Spa City Youngbloods: Here to play and here to stay

F or the past six years, talented young musicians with a taste for the blues have had the opportunity to perfect their craft and play in venues across Arkansas and surrounding states all before they’ve had the chance to celebrate their 21st birthday.

Within moments of first hearing them play, listeners easily recognize the sound of the students in the local blues band pouring their heart and soul into creating high-quality blues music. They are young. They are talented. They are driven. They are the Spa City Youngbloods.

Today, the band is made up of teenagers Tobias Mendenhall, 18, on drums and vocals; Marston Murdock, 17, on bass; Clarke Elmore, 15, as lead guitarist and vocals; and James Mallard, 13, on drums and vocals. However, the band consistently evolves as members move on to pursue educational and career aspirations and other talented local youths take an interest in playing the blues and learning the basics of the music industry.

The band was officially formed in August of 2012 in Malvern at the College of the Ouachitas via the Spa City Blues Society. Summer clinics and tryouts were held, and out of them, the Spa City Youngbloods were born. The group eventually split into two bands: the Youngblood performance band and the BITS (Blues in the Schools) Band.

In 2017, the band, unfortunately, lost longtime director Sherree Hughes. As if such a loss was not difficult enough, three of the band members left to pursue education, jobs, and the military. Despite these challenges, the current group admirably played music at Hughes’ memorial service. They then took their dedication even farther and decided to keep the band together.

The Spa City Youngbloods have played venues across the state of Arkansas. This year alone they have played eights gigs. One gig they always look forward to is the FlavorPark event, right here in Hot Springs. They are also a regular fixture at the United Way of the Ouachitas’ annual talent show, where they are a featured performance. Other venues they’ve played at include Magic Springs, Hot Springs Crawfish Festival, and the Hot Springs Blues Festival.

“The entire crowd was dancing and people were coming up and giving us money. It was the best experience that I’ve had, because I realized in that moment that it was us that were causing all of that happiness,” Elmore said about their performance at the Big Dam Blues Festival.

Make no mistake, the Spa City Youngbloods are not just known around the state, they have performed in the blues meccas of Chicago, where they played at the well-known Navy Pier and Memphis. During the time they spent performing at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis, the large size of the crowd drawn to their performance caused for the fire marshals to be called and people were forced to listen from the street.

When it comes to booking these gigs in such renowned venues, the band extends their gratitude to the Spa City Blues Society. However, it takes a lot of hard work from band members and parents to keep the dream alive. Band program director Sarah Elmore said most advertising happens via word of mouth and outreach. The group also fundraises on their own in addition to the support that the Spa City Blues Society provides.

“We have a really great Blues Society that supports us one hundred percent, and the local community really, really loves our young musicians,” said Elmore.

The Spa City Youngbloods not only perform staples of the genre but occasionally play original music as well. In a word, they describe their sound as “groovy.” Lead guitarist Clarke Elmore says people tell them it makes them feel good.”As of late, the band has focused on playing a solid mix of Delta and Chicago style blues. Some of their most requested songs include “Boom Boom” by John Lee Hooker and “Chapel Hill Boogie” by John Dee Holeman.

These young musicians are learning how to become professionals. They have rules they must abide by, including making sure to bring all necessary equipment to rehearsals and not playing on instruments while others are speaking to or directing them. They are also learning the business side of booking gigs, paying venues, and overcoming everyday challenges associated with the life of a musician.

“There was one performance I had, and I had a football game the night before and hurt (my hand). And the next day my whole hand was swollen. Someone had to duct tape the drumstick to my hand so I could play. I couldn’t grip the stick because it kept falling out of my hand,” said Mendenhall.

Despite this temporary handicap, the band’s mentors insist that no one could tell anything was out of the ordinary just by listening.

The entire band agrees on one thing in particular: music holds a very special place in their hearts and lives. According to Clarke Elmore, music is a method of escape and feels there is a genre of music for every emotion. He calls music “a way to forcibly control your emotions in a good, positive way.”

“For me, music is one of the positives in my life. If I’m ever feeling down I go to music. Like when I feel sad, I just pick up my bass and start playing

random stuff,” Murdock said.

The band members not only love playing music in the band for the sake of it but hopes it carries over into their futures. Clarke Elmore plans to have a career in the music business, claiming he feels that the experience of being in the Spa City Youngbloods has helped him learn the essentials of that business.

“This is really teaching me the basics: how to soundcheck, how to book gigs, how to prep money, who to pay, and all the stuff that really needs to be done while working as a musician,” he said.

Tobias Mendenhall hopes to be able to continue to pursue music in college, along with dancing and sports. Meanwhile, bandmate Marston Murdock feels that even though he may not pursue a career in music, he intends to use it as a creative outlet for self-expression and pursue it out of enjoyment for the rest of his life. At 13, James Mallard says he has no solid plans for the future yet but hopes that they include music in some form.

Following their trip to Memphis in January, the group wants to expand and host auditions. Any person ages 12 to 21 from any area of the state is welcome to join and does not need to have an instrument of their own, they said. There have been female members in the past, but this not the case currently. The band feels that this needs to change. Along with anyone else that is interested, the band strongly encourages girls that are interested in joining the band to come to auditions.

Whether you are interested in joining the band or not, one thing cannot be denied. The Spa City Youngbloods are here to play, and here to stay.

20th Annual Hot Springs Blues Festival