Ciderwave — an ensemble led by songwriter and South Plains College guitar instructor Emily — spoke about the band's origins, recording plans and live-performance approach during a Rhythm and Roots podcast recorded in the Red Stewart Recording Studio at South Plains College in Lubbock.

The conversation, hosted by Jason Robertson, covered Emily's background and the group's collaborative process, the release two-and-a-half years ago of an album tied to a memoir, a new album now in mixing, and the band's preference for intimate, ticketed listening-room concerts over larger restaurant or bar gigs.

Emily, guitar instructor at South Plains College, said she writes the group's material and values working with skilled players. “I write the music for the group,” she said, adding that she enjoys composing for musicians who can expand her ideas. She told the host she and her husband Brent moved to Lubbock in 2003 and joined the college faculty, which allowed them to pursue music and teaching concurrently.

Brent, a South Plains College faculty member and performer with the group, described the ensemble's collaborative rehearsal process. Mark, a bassist and instructor who previously served in the Air Force bands, said Ciderwave's compositions often require band members to arrive at rehearsals with an open approach. “Every time I come to either a performance or rehearsal, as a drummer, I have to come as completely and totally blank slate,” Phil, the group's drummer, said when describing his approach to accompaniment.

Band vocalist Rachel described preferring intimate concert settings that prioritize listening and lyrical clarity; she said those settings allow the band and audience to connect more directly. The group said last night’s concert felt like that kind of experience, and members described wanting to keep each performance distinct: Emily characterized much of her catalog as through-composed, with songs and arrangements that do not simply repeat from performance to performance.

Ciderwave released an album about 2½ years ago that accompanied a memoir; Emily said the book was published in a limited run and that the publisher was Fulton Books. She said she has written enough songs for at least two additional albums; a new record is currently in the mixing process. The band confirmed recordings and the Wheeler Duo back catalog are available on major streaming services. “Whatever your streaming service you prefer, we’re on it,” Jason Robertson noted during the interview as the members listed Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon among the platforms where their music appears.

The group discussed how artificial intelligence is affecting songwriting and production. Emily and other members said AI tools can convincingly imitate established sounds, but they expect a continued audience appetite for live, human-created performances and workshops where listeners can see the songwriting process.

The podcast concluded with a live performance by Ciderwave recorded at the studio. The band encouraged listeners to look for the band’s recordings on streaming platforms and said they plan additional releases and performances in the coming year.

Availability: the band said its recordings and related Wheeler Duo releases are distributed to major streaming services (Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon) and that a follow-up album is in the mixing stage.