The Osceola Brothers are a band that defies all labels. Based out of Hollywood, the band is comprised of Cameron, Sheldon, and Tyson—three brothers of Seminole descent who got their start in music when Cameron received his first acoustic guitar at age 7, teaching himself to play by ear.
In 2012, Sheldon was gifted a drum kit and Tyson a bass, and that same year they played their first gig at the Seminole Hollywood Reservation. The band became increasingly popular in South Florida, playing at food truck rallies, festivals, and music venues. Since then, they have been unstoppable, sharing the stage in the US and Europe with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lenny Kravitz, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Kings of Leon and more.
Their heritage and history provides them plenty of songwriting material, from being relocated and being hunted, to being taken over to staying strong. “There is a lot of spirituality in being who we are that ties into our storytelling,” says Cameron. “I get a lot of knowledge from my grandparents Marie and Jimmie Osceola. They tell me stories about how they struggled. They teach me language and culture, about the tribe, and how it used to be when they were growing up. They teach me to never give up and to be proud of who you are.”
The Osceola Brothers draw not only from their own history, but upon other aspects of music history for inspiration. Their influences include musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Motley Crue.
Derrick Miller of Journeyman once approached them after a show to say he loved what they were doing, and that they were playing music young kids shouldn’t know about.
But the origins of the blues and rock is something these Native artists can empathize with on a deeper level. “It originated from African slaves being in pain,” Cameron explained. “They didn’t have a way to let their feelings out, ’cause nobody wanted to hear what slaves had to say. So they sang hymns in the fields and made makeshift guitars… everything is the baby of the blues. Rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, R&B… everything.”
Leave a Reply