.

Not a liar.

I am water I am fire.

I am water I am fire.

I am fire.

I don't expect that you can see my light.

And how I love with all my might.

I don't expect you feel what I feel.

That all my fears they are real.

I'm a runner and a fighter.

I'm a killer and a lover.

Truth teller.

Not a liar.

I am water I am fire.

I am water, I am fire.

I am fire.

Don't expect you'll see my perfect storm.

Beyond the darkness there is so much more.

A different someone you could trust.

Beyond the debris and the settled dust.

I'm a runner and a fighter.

I'm a killer and a lover.

Truth teller.

Not a liar.

I am water, I am fire.

I am water, I am fire.

I am water, I am fire.

I am fire.

I am fire.

I am fire.

I am fire, fire, fire, fire, fire.

>>Received a, a gig for a New Year's Eve gig, that I did not have a band for.

And I knew people that played music.

And I said, please, dear God, please.

And, And it went really well.

>>Yeah.

>>You sound surprised.

>>No, I did.

Well I knew these two would be great.

And, So anyway, it was so much fun that afterward, said, can we do this again?

So.

>>We played that.

We played that gig.

I played drums, drumset and sang, and Joey played bass, and Steven played, acoustic guitar and sang.

And then we continued playing music together.

Steven writes, I write, and and so we've been learning each other's original music, as well as incorporating some covers that we like to play and doing our own versions of those covers.

And, then that evolved.

We're trying to figure out what would our sound be and try to figure out what we were going to sound like, which basically evolved into this configuration, which is Steven on acoustic guitar and singing, Joey on bass, sometime upright bass, sometimes a little uke bass, sometimes vocal when we get brave on and then, I play acoustic guitar and ukulele and, sing and then sometimes I'll, I'll beat on things and stuff like that.

So it's become this little I don't even know what you call it acoustic, acoustic bluegrass, country, Americana, pop band.

>>I said Im sorry and I meant it I meant it.

I know everything I did and I regret it I regret it, I know I am so far from perfect from perfect.

So every day I dig down deep and I work it cause its worth it.

Day by day I get a little better.

As they say, it's one foot and then the other.

Night by night I sleep a little tighter.

This heavy heart gets a little lighter.

Because, baby, I'm a fighter.

I gave all my love away and I spent it and spent it.

On some people who twisted it and bent till they broke it.

Said take one for the team and I gave in and I let them.

‘Cause good girls dont scream so I sat down and I shut it.

Day by day I get a little louder.

As they say it's one foot and then the other.

Night by night I sleep a little tighter.

This heavy heart gets a little lighter.

Baby, I'm a fighter.

I do my time in the mirror and I see it I see it.

I do my time with all the chatter and and I hear it and I feel it.

I let love in against my better judgement my better judgement.

Pray one day it will be worth it.

So I risk it and toss my chips in.

Day by day, I get a little softer.

As they say, it's one foot and then the other.

Night by night I sleep a little tighter.

This heavy heart gets a little lighter.

Because baby, I'm a fighter.

Baby I'm a fighter.

Thank you for having us at the Melrose Center.

Super excited to be here.

Incredibly excited to play music and work with the engineers.

Both filming and editing and then also.

And for the sound engineers.

Thank you guys so much, you work so hard.

We appreciate it.

We already feel very loved and cared for, so that's amazing.

I was here this summer, as part of something that the swamp sisters were doing.

And so I had my first, like, eye opening experience to realize al the incredible things going on.

This is not a PSA.

However, that being said, go get your library card and b a part of what's going on here at the Melrose Center.

If you are wanting to be part of videography, there's no there's opportunity for that.

You want to do 3D printing.

You can get into that world.

You want to learn how to create video games there's that.

You want to be a sound engineer, you can do that.

I mean, it's just endless.

And, it's an incredible resource for Central Florida.

Love's a tender thing.

A flower in the storm.

And I can feel the pain of what you went through before.

I promised you a better forever.

I'll do my best to put your mind at ease.

Give your soul a rest.

I try, yes I try to ease your heavy load.

Maybe we could heal this broken rose.

You're up early every morning and work way past 9.

It's no wonder you've been coming home so damn tired.

I got dinner ready holding a glass of wine.

So come home and tell me about it.

Tell you everything is fine.

So I try, yes I try to ease your heavy load.

Maybe we could heal this broken rose.

Love it when I see your eyes.

Wake up next to me.

Love it when I see your eyes light up tenderly.

And I love it when you're only wearing my ring.

So I try, yes I try to ease your heavy load.

Maybe we could heal this broken rose.

Maybe we could use this broken rose.

Maybe we could heal this broken rose.

