As part of our own American Legend series, we found that sitting inside the Jeep® is the very best place to reflect and experience the wind in your wild hair. After an evening “Haboob”…or Arizonian dust storm, our neighbor’s wedding, and a mad dash to pick up our Wrangler in Chicago, we decided to do just that with our good friend and musician Stephen Kellogg.
Stephen Kellogg
Brittany and I were first introduced to the music of Stephen Kellogg while I was a senior in high school…right before graduation actually. A group of my friends from our hometown in Chicago happened to be going to see Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers at the House of Blues in Chicago. I had listened to a few songs in my Cherokee…so I hopped on a plane, ended up missing senior prom, and was off to the show! After being so inspired, I stumbled upon Stephen’s album South of Stephen at the ASU record store… “Hoodlums” that has since burned down... The lyrics however, literally take you on a journey across America as a view the world from your windshield (in our case…that of a Jeep). It is bluntly honest and purely American! That album lit fire under my wheels to explore and see what’s “out there” in my country. I can remember sitting in a lecture as a freshman in one of my first ASU Communication classes thinking… “I just have to go see America”… alas, there is life in the music!
Stephen Kellogg, Ashley Hill
Since then, a few more “many moons” have passed for the Hill Sisters, but we are still the same wild duo that will wake up at noon and decide to go across the country (sometimes the wrong direction) to get where we need to be. However, throughout these experiences our taste in music has remained the same. Let’s be honest…Brit and I haven’t changed at all…we now just have a Wrangler that makes life a little more crazy because we have 10.5 inches of ground clearance!
Stephen Kellogg, Brittany Hill
As we chatted in the Jeep, Stephen mentioned that the road really doesn’t get old. “This morning I did the morning part of the drive-it was just beautiful, the country just unfolding before me, so much time for reflection. I feel so alive when I’m doing this! You can totally just meditate on America laying out in front of you. It’s when you start to hear what’s inside your head, because you have to be present on the road. You have to be where you are” as Stephen smiles, Brit and I sense that- life is good! It’s so true, we never know where we will be, what a given day looks like, but we always have a story to share...whether it’s staying up all night to get back where you started or picking up a guitar…things do work out!
Speaking of which… we’ve decided to take on a new challenge! Check out our little video clip on what Stephen calls, “Upping our ‘cowboy cred’….” In reference to learning the guitar… it can’t be too hard, right??
Guitar progress to follow….
In the meantime… lace up your shoes, and, as our mother always says, “Do something today that scares you!”
See you out there…and this 4th of July season… check out our American Legend: Stephen Kellogg! You may be “upping your cowboy cred” too…
