Getting to Know: Jive Mother Mary

Jive Mother Mary, a rising southern rock band, has already made a name for themselves in North Carolina, with their popularity – and spectrum of fans – increasing every year. The four-man group, made up of Tyler Schulz, Keith Ingalls, Mason Keck and Seth Aldridge, has opened for artists like Buddy Guy, Grand Funk Railroad, Blackberry Smoke and more, all preparing them for their own success.

"We've learned stage presence, for one," Keck told PopCulture.com. "How to respond to a crowd. The cool thing about all these artists that you see is that you hear the old adage that it doesn't matter if there's two people there, or 2,000 people. But it's the truth, and that's something that these artists do. I think that's what separates a lot of them from other people is that they play their heart out either way, so. A lot of lessons to be learned from them."

Jive Mother Mary will get a chance to see some of the artists they have opened for – as well as meet some new ones – when they perform on the Southern Rock Cruise, headlined by their own musical heroes, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"The coolest part is, especially this past year, we've met a lot of the bands that will be on the cruise like The Steel Woods and Black Stone Cherry. We have some friends that are going to be on there too, so we actually will know some people, The Blackberry Smoke guys, we've met before. So it'll be cool to have people to talk to and hang out with. There's already some friendships on the cruise."

What makes Jive Mother Mary unique is not only the amazing opportunities they have already been given, but also the fact that they started when they were just teenagers.

"Well, we started when we were 14," Keck revealed. "So at the time I guess we didn't really have to worry about a job or anything. But it's been pretty much full-time. We've moved a few times. We lived in L.A. for a couple years and went to Musicians Institute ... We went to Athens, Ga. for a couple years and did it there. Then eventually just moved back towards our home area. Because it was easier to do it full-time that way. We have more connections."

Jive Mother Mary has plenty of dates on the calendar in 2019. Find a list of all of their upcoming shows by visiting their website. A limited number of cabins are still still available on the Southern Rock Cruise. Get an exclusive discount by visiting SouthernRockCruise.com.

Photo Credit: Rob Roane