The Dryes Find Peace with New Single, “Whites Creek”

In a time where the world was spinning seemingly out of control, Derek and Katelyn Drye slowed their world down in Whites Creek, Tennessee, and they have documented it with a new single, which shares the town’s name.

That single, “Whites Creek,” comes on the heels of the couple buying a home in the town, which made it the perfect time to release it into the world, following on the heels of July’s “YES.”

“It’s exactly where we are right now; we just bought a house in Whites Creek,” says Katelyn. “It’s the perfect start to all of our upcoming releases.”

The Dryes, along with co-writer Sarah Reeves, injected the peace they found in Whites Creek into their newest single, as they rejoice in the simplistic vibe they felt in the midst of times that were anything but.

“’Whites Creek’ was where we spent a lot of 2020, so it’s great to finally release something that came out of that time where the world was shut down. We found peace in contrast to what otherwise seemed like a whirlwind, and the lyrics reflect what’s beautiful about that simple outlook. It’s another way of saying ‘you’re all I need,‘” says Derek. “’But I find You, with me, little house, lover’s arms down in Whites Creek.’” Take it how you like, but that is also a spiritual statement where we find that we already have what we need, instead of thinking about what we lack.”

The duo says that Whites Creek allowed them to unwind in the midst of the pandemic, and that the small town, no-strangers mentality of the residents was welcoming to them.

“From the local grocery to the hardware store, everybody knows everybody,” says Katelyn. “After a pandemic, everybody could use some Whites Creek in their life, because no matter where you’re from, anybody can relate to where they came from and where people put their roots in a small town like this.”

Though the song is personal to the husband and wife duo, they say that they hope listeners can find the same peace that Whites Creek has brought them over the last year.

“I sincerely hope that listeners just feel that peace and availability for it in their own life. Getting back to what’s simple. It can’t always be about what we don’t have,” says Derek. “While I believe that my best songs and best years are ahead of me, those moments are easy to miss when you’re only focused on the future. The present feeds the future, and being aware of what I’m personally grateful for is exactly what makes the world open up for me. I want people to see more possibilities, not limitations. I want people to be at peace with themselves before they solve the world’s problems.”

The duo’s new single follows “YES,” which has since become their second most-streamed song on Spotify, something they attribute to the honesty and message inside of it.

“I think that people want what’s honest these days, and that song came together beautifully, so we are proud of how big that song sounds sonically!” says Derek.

“Yeah, it’s probably because we all cared about the message so much,” Katelyn adds. “The producer and other cowriters all shared a common interest as married people and how inspired it made us feel to put these words on paper, so I’m glad that it has been connecting the way that it has!”

As they look forward to living their small-town lives in 2021, The Dryes also plan to hit the studio consistently in the coming months, with more new music to follow.

“Katelyn and I are continuing studio time about every month in preparation for new singles, so our release schedule will be more streamlined in 2021, for sure!” says Derek. “Other than that, we will continue to visit family, host at our new place, get to church, and just keep on living this life out here in Whites Creek :)”