By Kim Hilsenbeck

There’s a road along the Texas Gulf Coast from Surfside to Galveston called Blue Water Highway. Surfside is not far from Lake Jackson, where Greg Essington, 29, and Zack Kibodeaux, 26, grew up and attended the same high school.

It seems appropriate that the duo named their Americana musical group the Blue Water Highway Band.

One of the founders, Kibodeaux, said there is a spiritual thread running through several of the group’s songs.

“We’re not a Christian band but the music is definitely drawn from suffering and the trials we’ve had,” Kibodeaux said. “Your world view can’t help influence your writing.”

He also said it fits with the Americana genre, which can have an almost gospel influence, along with folk and rock.

The group now has four more members – Zach Landreneau, Catherine Clark, Kyle Smith and Daniel Dowling – in addition to Kibodeaux and Essington. All six are music instructors at Curious Chords Music Studio in Plum Creek.

Kibodeaux and Clark, 27, from Round Rock, majored in Opera at Texas State University and have the same vocal coach. Another band member, Dowling, also attended Texas State.

On a recent morning, four of the band members sat with the Hays Free Press — one other member was busy teaching physics in Dripping Springs, another member is taking classes — to talk about their roots and their new CD, “Things We Carry.”

Kibodeaux first met Essington when the latter sang for a choir class.

“Greg came into our school choir when I was a freshman. He sang and played ‘Piano Man,’ including harmonica,” Kibodeaux said.

He was wowed on the spot.

“Are you serious? This can be done by a human? It’s not just on TV?” he recalled asking himself. “I want to do that.”

That spark put the two on the road to where they are now. Along the way, the duo evolved into a six-member band.

This Friday, the Blue Water Highway Band, which came to be about two years ago, releases its first full-length album, “Things We Carry.”

As the title track, the musicians said it ties everything on the album together.

“Every song [on the album] deals with emotions and struggles people carry around,” Kibodeaux said.

Is it like the baggage we all carry?

“Sure,” he said. “It’s about how that comes out, in sadness and joy.”

He pointed out that the music isn’t all just one kind of sound. Kibodeaux wrote the majority of the tracks and said they all deal with personal things.

“But it’s not a sad album or a breakup album,” he said. “All of the tunes sound different.”

The group also recently released its first music video for their song “Medicine Man,” also on “Things We Carry.”

Several band members are multi-musical, playing two or more different instruments. Essington, for example, plays guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica and accordion. The second Zach (Landreneau), 35, nicknamed Deuce within the band, plays bass guitar and piano. He is the newest blue water member.

Landreneau said his parents realized early on he wasn’t in to sports.

“He’s not going to be a jock, let’s go ahead and put him in piano lessons,” he said of his parents’ decision to get him into music.

For a time he lived and played music in New York City, but made his way back to Texas a few years ago. His sister lives in Kyle and he found a job listing for Curious Chords.

That’s when he first heard Blue Water Highway play. He was wowed.

“I waited for the right time to ask, ‘If you ever need a sub, I’d be interested.’ Eventually they booked this big fundraiser in Lake Jackson,” he said.

Kibodeaux said it was impressive how fast Landreneau got up to speed on their music.

“He straight up learned all of our songs ever,” he said.

Landreneau has been with the band about a year.

Essington also went to the Big Apple where he attended NYU. One of the tracks on the new album mentions a subway stop on a route he rode regularly.

Where do the songs on the new album come from, in terms of their meaning?

“A lot of the songs are coming from a place of … when you get really, really down about one thing or another, how do you dig your way out of that? Where do you find joy?”Kibodeaux said. “The album deals with myself or Greg telling somebody’s story.”

Clark added that people can relate to the music.

“Even though I didn’t write it, it’s vague enough you can identify with it. You can apply your own struggle,” she said.

CD Release

Blue Water Highway Band releases its first full length album Feb. 20. That same night, the group will perform at 7 p.m. at the Hays CISD Performing Arts Center. Tickets will be availlable at the door.