Enid Musicians

Story and Photos by Sean Farmer, No One Famous Studios

Although Enid is typically seen as small industrial city, the artistic genius has found residence in spite of industry. This is probably best noted in the booming music scene in Enid, which has seen the rise of several bands and musicians that have made a strong name for themselves. Out of the wide range of talented musicians and bands, two stand near the forefront of the Enid music scene: Jordan Herrera and The Acorns.

Jordan Herrera

Jordan Herrera is one of Enid’s premier musicians. His notoriety does not stop with Enid and the surrounding areas, however. Herrera started his music career in Lawton, OK, but has since played venues and become known all across the Midwest, for his Indie Alternative Rock music, especially through his solo project: The Notes We Speak.

Herrera started playing violin when he was only three years old. When he was thirteen he tried to play the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Otherside” on the violin to little avail. Eventually, he tried on his friend’s guitar, and has been playing guitar ever since. Herrera went on to play his first show at the mall in Lawton at a local art show. Soon after, Herrera started a band called Mourning Star.

Herrera originally moved to Enid to join a band named The City and The Skyway, but has spent the last four years focusing on his solo project. While playing at “First Fridays”, a local show put on by The Felt Bird, Herrera met Riley, the owner of The Felt Bird. Riley is helping Herrera record and produce his next record, an eight track full length album.

Even though he books his own shows and has no record label backing him, Herrera has played several venues, not only in Oklahoma, but several other states as well using mostly only social networking sites and flyers as promotion. Herrera is trying to finish a total of twenty-four shows this year, including shows in Tulsa, Lawton, Oklahoma City, and Dallas. With potential tour plans in the works, Herrera wants to try to tour in Oklahoma, Texas, and along the east coast. This is only another addition to Herrera’s extensive list of accomplishments as a musician, including two separate records on both iTunes and Amazon.

All of these accomplishments are not only extraordinary as an unsigned musician, but also for the fact that Herrera is managing a music career while attending Northern Oklahoma College and working full time. Herrera is in the process of receiving his degree in Music Composition.

The Acorns

“We’re trying to blow up Enid, like DigDug.” Is how one of the members from a relatively new band, called The Acorns, described their rapid success over the last few months. Blowing up Enid is a good way to describe the band that was formed out of another of Enid’s popular bands, A Girl Named Max. Since the band was formed they have released an EP with the help of The Felt Bird owner Riley, and are working on a feature length album.

The Acorns is made up by Nathan Guidry on drums, John Patton on lead guitar, Ty Stroble on rhythm guitar, Sterling Cashwell on bass, and Josh Chick with vocals. After A Girl Named Max broke up, Guidry, Patton, and Chick invited Stroble and Cashwell, who left East Side Yacht Club, to help form The Acrons. The band’s name was decided on while the band was throwing out names for the band, one of the members decided that a statue in the room looked like an acorn. The rest of the members liked the name and it stuck, “One day we’ll be big, like oak trees.”

“I think we were aiming for Zeppelin, but what band wasn’t.” Guirdry said as the band described their writing and recording process as a series of improvising, coming from a single blues lick that evolved into the unique sound that truly defines the band.

Since then the band has played several shows, including First Friday at The Felt Bird, Davinci’s Coffee House, Matt Goodman’s, and even Tristate. Promoting the shows through mostly social networking sites, posters, and word of mouth The Acorns have amassed a strong following of fans. The band plans to enlarge their fan base and notoriety with the release of their four track EP titled “1986 Tax Returns,” featuring tracks such as “Ignorance o’ Bliss” and “Bradford Buds”.

With the release of their EP, and a full album in production, The Acorns are looking to play just about any show they can. “We’re down for any show anywhere.”