Old Souls And Youthful Energy, Meet Bedford!
The hotbed of talent that lies within our great Commonwealth surprises me on an almost daily basis. Country music or as some call it, Americana, is pretty prevalent around these parts, but the music community is extremely diverse at the moment. We have Rock, Rap, Soul, Singer-Songwriters, Metal, Circus Sideshow performers and just about anything you can dream up.
In this article, I want to shine a little light on a band that is based in Morehead. The band is Bedford and their business is rock’n’roll. And from where I’m sitting, business is good.
Kentucky has produced many Rock bands over time. Some made it, like My Morning Jacket, Cage The Elephant or Black Stone Cherry to name a few. Others deserved to make it, but ultimately failed for whatever reason. I would say Supafuzz is my best example of what should have been. Bedford has plans to do things differently.
Fully embracing their roots, Bedford has forged a sound that would stand up against many 70’s rockers. Bands like Free, Humble Pie, Golden Earring and of course The Allman Brothers seemingly make up the foundation of their sound. So what separates Bedford from any other bar band? Glad you asked. Their youthful energy and command of their instruments are a rare combination. We had these guys play our inaugural Cinder & Smoke Fest and I was physically exhausted just watching their set and many folks walked away with a new favorite band.
Recently the band released their debut EP called Content. There are only seven tracks, so rather than tell you my opinion of every single song, I’m going to pick a few and encourage you to discover the rest on your own.
I’ll start with the opening track, “Mr. Man.”You are immediately shown exactly what to expect from the very first notes. A shredding solo over a drum fill brings us down to a driving bassline that weaves its way through everything. Reminiscent of Golden Earring’s classic, “Radar Love.” Check it out below!
The next gem I want to discuss is “Revolution.” The track lulls you into thinking it’s just a guitar anthem. Just a simple groove drug through the swamp to add character before it’s fried up real nice through the guitar amp. These guys know who they are and have a clear path to simply create and they have done so at an early age. With the resurgence of the classic rock sound that is currently being led by Greta Van Fleet, Bedford may have the DNA and the skills to follow suit. Only time can answer that one.
The last song I want to mention is “Bone Orchard.” This track is by far and away their best effort thus far. Before you push play, think back to the harmonies of The Eagles. How as “Seven Bridges Road” began with those harmonies, you knew immediately that you were experiencing greatness. Bedford brings those same type harmonies and a fantastic song structure to provide my favorite groove on the record.
In fact, I’ll say that “Bone Orchard” will quickly be like Lays potato chips…bet ya can’t listen just once. Go ahead, push play. I triple dog dare ya!
Are you okay now? Shew! Good. If I were an attorney, I would present to you my closing argument. So here goes, if you enjoy rock’n’roll with a classic sound and high energy performances, go see Bedford and feel free to thank us later.
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Tristan Frazier- Drums/Cajon/Vocals
Trevor St. John- Guitar/Vocals
Samuel May- Lead Vocals/Bass
Kolby Swiney- Guitar/Vocals/Keyboard
