BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — When asked about their tour preparations, musicians Drew and Ellie Holcomb answered like parents prepping for a family road trip.

“We’re running around, rehearsing and getting packed for taking kids on the road…it’s kind of a lot,” Drew chuckled.

The Nashville-based couple is taking their “Feels Like Home” tour across the U.S. starting on Valentine’s Day. The final stops will be a trio of Alabama shows in Auburn, Huntsville and Winfield on Feb. 27, 28 and 29 respectively.

Drew said after his recent show in Birmingham with the Neighbors, he felt it was time to show some love to smaller cities across Alabama in 2024.

“We’ve got a long history in Auburn and have been wanting to go back to Huntsville for a long time, and this little theater in Winfield is inviting us to come play,” Drew said. “Alabama is one of the states we’ve been coming to the longest. When we put the feelers out for the tour, those venues reached out and wanted to have us sing, and we were happy to oblige.

The tour will feature the duo performing songs from their latest EP, “Brick by Brick,” which releases on Feb. 14. Ellie describes the EP as “indicative” of what the upcoming tour holds for fans.

“One of the songs is a love song that I wrote for Drew called ‘Brick by Brick,’ and I asked him if he’d be willing to sing on that,” she said. “One of the songs Drew shared with me to help think about the bridge and the way I can be a part vocally. And then the other song Drew wrote [himself] and asked me to sing on it. So it’s like a little three-song picture of how we write and work together.”

Ellie said one of her favorite aspects of performing with her husband is the togetherness it brings for both the stage and audience members. She describes the duo touring as their version of “Nashville’s Bluebird in the Round,” [does this need to be described further?]

“Two of the artists — one’s Drew, one’s me, and then the third artist would be the music that we write and make together. And so it feels a lot more like an evening with us in our living room,” Ellie said. “We laugh a lot. We do a whole request section where we just ask the crowd what they want to hear, and sometimes they ask for stuff we haven’t played in over a decade, so it’s a really sweet tour for us, feels like walking down memory lane.”

“Because we’re mostly tour separate from each other, this tour is just fun because we get to kind of reimagine our songs in an acoustic environment,” Drew added. “So we create a lot of space for harmonies, storytelling and deep cuts as well as new songs.”

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The tour will be made even more special with the addition of the Holcomb’s children, who will have special roles to play in the show.

“This tour brings a lot of the things that we love — Our family, first and foremost, and then our music with travel and adventure together,” Ellie said. “They always have the opportunity if they want to sing with us on a few songs, and so it really is sort of a family affair. But right now, the prep looks more like packing and making sure they all have pants that fit them.”

As far as Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors news, the lead singer described his past touring experience as “probably our best tour we’ve ever had.” Drew also took a moment to tease what fans should expect from the group soon.

“We’re actually putting together a ‘Strangers No More’ volume two with new songs from our same sessions in Asheville [while making the album,]” he said. “I would say the second batch is a little more rock and roll than the first batch, but they definitely have the same sort of sound and vibe.”

The Holcombs said fans should expect a laidback atmosphere for their upcoming shows, filled with laughter and positivity.

“I think that our main goal is for people to feel less alone and more connected with themselves and each other and the world around them,” Ellie said. “So I hope they leave with their hearts feelin’ full and light.”

“We live in very divided times and people may feel, alone and confused,” Drew said. “But music is still one of the great things that binds us all together.”

Tickets for the upcoming tour can be purchased via Drew Holcomb and The Neighbor’s official website and Ellie Holcomb’s official website.

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