As a youngster, Home Free singer Austin Brown thought it would be fun to have a career as a singer in a famous group.
“I always daydreamed about doing something like this, but I never would have thought it could have been done with a cappella music and country music,” said Brown.
But that’s exactly what’s propelled Home Free to fame. The unique group of five male vocalists earned the top prize in season four of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and recently performed on a Kenny Rogers’ 2015 Christmas album.
The Oak Ridge Boys also performed on Home Free’s 2015 album, “Country Evolution,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Album Charts. The two groups did a modern remake of the Oak Ridge Boys’ 1981 hit, “Elvira.”
Brown is the lead high tenor in a group of male vocalists including Rob Lundquist, Chris Rupp, Tim Foust and Adam Rupp.
“We’ve been doing country music and Home Free shows for a while, and the country music tended to be some of the most well-received stuff we did,” Brown said. “So we just took that and kept adding more and more country music. It became our identity. No one is doing what we’re doing. We’re the lone group out there.”
Bass singer Tim Foust said the group’s sound avoids “pop sentimentality. We bring a different approach to it. We have a full-bodied sound. We’re doing classic country.”
Though they’ve been likened to a barbershop quartet with an extra voice, Foust said, “It’s a lot different from that. Barbershop quartet is four guys singing four parts. We are singing and weaving things together.”
His voice, he said, is like the part of a bass guitar in a country band.
Brown said when they recorded with Oak Ridge Boys in the studio, “they just went on and on how we’re the modern version of the Oak Ridge Boys — how they’re passing the mantle on to us.”
Based on standing ovations from the audience along with 65 million views of their performances on You Tube, it appears the fan base is growing, they said.
And it’s not only because of their music but also their comedic style, Brown said.
“The one thing we bring that seems to surprise some people is our comedy. We’ve got some comedic bits. It’s stand-up comedy to a degree. There’s a lot of improv that happens. Tim’s a funny guy. We play off of each other. One of my favorite things is we’re just hanging out with the audience. When you get that laid-back energy, a lot of laughter tends to happen.”
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For example, on stage Foust once made fun of pop music and how trite the words are by first reciting the words from a Billy Joel song and then one from the 21st century piece that included just a few repeated words. “Billy Joel is one of my favorites,” Foust said.
Home Free performs covers and original pieces including “Old Country Harmony,” which Foust wrote and has become somewhat of the group’s signature song.
What Foust would like people to know is that “with our performance there’s a little something for everybody. After every show, somebody usually says, ‘I hate country music, but I love you guys,’ or ‘I’m not a fan of a cappella music, but I like you guys.'”
Brown and Foust are looking forward to coming to the Chicago area where Foust said he hopes to enjoy some deep-dish style pizza.
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance writer.
Home Free
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 North Genesee St., Waukegan
Tickets: $34.50-$150
Information: 847-782-2366; www.geneseetheatre.com http://www.geneseetheatre.com