“Crazy Love Duo” coming to Library June 5
Crazy Love is an Idaho act through and through—even the parts that are more Nashville! Heather Platts and Bruce Michael Miller have been touring the state and are coming to Soda!
Heather Platt is a musician from Twin Falls, Idaho, who has been a featured artist at the Boise Music Festival and many, many performances throughout the region. She is a songwriter, who “reaches deep into the realms of human experience to deliver an authentic and powerful performance.” Her last two albums were produced and recorded in Nashville, and included world-class musicians like Byron House, Catherine Marx, and Forest Miller, who have played with a Who’s Who of artists such as Emmy Lou Harris, Willie Nelson, Reba McIntyre, and others.
Bruce Miller is a guitarist, songwriter, and music educator, in addition to the other half of the Crazy Love vocal duo. Miller won the Grand Prize in 2016 and 2017 at the Smoky Mountain Songwriters Festival, and has performed with Paul McCartney, Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, and many more. He has been a professional songwriter in Nashville for the last twenty years, with over 40 songs to his name (and counting!) recorded by artists.
The two will be playing a free concert on June 5 at 6:00 pm at the Soda Springs Library, in conjunction with the “Idaho Originals Project,” which is described as “a live musical travelogue of the people, places, and stories of Idaho.” The presentation is accompanied by a slideshow of original artwork by Idaho artists inspired by the music.
Bruce Michael Miller spoke with the Enterprise about the upcoming show, and the project itself.
“Idaho Originals began a few years ago with a song titled “Snake River Canyon” and developed from there,” Miller said. “As we traveled throughout Idaho more and more songs started to pour out and we began feeling like we wanted to create an entire album. We received a grant from the Idaho Arts Council that allowed us to produce the album and after we finished it we reached out to the Idaho Humanities council and were asked to be official presenters for their Inquiring Idaho program, which provides grants to various organizations across the state. To date we’ve had bookings from Bonners Ferry to Soda Springs and many places in between. Our goal is to take the show to every rural community across the state, sharing our songs of the people, places and stories of Idaho.”
With the Idaho Humanities Council, Crazy Love has been able to see a lot of the state in a way that most people don’t—up close and personal with the communities that people the landscape. The experience has been gratifying, Miller explained. “In our travels we have been blown away by the reception of the show and the kindness of the folks we have encountered. People are hungry for the kind of community and connection that live entertainment brings, especially when it speaks to them directly about a sense of place and history and civic pride. Also seeing the artwork created by Idaho artists that accompanies each song is an added element to the show. Something we’ve noticed and enjoy when we travel to each town is that people are eager to share their own stories and ideas for songs with us. The people of Idaho love where they live and love to engage with us about why.”
Because the show is so much about the land itself, and the “feeling” that Idaho conveys to its residents, a slideshow component helps to capture the gestalt of the state in a profound and immediate way.
“The visuals in our show add another layer of creative energy to our presentation,” Miller said. “All of the artwork in the program is created by Idaho artists, and helps to expose them to a wider audience. The art is included in our Idaho Originals book, which will be available to purchase at the event.”
The two are both songwriters and musicians, but according to Bruce they approach each song organically, rather than through a formula. “There really isn’t any set way that we create together. Our intention is always to communicate an emotion or story or location clearly and in an entertaining way that grabs our listeners attention and holds them. We share a love of the places that are off the beaten path and enjoy exploring together so travel for us is a perk of what we do rather than a chore.”
Bruce and Heather may be familiar with southern Idaho, but Caribou County is actually somewhat new to them. “We spend a lot of time in Lava Hot Springs but have only visited Soda Springs once, where we witnessed the amazing geyser and got a taste of the natural water in Hooper Springs Park. We’re hoping to learn more when we visit to perform our show in June.”
The duo has a deeper relationship than even music, and according to those who have seen their show, it’s obvious that they have a deep connection. In 2019, Heather donated her kidney to Bruce and saved his life. The duo wrote and recorded an entire album of songs about the experience titled “The Big Give” in commemoration of such a profound experience, one that brings the importance of friends and family into stark relief.
As a result of funding for the Idaho Humanities Council being frozen at present by the federal government, the duo is beginning to look for alternate means of keeping the show alive and continuing the tour. For the immediate future, they are donating their efforts for the show in Soda Springs, and will see where the road takes them after.
Given the unique circumstances of the moment, where funding for many art programs is facing an uncertain future, a library seems like a fitting location for their concert. “We love the libraries. Being surrounded by books and people who love books is amazing and there is a powerful sense of history and community in those spaces. Libraries are vital places especially for the rural parts of Idaho,” Miller said.
The show will start at 6:00 pm on June 5 at the Soda Springs Library. The event is free to the public, and it would be a mistake to pass up on what might be a very rare chance to catch this show in its current form.
“We hope for a great turnout!” Bruce said.
