Olive Sings performed for a sizable crowd on Nov. 6 at The Cabin with personal stories, jokes and, of course, music.

The Rice Lake natives greeted the audience with smiles and gratitude at 8 p.m., sharing their passion for music and their message of peace.

The duo strives to share this message to their audience and came up with their name because the symbol for peace is an olive branch. Seth Gamble and Kayla Zoltak, the two members of the band, said they believe it is important to show kindness and take care of each other at all times.

Zoltak has been singing her whole life and started playing the keyboard when she was two years old, singing the notes along with it. She started playing the saxophone in seventh grade and recently learned how to play the fiddle.

Gamble has been playing the guitar since he was about 12 or 13 years old but did not perform until he was 23. He was always nervous to play, which stopped him from getting serious with his music early on.

“It took a lot to get up in front of people,” Gamble said.

His first time performing was at a small coffee shop in Rice Lake.

“It was a disaster,” Gamble said.  “I couldn’t remember, I had to stop, I was embarrassed.”

If it wasn’t for Gamble’s friends, he would not have done it again. They encouraged him to keep trying, because they had heard him play in a natural setting when he was not as nervous.  Until this June, Gamble performed as a solo act, he said.

Gamble met Zoltak at a karaoke bar and found they shared similar hobbies. The formation of Olive Sings in June came out of their relationship because of all the time they spent together.

“We both are huge lovers of music,” Zoltak said.

Gamble and Zoltak performed their first concert together at Blue Hills Block Party in Rice Lake. That night, the rock band Picard, and solo acts Rachel Hanson, Andy Nelson and Lizzy Diane also graced the stage.

On Friday night, they covered bands Radiohead, The Lumineers, The Avid Brothers, Bob Marley, Dave Rawling’s Machine and John Pryne.

“We’re ‘90s children,” Gamble said. “We grew up with bands like Radiohead and Nirvana.”

They opened with their original song “Carpe Diem.”

Both musicians love performing and emphasized nights like these are the “best.” They have played at sports bars and one Packer game, and Gamble said they appreciate an audience who gives them attention in a respectful manner.

Gamble said he appreciates audience members who approach him after the show and tell them how much their music connected with them in a certain way. He said it is his favorite part to know that he was able to reach out to others who feel the same.