RV couple travels to play original music

Shane+and+Emily+travel+in+their+RV+to+perform+at+various+places+together.+

Courtesy of shaneandemilymusic.com

Shane and Emily travel in their RV to perform at various places together.

Bryce Jungquist, Staff Reporter

Yellow lines, asphalt and passing cars. Highways are full of people who are en route to some destination. Many commute to work every day but few people live year round in a RV and perform at different locations.

Campus Activities has invited folk, pop and acoustic duo Shane and Emily to perform on campus. The event is takes place in the SURC Pit on Feb. 15., admission is free, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Shane Anderson and Emily Peterson are a young married couple who make up the duo Shane and Emily. The two travel in a RV. Peterson said they’re on the road for the complete school year.

“We’re gone from the beginning of February until the end of May during the spring,” she said. “Then in the fall, will usually leave mid-August and then come back to Florida in December.”

Anderson said traveling in a RV became an idea for them because Anderson was sick of paying rent at a place he hardly visited and because of a RV couple by the name of ‘Gone with the Wynss.’

“And they’re just an RV couple that travel all over. They actually live in a sailboat now, but I followed them when they were doing the RV thing. It was so incredible, I couldn’t believe you could bring your house and your cats with you wherever you went. It was such a cool idea to me,” Anderson said.

Peterson said this is their career and they don’t have any other incomes. Peterson said they play mainly restaurants, colleges and occasionally house shows.

Anderson said the impact they make with college students they perform in front of is incredible. Each college is diverse. He said when they do Florida gigs, they’re performing for people who are similar in age and grew up with parallel influences.

Anderson said with college students now, there are various influences and music for someone to enjoy. He said each person they meet is unique. Anderson said when college students find the duo on social media, the couple sees them liking and commenting on their posts. He said they reply each time and it’s like they’re building a lasting connection with everyone they encounter.

Peterson said she loves the duo’s concentration on bringing a positive atmosphere to schools. She said it’s specifically important because of knowing the stresses of college. Peterson said performers can often have an attitude of not being approachable and the duo see themselves as the opposite.

“We’re not going to sing a bunch of depressing songs or be weird or act like we’re too cool. We love meeting people and hanging out with them and so I don’t know I feel like that’s got to have an impact on somebody,” Peterson said.

Peterson said their genre of music is a mix of folk but couldn’t figure out a description. Anderson said if he was going to describe it between artists, there would be three to name. He said even though Coldplay is his favorite band, they have a ton of ambient sounds and positivity in their music as well.

“Mixed with a Lumineers type feel because it also has the folk music mixed with it. And then Civil Wars because we’re a guy-girl duo. Kind of automatically get thrown into that category,” Anderson said.

Anderson said they will be performing original music and their favorite covers at CWU. Chris Martin, a special events coordinator at CWU Campus Activities, said students are going to receive a relaxed and almost homework-style type event with Shane and Emily. Martin said this is because Campus Activities occasionally will do these types of shows and the act turns into a performance.

Martin said the duo is friendly and their music is great. He said Campus Activities is wishing to bring more bands to CWU.

“We have the open mic night every two weeks. Where we’re at right now is we want to try to fill the weeks in between the open mics.” Martin said.