Song gives flood victims a voice

Local musicians Evan Webb and Adam Hellman didn't necessarily set out to write an anthem when they composed "Dry Up or Drown." But that's exactly what they ended up doing.

When the duo wrote the song and shared it with the rest of their band, the Rural Route Ramblers, in the spring of 2015, their one intention had been to honor their small-town roots.

But then the flooding came.

The video for the song, filmed during the regional flooding in late December, went viral, collecting more than 30,500 views on YouTube. It can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=rqM7kjGequE.

"Since we posted the video, the best way to describe it is overwhelming (in a good way). We certainly didn't anticipate the grass-roots response we got, and it's because of all of those likes/shares/word-of-mouth that the song was able to reach so many people. So we really have everyone out there to thank for that," Hellman said.

The band's success with the video has led to radio play, media interest and mentions on national music websites.

Hellman said the band felt "like it's the right thing to do" to use some of whatever money might eventually be made off the song to help flood victims put their lives back in order.

"There are a lot of people hurting right now, especially down in Olive Branch," Hellman said of the flood-plagued Southern Illinois community.

Often when devastation occurs, people struggle to find ways to express what they are feeling and experiencing. "Dry Up or Drown" clearly has given a collective voice to the area's flood victims.