Danika & the Jeb

History

Danika Holmes began learning piano at age six and wrote music as a teenager, but did not have serious musical aspirations. Her father died at age 54, and at the time Holmes was teaching middle school and high school, a job that did not give her satisfaction. Her father's early death encouraged her to earn a master's degree in education to teach at a university, but that also did not make her happy; she was more interested in music. Holmes decided to learn guitar, and through that she met Jeb Hart, who taught guitar in Davenport, Iowa.

Hart had played saxophone since age nine, held a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry, and worked as a financial planner while also serving as president and owner of the Quad Cities Music Education Coalition. The two connected and in 2010 both quit their jobs to form a band under Holmes' name. Hart had experience playing guitar, bass, and drums in various bands. In 2012 they decided to continue as a duo.

In 2020 the duo canceled shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic and adapted their business model so all revenue came from online sources. They had already planned in September 2019 to set up a Patreon subscription service, and they began selling merchandise, using email marketing, and investing in their presence on the streaming platform Stageit.