Derrick and Jodi Mears have been “slinging songs about life, love and everything in between,” for years. In their downtime from being full-time educators, the married couple behind March to August have released a new album, “Way Back Home,” on March 26 and have been booking shows around the area.

They stopped by The Free Weekly studio to talk about making music as a duo since their daughter stepped away from the band, how to tell if a story is a good song and how Jodi and Derrick found their way to each other.

March to August also shared the title track from their new album, “Way Back Home,” which is available on all streaming services and at their website, marchtoaugustmusic.com

Below is an excerpt from that interview:

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about how you came up with the name March to August?

D: Route 358 was basically our birth months — three, five and eight. Our daughter being born in May. Then Jody and I were March and August. We felt that when Route 358 ended with Jade stepping away in December … we wanted to pay tribute, but we felt that the sound was different. The configuration was different. We needed to retire that Route 358 name and so we just kept the three and the eight, and it became March and August.

Q. Can you talk to me a little bit about how you two came to play music together? Were you together before the music, or did the music bring you together?

J: [To Derrick] Your first song that you wrote was for our wedding. I’ll never forget that. Because, of course, I’m just boo hooing, and he’s up there singing this song. He’s always been the singer-songwriter. Then I’ve kind of joined in as a wordsmith. That’s a little bit of my background.

D: It was only 2014 when Jodi started playing along and playing music as we started playing together when we started Route 358 … it was really an idea at the kitchen table when we first moved back to Northwest Arkansas.

J: You were lamenting, “I wish I had a band. It’d be great to have a band.”

D: Jade just jokingly said, “Well, we’ll play with you.” And then I took everybody seriously. And here we are eight years later. Still doing it and really still enjoying what we’re doing as well.

J: It’s also kind of a drive because you continue to write music, and I don’t see that changing, and we continue to collaborate.

D: It’s so interesting for me, though, that the drive for me — it’s been there for years. … What’s always surprising to me is Jodi’s drive. She’s just as driven doing this as I am. It’s kind of a part of who we are anymore. It’s very interesting how that’s evolved, because that was very unexpected to me. I always felt like, “OK. I’m just dragging her along.

J: No dragging!

Q. “Way Back Home” came out on May 26. Can you tell me a little bit about getting that album together?

D: This is our first album that we also self produced, entirely self produced. And so we recorded all the tracks ourselves. In our home studio. That’s the first time that we’ve done that … [that] we felt was successful.

J: The album actually has a meaning. This feels like we’re back to our roots. … we started telling the story of our whole journey through over 30 years. ..

D: It kind of started with songs from Route 358 that we never recorded or that sat on the calendar. … when it all came together, it was kind of like wow, this actually makes some logical progression.

Hear the “Way Back Home” and a longer interview at …

If you’re a music maker and willing to travel to Fayetteville, we’re always looking for artists to share their original music with us. Reach out to Monica Hooper at mhooper@nwaonline.com.

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Listen Here!

Listen to an interview with March to August and hear the title track to their new album, “Way Back Home” at nwaonline.com/622marchtoaugustpod

Catch a March to August show:

July 14 — At The Branch in Tahlequah, Okla.

July 15 — Track 94 Brewing, Seneca, Mo.

July 21 — Kad-E-Korner Store, Springfield, Mo.

July 22 — House Concert, Eagle Rock, Mo.

July 28 — Creekside Taproom, Siloam Springs

July 29 — Gotahold Brewing, Eureka Springs

Aug. 4 — Soundcloud Brewing, Oklahoma City

Aug. 12 — Wanderoo Lodge & Gravel Bar, Eureka Springs

Aug. 19 — Beard Engine Brewing, Alba, Mo.

Aug. 26 — Songbird Series, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.