Nearly 30 Years Later, Sister Hazel and Frontman Drew Copeland are Still ‘All for You’
Almost three decades since the hit that defined a generation, Sister Hazel’s Drew Copeland shares the unlikely formula that has kept the band together.
It was a typical night on Tallahassee’s infamous West Tennessee Street in 1997 when the line outside Floyd’s Music Store stretched farther than the members of Sister Hazel could believe. The Gainesville band did what came naturally: They ordered a stack of pizzas, walked down the sidewalk and started handing out slices to fans waiting for the doors to open.
That down-to-earth spirit has stayed with the five bandmates for more than three decades. Long after their hit song “All for You” became a sing-it-at-the-top-of-your-lungs anthem for college coeds across the Southeast, Sister Hazel has remained an enduring Florida band. Along the way, the group has built a fiercely loyal fan base (known as Hazelnuts) through relentless touring, intimate fan experiences and a catalog that continues to grow. Long before music cruises became commonplace, Sister Hazel helped pioneer the concept with The Rock Boat, creating a blueprint that countless artists would later follow.
Today, the band is still playing nearly 100 shows a year, releasing new music and finding ways to connect with audiences spanning generations. Flamingo recently sat down with founding member Drew Copeland, 58, who dishes on Sister Hazel’s Gainesville roots, his unlikely journey from aspiring football player to musician, the strong friendships that have kept the band together for 33 years and why performing “All for You” still feels as magical today as it did in 1997.
Sister Hazel has had the same five bandmates for 33 years. What’s the secret?
Drew Copeland: I’ve spent the majority of my adult life playing music for a living and supporting (my) family. People don’t get that chance. So it’s awesome that the five of us have maintained a sense of gratitude for what we’ve done, like none of us feel entitled. We all feel like, “Man, how lucky have we been?” So it’s been a good thing, but part of that longevity was creating these other events and making other things happen that continue to keep the train rolling.
Where did the band’s name come from?
DC: The name Sister Hazel comes from a female minister in our hometown. She ran a rescue mission in Gainesville for decades and took care of people that needed a hand up regardless of race, religion, politics or anything else. It was in that spirit of unconditional regard for everyone that we named our band after her.
How would you describe where the band is today?
DC: We put out another record recently called “Sand, Sea & Crash Debris.” It’s just so different now than it ever was. We do these projects and yes, we did do a whole album, but you release the songs digitally to your fans along the way. For a long time, we had the dream of having another big radio presence, but you never know when something’s going to catch fire, whether it’s an advertisement or in a movie or TV show or TikTok, so we just keep doing what we’re doing. We’re really thankful for what we have.
Almost 30 years later, “All for You” is still an anthem of a generation. How does it feel performing it now?
DC: It still has that reaction, and you’re talking about generationally. (We) see kids at our shows that know every word to a bunch of songs, which is crazy. But yeah, that song, that’s one of those lightning-in-a-bottle type situations. They just don’t come around all the time. As soon as we kick into that song, you can feel the energy change. People always say, “Man, are you tired of playing that?” I’m like, “No way, man.” I’d play it three times a night if they can take it.
What other songs do you love to perform?
DC: There’s one that I wrote, “This Kind of Love.” It’s about my relationship with my wife and kids and God, and I really wanted to record it. It has connected with people in a way I never thought it would. So we do it most nights, and the nights that we don’t do it, we hear about it. (People say) “I can’t believe you didn’t do that song. That was my wedding song.” It’s just me on a piano. So specifically for me, that one means a lot.
The name Sister Hazel comes from a female minister in our hometown. She ran a rescue mission in Gainesville for decades and took care of people that needed a hand up regardless of race, religion, politics or anything else.
—Drew Copeland
You’ve played thousands of shows. Is there one that really stands out in your career?
DC: Yes. In 1998, we were on tour. Things were going crazy for us: late-night television, everything else. And the Gator Growl at the University of Florida in The Swamp—we did a cameo up on the big screen beside the stage, just saying, “Hey, we’re from Gainesville.” Everywhere we go, we make sure people know that we’re Gators. And then Ryan, our guitar player, says, “You guys didn’t think we’d miss Gator Growl,” and these fireworks shoot off the front of the stage, and we play “All for You,” and “Happy,” and man … I grew up a mile and a half from there, and I grew up selling Cokes and programs just to go watch Gator games. So, to be playing to a stadium full of people singing our song, it’s crazy. That was cool.
