Ten Toes Up walks the right path

Ask Ten Toes Up front man BJ Craven how he got into music, and he'll give an honest answer. "My mom actually taught me how to play guitar when I was young," Craven said. "I fought it kicking and screaming. We'd have family gatherings, and all my uncles would play old songs on guitar. That's how I was brought up."

The lifelong musician moved to Charleston in college to play music. He roomed with local singer/songwriter Ryan Bonner, and they started playing music around the Charleston area. Coincidentally, percussionists Adam Miller and Joshua Gregory and bassist Charles Freeman needed a guitarist for an upcoming gig. Craven responded to their call, and three years later, the band is still together under the same lineup.

"They came to Charleston and needed a guitar player for the night, and when I sat in, they asked me if I wanted the job," Craven said.

Ten Toes Up fits into, but is not restricted to, the niche of Americana rock. Their songwriting is rooted in a traditional grain, but each song is littered with inventive highlights that solidify each work as well as entice the ears of listeners. These dudes aren't just talk, either. TTU put in some elbow grease last year, playing more than 180 gigs. They've got one in Florence on Saturday, and another the following night in Murrells Inlet.

The band has released two studio albums and one live album already, but rest assured, they've got a bun in the oven. The new album, "Sleeping Lion," is due out in late October. It's a 12-song musical endeavor that attempts to condense the Ten Toes Up live act into a compact disc, all recorded at Awendaw Green by engineer Danielle Howe. The band is hoping that this album will bring some new opportunities.

"It's such a big feat to capture your live show on a record ," Craven said. "To be honest with you, we're really hoping that this record opens some doors for us. We feel like we've got a show that's really entertaining, and we're looking forward to playing to bigger audiences. I'm really hoping to increase our value in different markets so we can play for some more people."

In a digital music industry that has laid waste to record sales and praised the Gaga-esque synthesizer without scorn, Ten Toes Up carries the torch on the uphill battle against pirated tunes and top 40 hits with its biggest weapon: the live show.

"This whole swing has gone to the live show, because that's something that's completely unique," Craven said. "You can't record that and MIDI it out for other people to see. There's no faking that. It's the real thing."