It all started in the summer of 2011 in a narrow, dimly lit corridor, deep within the belly of a cruise ship. Jackie Pock, a nervous, newly-hired showband singer met her new boss, veteran music director, and guitarist Brandon Gibbons, for the first time. A far cry from the classic ‘love at first sight’ scenarios we’re used to seeing in the movies, Jackie recalls this initial meeting; “He was wearing a beanie, an Ed Hardy thermal, blue cargo-capri pants, and orange crocs with white socks! Gross!” Despite the difference in their fashion sense, the two quickly became best friends and what would become musical partners for life. “It seemed like right away we began making plans to be roommates and have a band on land,” Brandon recalls. Over the next couple of months and the course of more than a few magical performances, that friendship grew into something more. “Yeah, I’m proud to say that I shacked up with the management and got that room with a porthole that I always wanted!” Jackie brags.
Two years later, when the novelty of ship life wore off, the two decided it was time to rejoin the real world. After a cross-country road trip, they pulled into Seattle, a newly engaged couple with plans to take over the world. “We were determined to put our knowledge and experience to use right away and began trying to recreate the band we’d had on ships.”
To their surprise, they found themselves on a path that was riddled with brick walls and roadblocks at every turn in a music scene that took little interest in cover bands. Out of sheer frustration, Jackie and Brandon decided to face their long-standing phobia of songwriting and in early 2014 the couple released their debut EP, A Formal Introduction, under the name ‘Jackie Pock Band’.
In the fall of 2014, just a few months after the couple was married, Jackie’s father suffered a sudden traumatic brain injury that nearly claimed his life. “It was an experience that NO family is ever prepared for but one that we immediately knew would forever change us all,” Jackie explains. “My daddy is the source of every ounce of passion, drive, talent, and humility that I have in my body. He was the strongest, most honest, and loyal man anyone had ever had the pleasure of meeting.” In the weeks following the incident, Brandon and Jackie made the decision to move back to her roots in Texas, to be by her father’s side for what would prove to be a long and slow road to finding a new normal.
Despite the difficulty of the situation, Jackie and Brandon were determined to treat the move as an opportunity for a fresh start both personally and musically. They rebranded themselves as The Gibbonses and hit the ground running, performing relentlessly throughout Texas. Over the course of that first year, they participated in events such as 95.9FM’s Ranch Factor Battle of The Bands, Larry Joe Taylor’s Songwriter Showcase, and 95.3FM’s Shiner Rising Star, where they began to develop their unique live show, and build strong connections with their growing community of fans and supporters.
In April of 2016, The Gibbonses released their debut, full-length album, Among The Rubble. Recorded in Los Angeles, CA with producer Jamie Hill, Jackie and Brandon describe the body of work as a ‘timestamp for where we were as artists and humans in a beautifully fragile world.’ Each song relates the personal and painful challenges faced during the couple’s first year of marriage. The result, according to Texas Music Pickers is “A captivating record [that] offers a tale of tragedy and finding resolve, leaving the listener engaged throughout the journey in between.”
Standing apart from the typical duo, The Gibbonses have developed a unique and engaging stage show that has to be experienced by the audience to truly be appreciated. Influenced by the likes of Susan Tedeschi and Grace Potter, the soulful power of Jackie’s voice commands the complete attention of all who hear it. Her eye-catching stand-up drumming, combined with Brandon’s solid vocal harmonies, creative guitar playing, and tasteful use of effects, allowing the pair to deliver an unexpected sound that rivals the fullness of a much larger band. Over the past few years, they’ve had the opportunity to perform with such artists as The Black Lillies, Bob Schneider, Gary Morris, Shane Smith & the Saints, Blue Water Highway, William Michael Morgan, The Old 97’s, Flatland Cavalry, William Clark Green, as well as many other well-known Texas musicians.
Driven by a desire to connect in a more authentic and intimate way, Jackie and Brandon decided to take a more ‘grass-roots’ approach to touring. They began producing their own House Concerts, all over the US and Canada. Independent of any formal organization or established group, The Gibbonses’ House Concerts are run on a ‘donation basis’ and hosted by fans who oftentimes have never attended or even heard of a House Concert before. “I remember our very first House Concert,” Brandon recalls. “It was terrifying! We’d played on big stages in front of thousands of people before, but there’s something about performing in a living room with people sitting just a few feet away, silent and giving you their complete attention. It’s so much more honest and vulnerable than anything we’d ever experienced.” Over the past three years of organically growing their community of hosts and House Concert attendees, Jackie and Brandon’s reputation as the ‘DIY DUO’ has spread throughout the Texas music scene. This reputation resulted in an invitation to give a presentation on “How to Book, Plan and Execute a Successful House Concert” in front of 200+ musicians and industry representatives at the annual Texas Music Pickers Seminar in 2017.
In February 2018 The Gibbonses teamed up again with producer Jamie Hill to record their second full-length album. A true labor-of-love two years in the making, All We’ve Got is a reaction to the utter lack of empathy being displayed in today’s sociopolitical climate and the desperate need for immediate course correction. Walking the line between hopeful and tragic, the 10 song album encourages the listener to take an introspective look at themselves and the world around them.
For Jackie and Brandon, it has always been their love of performing that has driven them to pursue a career in music. Whether they’re performing for 20 people at an intimate House Concert, or onstage in front of a large crowd, these two have a way of connecting with each and every person in the audience and making them feel like a part of the family.
Check out the Tour page to find out when The Gibbonses will be performing in a city near you.