Meet Arbor North | Husband/wife country duo, comprised of AC Jones & Michael Boris

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arbor North and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arbor, how do you think about risk?
Risk is an accepted part of the job for any type of creative career. It is a reality that should be embraced, and not pushed away. Regarding one of AC’s biggest risks, after obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Mount Union and graduating Summa cum laude with honors and a 4.0 GPA, she chose to embark on a completely different path of pursuing the song in her heart. Given her education, her potential, and her aptitude for the sciences, she could have chosen a more stable career that would ensure a bright future which was more “written in stone.”
However, she chose to pick up a guitar, grab a pen and paper, write songs, and charge into the unknown, all the while not knowing what her outcome would be. Little did she know, that because of that decision to risk a safer career for the turbulent seas of the music industry, she would affect many lives for the better. In her time as an artist, she raised over $35,000 for her hometown’s Salvation Army through her annual Christmas benefit concert, and has been able to raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease through her song, “Castle”, which was inspired by her niece who was diagnosed with both conditions at a young age. In terms of industry success, she has had three singles hit Top 40 on the Music Row CountryBreakout Chart, with two of those also charting on the Billboard Country Indicator Chart. The risk she took gave her the opportunity to tour the country and meet people near and far that she never would have been able to meet if not for choosing music,

Michael also risked his financial/career stability after he graduated from Belmont University, in Nashville, TN. The following months after he graduated, he had just enough gigs on the calendar to help pay his half of the rent and groceries for that month. While he began to look for some type of part-time work on the side, he realized that if he just kept going, meeting new people, and playing at unpaid writers rounds, that someone, sometime, somewhere, would hopefully take notice. This gamble paid off, as he eventually met people who would connect him with the artists he would end up touring with in his decade plus long drumming career to come. Throughout his professional drumming career, Michael had the opportunity to open for artists such as Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Train. As one of the three founding members of the country trio, Lockeland, Michael, now as both a musical artist and drummer, had two singles reach the Top 40 on the Music Row CountryBreakout Chart, tour nationally and internationally, and open for acts such as Cam, Kip Moore, Josh Turner, LANCO, Morgan Evans, and Big & Rich.

Risk is part of the job. To say that it isn’t terrifying would be a complete lie, but if it wasn’t for these risks and these choices, we wouldn’t be where we are today. And trust me, we’re still taking plenty of risks!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We believe that what sets us apart from other duos, is the honest nature of being ourselves. We take our music career very seriously, but not so much ourselves. And sometimes, even our music can have an undertone of humor as well. We are cooking, coffee, history, and fandom nerds.

The path of an independent artist is never an easy one. However, we are so thankful over the years to have the love and support of our families, friends, and most of all our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Not to mention, our incredible team of musicians, engineers, and business associates in Nashville that have helped create the music of Arbor North.

Choosing to start the chapter of Arbor North was a decision that we felt resolute in, but we also knew that it would not be short of its many challenges. Starting a new “band” is starting from scratch all over again.
Many of the accolades from our previous careers became obsolete to a certain degree, and it rests on us to develop new ones. As challenging as it is, the fact that we get to share the burden together as husband and wife is a true blessing. And as a result of continuing to “stick it out” and overcome the challenges together, we are so thankful that our song “You, Me, and Jesus” has begun to catch fire all over the world, as couples all around the globe are using this song for their wedding day.

We love people, we love hearing their stories, and we are so thankful for any opportunity we have to give back. At the very end of our story one day, we hope people remember us for the way we loved and gave back to others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We love supporting other local businesses, and if we had to suggest unique little places for someone to check out in Nashville, we’d tell them to check out the following places.

As far as coffee, food, and restaurants go…
– Little Gourmand, French market & café. They have two locations (Green Hills, and Melrose). This is some of the BEST artisanal baked goods in the city, not to mention their storefront has so much charm. It really makes you feel like you are in a little market cafe in Paris.
– Thai Phooket II in Goodlettsville, TN (about 30 minutes north of Nashville). The owner is so funny and kind, and the food is of the utmost quality.
– Noshville Deli. Amazing New York deli/diner style restaurant located in Green Hills. Highly recommend!
– Fox’s Donut Den. There’s a huge reason why they’ve been in business for over 50 years! Some of the best donuts around!
– Bongo Java (multiple locations, but we favor the Belmont Blvd. location). Been going there for 16+ years, and it is truly a unique Nashville favorite.

Drinks and live music:
– The Local. The owner, Geoff Reid, is a great guy and represents the best of what Nashville really means. Great food, and incredible music from Nashville’s best songwriters and artists. You never know who might stop in!
– The Listening Room Café. This is a great place to go for great food, and entertainment from Nashville’s best songwriters, in a writers round style.
– 3rd & Lindsley is a great venue which hosts incredible artists from all over the world, ranging all genres from indie artists to label acts. Check out their show schedule and grab some tickets!

Other fun things:
– Nashville Zoo. We are members, and absolutely love the quality of this zoo! They have incredibly fun special events such as
“Zoolumination”, the latern festival, etc. Definitely check it out!
– Radnor Lake is a beautiful nature conservatory just 10 minutes from the hustle bustle of the city.
– Civil War historical locations. Check out the various sites in both the city of Nashville, and Franklin, TN for incredible Civil War tours, trails, and history!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The two of us feel so overwhelmed at all of those who have believed, and continue to believe in us. To truly list everyone that we’re thankful for would take up the whole of the internet, but we’d like to mention just a few!

First and foremost, the two of us wouldn’t be doing what we were doing if not for the love and support of our family. They are our encouragers, our advice givers, and our rock. They have shaped our lives musically from a very young age and continue to cultivate that spirit in us to this day. No matter where we go or what we do, we recognize how blessed we are to have a family who has our back and even takes to the road with us in our musical journey.

We also want to send a shoutout to our friends in the UK, Gavin & Christine Chittick and their family.

Gavin & Christine are hands down the best concert promoters in the music industry in our opinion. Their company, Cumbrae Promotions has for many years, organized the Millport Country Music Festival in Millport, Scotland and have hosted top-level artists such as Cam, Drake White, Sunny Sweeney, and so many others. They also host a concert series called Country In The Afternoon in London, England which features artists and writers from both the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Suffice it to say that we were absolutely honored when we were asked to perform for the Millport Country Music Festival in August of 2022. They also assisted in helping find other shows in the UK.

But even more than this, they are people that we consider our “UK family” and we are so thankful for their love and support for us over the years. We’re very thankful to have the opportunity to give them a shout-out!

Website: www.arbornorthmusic.com

Instagram: @arbornorthmusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/arbornorthmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arbornorthmusic

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7zwTYXV1HKuoJBz4RcRMP2?si=JWtFa2n9QiuC0tXCMqMdvg TikTok: @arbornorthmusic

Image Credits
Victoria Roth, Dallas Dickerson, and Matt Ebbers.