The other one was, we did two different tours with the Allman Brothers, but the first tour that we did with them, we did two sold-out nights at Red Rocks in Colorado, and that was crazy.
Sister Hazel is part of a long list of legendary Florida musicians.
DC: I mean, just in my high school, you had Stephen Stills, Bernie Leadon, Don Felder and Tom Petty. Not to mention the Allman Brothers in Daytona and Skynyrd in Jacksonville. Felder has said before, “I don’t know if it was something in the water or something they were smoking, but you know, (North Florida) tended to put out good, good music.”
Which artists influenced you?
DC: I mean, Tom Petty, for sure. Ken and I, we spent our whole lives in Gainesville, and you followed what happened with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Me and Stan Lynch, who was the drummer for the Heartbreakers, we’ve become like brothers. So it’s a really cool connection to that band. We never did get to play with the Heartbreakers, which was always kind of a bucket list thing for us, but yet they had a huge influence.
Were you always a musician?
DC: No. In fact, I was an athlete, believe it or not. I played two years of junior college football up in North Carolina at Lees-McRae (College), and my dream was to transfer back and play football at UF. But I never got faster or bigger or stronger, so it was over. I went back to Gainesville, hung out there for a little bit and then decided to go to Hawaii and just surf for a couple of months. My brother was going through a breakup at the time, and he said, “Well, I’ll go with you.” We were going to go for just a few months and ended up staying for two years. Then I told my brother, “Man, if I’m gonna do anything, I’ve got to go back. I need to go to school.” That was ’89. He’s still there.
And that’s when Sister Hazel started?
DC: That’s when I met Ken. We had a lot of mutual friends, but I had no aspirations as far as music goes. We were at a tailgating party for a Florida-Tennessee football game at a friend’s house across from the stadium, and he picked up a guitar and started singing “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles. Everyone was obviously socially lubricated. I went over and just started singing harmonies with him, and our friends were like, “Man, you guys are amazing.”
You had no formal training?
DC: I grew up singing at church, and all my family could sing. In fact, there’s no doubt I’m the worst singer in my family. My mom and dad could both play piano, and my two sisters and my brother could sing. My sisters have perfect pitch. If they’re ever at a show, it drives me crazy because I know that they’re listening. I’m like, “Oh, this is so much pressure.”
So things took off pretty quickly?
DC: When Ken and I first started, I couldn’t really play guitar and sing at the same time. I just had to learn how to do it. We started doing acoustic gigs, and a couple of years into that, (Ken) said he wanted to start a band. I was about to graduate from (UF’s) School of Building Construction. I said, “If you just find somebody to replace me, I’ll stay in until then.” I had a few things happen personally that changed my direction. Two years later, we got a record deal. I never had aspirations of being in a band. It just happened.
There were a lot of great college bands then. Do you all still talk?
DC: Yeah, yeah, I still see those guys, Scott Phillips from Creed more than the rest. Ken and I actually went to Rob Thomas’s wedding (from Matchbox Twenty) when he got married several decades ago. The Hootie (& the Blowfish) guys are like brothers. Edwin McCain, Tonic. So yeah, there’s a lot of relationships that we’ve maintained through all that time.
You guys pioneered music-themed cruises. How did the Rock Boat come about?
DC: The idea was for us to do something that allowed us to spend time with our fans and thank them for their support. That was back in 2001. So we took out another band, took like 200 cabins off of a cruise ship and went and did it. Well, it went really well, so the next year we chartered an entire cruise ship, and we brought a bunch of bands with us, and we turned the ship into music venues. That thing kind of took off. There’s just something different about The Rock Boat. It’s a community of people that put all the noise aside, and when they get on that boat, they’re there for a common cause: their love of music and to have a good time. It has helped what was already a community of people called the Hazelnuts grow.
What does the next chapter look like?
DC: We’re going to start working on another series of releases. We’re also celebrating 30 years of “All for You.” In ’97 it was No. 1 for several weeks, so we’re celebrating that.
Sister Hazel’s Top 5 Songs
1. All for You
Somewhere More Familiar, 1997
2. Your Winter
Fortress, 2000
3. Mandolin Moon
Absolutely, 2006
4. Change Your Mind
Fortress, 2000
5. Champagne High
Fortress, 2000
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About the Author
As an editor and journalist, Jamie has covered travel and culture around the world. Her work has appeared in national and international publications. She spent much of her professional life abroad and worked in newsrooms from The Moscow Times to The Times of London. She holds degrees from Florida State and Georgetown. She founded Flamingo in 2015.
