A Bismarck-Mandan-based band is gaining national recognition, with its latest album recently climbing to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top U.S. Blues chart.
Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival plays various music genres including rock, blues and R&B. The band is signed to the record label J & R Collective. Led by frontwoman Jennifer Lyn, the group incorporates a blend of classic rock undertones, nostalgic songwriting and reverb-drenched guitar solos.
“I grew up pillaging my parents' vinyl,” Lyn said. “A lot of the music we create is inspired by '60s and '70s-based music.”
Lyn was raised in a suburb of Minneapolis, where she spent her time spinning vinyl and listening to her grandparents' giant radio. She later moved to North Dakota after spending some time in New York and Massachusetts.
She was joined by four other musicians on the album and said it brings a much better feeling than when she was performing as a solo artist earlier in her career.
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Richard Torrance, the band's lead guitarist, was raised in North Dakota before relocating to California to finish high school and pursue his dreams as a recording artist. In the 1970s, he assembled a band of Los Angeles-based musicians and went on three national tours. His band opened for renowned rock artists such as Kansas, Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac.
Torrance returned to the Midwest in 2004, performing as a solo act touring with various artists across the United States. In 2010, he met Lyn, and together they began performing together. As the friendship grew, they started recording, which led to their first project in 2021, "Nothing Holding Me Down," and their second project in 2023, "Gypsy Soul." The two artists now live in Bismarck.
Musicians Nolyn Falcon and Barb Jiskra contributed to the album through their instrumental talents. Falcon played the bass guitar, while Jiskra was on the keys. Jim Anderson, the band's drummer, was born and raised in northern California and had a long career as a touring and studio drummer before moving to North Dakota. Anderson resides in Mandan, and both Falcon and Jiskra live in Bismarck.
In addition to their latest full-length album, “Live at the Northern Plains,” the group has eight singles and two EPs available on Spotify. The new album's track list includes five originals and five cover songs. It showcases a live concert recorded in Bismarck in 2023.
“The cover songs that we chose are covers that have inspired the music that we create,” Lyn said. “It was a tip of the hat to the artists and musicians that have come before us.”
The album soared up Billboard’s magazine and website charts. On May 7, it reached the fourth spot on the Billboard Blues chart. Billboard, a leading American music and entertainment publication, compiles its charts based on the popularity of songs and albums in the United States on a weekly basis. The chart rankings consider both physical and digital sales, online streaming and radio airplay across the U.S.
This achievement adds to the band’s resume, which includes seven Independent Blues Music award nominations and several weeks in the top ten of blues music radio charts. Lyn finds motivation from the fans’ enjoyment of the music, and the band looks forward to creating more songs for them.
“We have an amazing fan base that is supporting us all over the U.S. and internationally,” she said.
Jennifer Lyn & The Groove Revival has 14 scheduled concert dates during the summer and fall. The band will be performing throughout the Upper Midwest including “The American Rock ‘N’ Roll Experience – A Tribute to '60s and '70s American Rock and Roll” show at the Belle Mehus Auditorium in downtown Bismarck on Thursday, Oct. 3.
“Performing live and having human beings come out (to) enjoy live music is a great experience,” Lyn said. “We look forward to getting out there and sharing moments with fans.”
More information about the band is at jlynandthegrooverevival.com.