Meet Robby Hovie

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Robby Hovie.

Hi Robby, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In the beginning, Dan (Schillinger, our main drummer) & I would meet very infrequently to play our favorite songs with a box drum and an acoustic guitar. Years later, we met Cole Oosthuizen, who joined us on keys. We originally played acoustic music, like folk and outlaw country classics.

We made the decision to switch to blues music, and suddenly, we were adding four new members – Gabe, Sam, Cody, and Jeff. This big-band ensemble took off like a freight train, and we played constantly, jamming our way through blues and rock & roll covers from the 60s & 70s, taking gigs wherever we could find them. However, Levitator was not destined to stay in one genre over another.

Levitator began departing, at some point, from the strict blues structure, and we started to attempt to carve out our little path through the most revered, culture-defining musical landscape on the face of planet Earth – Michigan’s live music scene. Fast forward to 2024, and we have two albums streaming now, with another on the way.

We give it our all at each performance and show each crowd how much we appreciate them. We love everyone who comes out or streams a song because our shows, releases, and interactions with folks come from the heart. We love the searing, rumbling jams that get the whole room moving. There isn’t a better feeling on earth!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Northern Michigan does have limited opportunities for musicians, but if you are someone who can have another job, that is a huge help.

All of us have regular careers and life paths that we depend on. It’s just part of the deal. People do what needs to be done in life. We love to work hard and play hard. And we also love to write, practice, and record when we aren’t gigging. With a mindset like that, traveling downstate for the bigger shows becomes a joy, not a burden.

Also, another thing that makes things nicer is that our band keeps our friendship first. We arrived in this group because we wanted to play music with our friends and make memories together. We have a deep respect for one another’s abilities and make space for each other’s viewpoints.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Something funny about me is that, according to my first guitar teacher, I had to will myself into learning rhythm. In his words, “I had none of my own.” On the surface, I was not a natural-born musician in any sense. However, on the inside, I had a force of will at a young age to be like the rock & rollers I idolized, and I couldn’t care less who did (and didn’t) believe in me.

I dreamed of one thing – the rock band life. But at the start of my twenties, I blew out the flame of my dreams. I dropped my gifts because let’s face it- being a musician is daunting! In my denial, I created a great deal of unhappiness for myself. I longed to finally actualize my dreams for years – creating a rock band. Finally, life led me back to the same conclusion time and time again. And that moment when I decided to embrace my dream, I never looked back.

We are now entering our fourth summer as a band, and we have worked so very hard to get the types of opportunities we have today. Some of us in Levitator are in our first real band, and others are lifelong rock & rollers… but it’s our mutual respect that shows us that we all have things that we bring to the table. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we keep the music first.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I really believe in the power of movement. To encourage myself, I read from authors who write about the internal steadfastness & willpower people can harness in their lives.

These authors have really helped me move forward in life. Currently, I’m reading Chögyam Trungpa, but I recommend Robert L. Spencer, Miyamoto Musashi, and the great Andrew J. Blackbird.

In the realm of fiction, I mainly only read from my very beloved, dearly departed Cormac McCarthy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.levitatorband.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5lZGT_sWMK/?igsh=MzI4bGZmcTAxamp5
• Youtube: youtu.be/Zs8vt5NC9eo

Image Credits
Johnny Ulibarri