TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Twin Falls based, Crazy Love Duo, came out with their album The Big Give, inspired by their kidney donation journey.
Heather Platts and Bruce Michael Miller met in Nashville when Platts was recording a solo album that Miller was producing. Eventually, they became the Crazy Love Duo.
Not long after, Miller’s health was on the line.
Miller was struggling with kidney disease for around 20 years and his health was declining. He needed a kidney transplant. Platts decided to get tested and see if they were a match. It turns out, they aren’t just in sync musically.
“It was like Christmas. I was so excited… you go through all these tests it’s almost like oh did I pass, did I pass, you know. You kind of get caught up in the process and then they tell you, ‘you’re a match, we can schedule a surgery,’ then it became really real,” said Platts.
The pair had to take time off of work as they recovered. In response, the community banned together to provide donations.
Miller reflected on the kidney donation and community support as they worked on their album.
“I really started to embody the gift, and to me, the embodiment of the gift meant that I had to get my act together and start to feel like I was really worthy of it,” said Miller.
The album was written throughout the donation process, including their song also titled “The Big Give.”
While the album is inspired by the kidney donation, the meaning transcends the donation to tell a bigger story about kindness.
“Both of us feel compelled to share the positive nature of this whole experience because it ended up not just being about Bruce and not just about me, it ended up being about all these people around us,” said Platt.
Platt says that while the album aims to raise awareness around kidney donation, it also reminds us that we can make a difference for those around us.
Songs on the album also include "Angels in Scrubs" and "Ray of Hope," which are based on people they met along the way.
According to the national kidney foundation, the average wait time for an a person’s first kidney transplant is over three and a half years, with over over 3,000 new patients added to the kidney waiting list each month.
You can catch Crazy Love performing in Boise April 28 in the Sapphire Room. The duo will perform songs from The Big Give, and also share anecdotes about how the songs came to be.
You can purchase tickets here.
To keep up with the Crazy Love Duo, check out their website here.
