We interviewed Bethesda, an up-and-coming band out of Kent, Ohio. It was a new experience for The Lesser Known, so bear with us on this one, it's probably going to be a little disjointed. Our interview notes leave something to be desired, so this will be more of a summing-up of what happened and what was said rather than our usual question and answer format.
So here we go:
Bethesda is a six piece folk-rock indie band. They consist of band founders Eric Ling and Shanna Delaney, who met in college at Kent State University, and recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. In fact, it was on their honeymoon that they first decided to start making music together. From there, the couple met drummer Justin Rife and bassist Dan Corby at church, and Bethesda was born. Bethesda more recently expanded to include violinist/keyboardist Christopher Black, and lead guitarist/banjo player Jessie Scaggs.
Eric and Shanna
Top: Dan, Christopher, Jessie
Bottom: Justin
The band has one full length album (Love in the Time of Tra La La) and one EP (Dreamtiger and Other Tails) from earlier years, but their newly released LP, The Reunion, is the first to include all six members, and during our interview they were very enthusiastic about it. With this album they have settled into a genre and a unique, cohesive sound, a process which has taken nearly four years to reach since Bethesda's genesis.
In their early days, Bethesda's varied influences pulled them in many directions, from post-punk, to indie-pop, to eight minute Sufjan Stephens-esque songs. In The Reunion, these influences are much more nuanced than in their previous recordings. Eric and Shanna cited The Decemberists and Arcade Fire as some of their inspirations, along with Shanna's vocal sound coming from a background of opera, musical theater, and bluegrass. With such varied interests, it took the band a while to achieve a defined and specific style. Now that they have, however, Bethesda is focusing on their goals as a band and their rising success following the release of their LP.
This year, Bethesda played their biggest show so far, Bonnaroo. Shanna commented that they were surprised that so many people came out to see their set: "There were people in the crowd holding signs with our names on them! We couldn't believe it." The group said that while they love to play big shows and outdoor festivals, they prefer smaller venues. Their main goal is to connect with people, share stories, and get to know their fans. Eric told us that their favorite thing about touring is learning about people's lives and having people really relate to their music. After seeing their set at Bunbury, we can confidently say that Bethesda accomplishes their goal of connecting with audiences.
Bethesda at Bunbury Music Festival
July 14th, 2013
For Bethesda's tour schedule, music, merch, and more about the band, you can visit their website, Youtube channel, SoundCloud, Facebook page, or Twitter page.
Check out Bethesda's Official Music Video for "Go" off their newly released album, The Reunion!
For more about Bunbury Music Festival 2013, the bands we saw there, and our over all experience, check back in the weeks to come. We will be posting a lot of information and stories soon!
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