>>It's - it's basically opposite of who we are, right?

Steven's a very gentle, soulful, kind human being.

I think I'm in that in that lane with you and also Joey and, we we're a little bit of country.

We're a little bit of pop and- >>Little bit of rock and roll.

>>A little bit of rock and roll, and so a little bit of everything.

And so the, the Billie part o it is like a little Billie goat.

So it's a little country.

We're also from Lake County, so we wanted to find something that represented that.

And then we're really not evil.

So it's kind of opposite.

And so I think it's als there's a sense of humor to it.

So you feel like, oh, Evil Billie, this must be some like death metal rock band.

And then here we are, an acoustic trio, writing very thoughtfu songs and playing acoustically.

>>I hope you remember.

The way it all went down.

That cold December when I gave you my heart.

What did you promise?

The price was too dear.

You said all things can happen if we just persevere.

But you believed in me, yeah you believed in me, yeah.

But you believed in me, yeah you believed in me, yeah.

Took off your sundress.

That warm summer night.

When did the times changed to putting away childish things?

Love that you promised came so easily.

Never forget it or the spaces in between.

But you believed in me, yeah you believed in me, yeah.

But you believed in me, yeah you believed in me, yeah.

Hope you remember the way it all went down.

>>Stephen and I started something called the songwriters in the round series.

We initially started that a Magnolia Wine Garden in Eustis, and then we moved it over to Eden Abbey in, Mount Dora.

So those are incredibly memorable.

We've had people from here in Orlando.

Jim performed with us.

Beth McKee performed with us.

And those are super memorable and very special.

And, recentl there's a group that we started.

It's called Curated Collective, and it's to support not just Lake County, but it's as far reach as we possibly can have.

And we put on some really great shows.

And Stephen is not only an accomplished musician, he also is an incredible artist.

He can draw like mind blowing drawings as well.

He's a incredible photographer.

So even if, Steven isn't involved musically with what we're doing, he's involved either make, you know, drawing a logo or coming in and shooting stills for us and, basicall being a part of the whole magic.

And as far as Joey is concerned, I mean-- >>I have no part of it is this point.

>>It's just, it's just a matter-- >>It's a matter of time.

>>It's a matter of time.

>>Yeah.

Just finding the right, right situation to drop into.

>>Yeah.

So, but, yeah, that's that's all there's, there's some really great happenings in Lake County and, encourage you guys to come over there and hang out with us.

The other really cool part o it is that it's very inviting.

So Stephen can be playing a gig, and I'll come walking up and he'll be like, come sing one with me and vice versa.

One, two, a-one two three four.

He drank caffeinated coffee and his heart started racing.

Naively I thought it was for me.

He drank beer and whiskey and his mouth started talking.

Said he would be my my destiny.

I was 22 a spinning but my world wasn't with me.

And I didn't have the confidence to see that a life's not worth living if you keep on running trying to defy gravity.

My heart breaks on both sides now.

And I wish I could tell.

The difference between being blue and not feeling so well.

I feel like hell.

I'm lost somewhere in Oz between the oceans and the sun.

Flights and seas I start to come undone There's a little bit of him in everything I do.

That it changes my mixed up point of view.

I know I can't go on like this and I know I can't go home.

So I find myself lost right inbetween the laughing and the caryin but the lonely days and crying, Determining what I might need for me.

My heart breaks on both sides now and I wish I could tell.

The difference between being blue and not feeling so well.

I feel like hell.

I stepped up to that moving train.

It was getting on down the line.

If my heart and soul could only do the same.

I spent my life with one foot out the door and the other on the mark.

Borrowed time just waitingn on a change.

My heart breaks on both sides now.

I wish I could tell the difference between being blue and not feeling so well.

My heart breaks on both sides now.

I wish I could tell.

The difference between being blue and not feeling so well.

I feel like hell.

Thank you very much.

Goodnight.

>>I think that when I perform a song solo or if we're performing as a band, what I really hope people take away is that, we meant it.

You know, there's something behind it.

It's not just gloss or it's not, chords strung together, but there's some deeper meaning that, you know, you're when you're playing cover gigs, your challenge is to keep people in seats.

And when you're playing original music, you're challenging the listener, instead of yourself.

You're challenging to for them to kind of be invited into your world and what we are all trying to say together.

So I just, I hope that there is something there that moves them really.

To ease your heavy load.

Maybe we could heal this broken rose.

>>Thanks for joining us for this episode of Melrose in the Mix featuring Evil Billie.

We'll see you again soon for another live recording session here in the Melrose Cente at the Orlando Public Library.

>>Working way past 9.

It's no wonder you been coming home.