Finding Butterflies

Not only do they write the songs, but they  sing, play the instruments, and record the music themselves.  Thus, the music of Finding Butterflies comes straight from the roots of the duo’s diverse influences, and then fuses into a singular and truly inventive sound.  Instrumentation for the group includes that of guitars, mandolin, piano, strings, Irish whistles and flute, as well as bass and drums.  Choir like harmonies energize the vocal sound.

Musically, the rock and classical worlds hold the most sway over the pair, but a love of folk melodies especially those of Celtic traditions has also found its way into the heart of their music.  As one who simply “loves words”, and the subtext words hold, Lisa takes great care in writing lyrics that will intricately combine with a melody to expose the story told by each song. In fact, according to Lisa, the chordal changes, melody, and lyrics most often present themselves simultaneously,.  Lisa likes to quote the thoughts of Albert Camus in saying that, “we, as beings who reason and feel, were meant to breathe life into the stories we are given, and really, the songs we write simply tell a story.”  “All of the songs are about someone’s becoming.”  Consequently, each song is about a metamorphosis, and therein, one can discover a metaphor for what drives Finding Butterflies. From Don’s days as guitarist and vocalist for Third Stone to Lisa’s more traditional education in the classical world, the pair has shared significant success both there as well as with Zao, a group who earned both local and regional popularity with their high energy rock shows.  As members of Zao, the pair “cut their songwriting chops” with such fan favorites as Unsung Hero, Fire, and Lost Without You, and then went on to write and perform acoustic favorites such as There Will Be Change, One More Time, and Edges.  Lisa also enjoyed success conducting and arranging for the North Little Rock High School Jazz Band, while Don traversed into the world of audio and recording technology to garner experience which now enables the pair’s innovative music. Indeed, these varied experiences as well as the duo’s extensive travels in North America and Europe have influenced the pair as they have become Finding Butterflies.