Goodbye June, Badflower

Goodbye June

Growing up scattered throughout the South and Midwest, cousins Landon Milbourn, Brandon Qualkenbush, and Tyler Baker had longtime plans of forming a band. Then in June 2005, Baker's brother was tragically killed in a car accident while home on military leave. "It wasn't until after Shane passed away that we decided to finally make this happen, and to focus on writing music that felt really meaningful to us," notes Qualkenbush. Having chosen a name to mark the month of Shane's death, Goodbye June soon forged a heavy, soulful sound that fused Milbourn's ferocious vocals with Qualkenbush and Baker's brilliantly gritty guitar work.

In 2012, Goodbye June inked a deal with Nashville-based record label Cotton Valley Music, which eventually paved the way for their signing to Interscope Records in early 2016.

Goodbye June are now making their debut with the Danger In The Morning EP (Cotton Valley Music/Interscope Records), created in the thriving rock scene of their adopted hometown of Nashville, TN. The band worked closely with producer Paul Moak (The Weeks, Joy Williams of Civil Wars) to carve out a selection of songs that reveal both their frenetic energy and dynamic musicality.

Since their start, playing live has been essential to the lifeblood of the band. With recent performances including dates with ZZ Top, Forecastle Festival, Live on the Green, Louder Than Life Festival, and a European swing, the band delivers a show that Milbourn describes as "sweaty and dirty, with hair flying everywhere and tambourines getting broken and me falling down every once in a while."

Now at work on a full-length debut to be released in 2017, Goodbye June is focused on channeling that raw energy into their studio output. "There's definitely a structure to the madness with this band," Qualkenbush points out. "We want to give people the kind of rock-and-roll experience that's a little harder to come by these days-and hopefully they'll come away with something that has real meaning.

Badflower

A predatory catcaller. A tortured, addicted lover. A jaded, blue-collar bar band singer. A cold-blooded killer. With characters like these, you may feel as though you're watching a film, not listening to a rock 'n' roll record. These are just some of the compelling characters from the debut EP from L.A.'s Badflower, a fledgling rock band of cinematic proportions. The EP's songs showcase an exciting young group of musicians and a star talent in frontman Josh Katz. Long fascinated with movie music, his dark lyrics reveal a storyteller sophisticated beyond his 24 years. "I enjoy putting myself in other people's shoes, and imagining their thoughts, expressing those hidden terrors and fears," explains Katz about the roleplaying nature of his lyric-writing. "By acting them out, I try to stress how wrong these attitudes can be, but still show how easy they are to adopt." Badflower's songs play like short-films, with Katz portraying the various characters. Some are sympathetic, and some are monsters. These moral contradictions create a tension supported and reinforced by the music beneath. As his chief collaborator, lead guitarist Joey Morrow is responsible for much of Badflower's signature sound: snaky, psychedelic guitar riffs, often building to powerful rock rhythms over the course of a song. Bassist Alex Espirtu and drummer Anthony Sonetti provide a strong backbone, and Katz's tenor regularly turns on a dime from world-weary clarity to a violent snarl. Despite the intricacies, this is music for large rooms and big crowds – a throwback to the days when rock music could reach the wide masses, shake up the status quo, even save souls. "I'd like to change the world," says Katz. "I still believe rock 'n' roll has the potential to do that. We are committed to building this into a mountain, a skyscraper. We've all pushed each other to get better." With their debut EP, Badflower seems up to the challenge.