Music is Downham Market's duo's saving grace
During the lockdown music became a saving grace for When Rivers Meet, the rock and blues husband and wife musicians.
It is also their second album title which is due for release November 17 along with their new single called Testify.
Their music became popular due to their weekly livestream concerts on Saturday evenings before and during the pandemic.
Aaron and Grace Bond are originally from Downhan Market and now live in Essex and their star has been rising since their Facebook live streaming during the lockdowns.
Guitarist Aaron's musical influences include Free, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin and John Lee Hooker and their fan base has certainly gone boom boom boom during the last 18 months.
They now have almost 85,000 followers on Facebook and have massive engagement with their fans known as The Rapids.
They will shortly be supporting King King on tour starting this October and also have some gigs of their own that they are headlining.
Their 17-date headline tour will be next year in April and May and tickets are selling fast.
Aaron said: "In one way the album title was a reference to Grace, she's been my saving grace, we couldn't decide what to call the album, but music really has been our saving grace and that worked as the title."
The husband and wife team deserve their success as talented musicians and song writers who also want to continue control over their destiny and career.
Working, performing and touring together is a decisive choice to be able to spend as much time with each other as possible.
Aaron said: "To be in control of what we're doing is massive to us, when we had our day jobs we didn't like being apart and were pining for each other.
"We enjoy working together, we've been together for 17 years, so decided to work out what we could do about it. We decided to buy a VW camper van in 2019 so that we could gig anywhere and the gigs would pay for the fuel and food.
"But when we started the weekly live streams the audience just grew and grew."
Stardom and bigger gigs are most performer's dreams and the momentum has started to happen for them with Grace's soaring rock vocal on the single Testify.
Aaron said: "We never thought this dream would come true, we'd be playing gigs in pubs where people would say things like don't worry, people don't clap here. But from learning the ropes and the success from lockdown we now have some big gigs which is surreal."
Advice for musicians comes from a humble place as Aaron who understands set backs and to keep going, still regularly visits his home town of Downham visiting his parents and family and friends.
He said: "I used to play more Americana and acoustic harmonies and never really got anywhere, it wasn't true to us. It wasn't until I bought my Gibson and realised that electric riffy sound was 'it'.
"If you've got the internet the world is your oyster. Stay true to yourself and if you want it enough you can achieve anything."
The album Saving Grace is now available to pre-order.
When Rivers Meet also live stream weekly on Facebook on a Saturday night at 8pm.
Stream the album here
When Rivers Meet’s new album Saving Grace is released November 19, via the website
When River's Meet’s 17-date UK tour starts next year in April 21 with special guest Troy Redfern.
Tickets can be purchased here
