5 local Auburn bands you should know about, + details on AubFest DIY music festival
Reading time: 7 minutes
These 5 local Auburn bands were all voted by the community to perform at Auburn’s local DIY music festival, AubFest. As an insider of the Auburn music scene, I’m here to give you the scoop on these beloved bands. Keep reading to discover more about Auburn’s local talent.
1. The Official Bard of Baldwin County
Bard always brings the energy to their shows with lots of foot stomping and angsty tunes. (Dylan Basden / Dylan Basden Photography)
Jackson Chambers, aka “The Bard,” is one of Auburn’s beloved music geniuses and the glue of the local music scene in Auburn. Bard is a completely self-taught up-and-coming queer folk musician who makes folk-punk inspired music and covers. The second I heard their soft but angsty voice over the frantic, flemenco-punk guitar strums, I was hooked.
If you like any variety of folk, country, punk, or guitar-heavy music, you have to listen to Bard. With witty and clever lyricism, the occasional yelp or whistle and diverse use of instruments, Bard’s music stands out from anything you’ve heard before.
Bard is an incredible musician and has grown a passionate fanbase in Auburn since their first gig. I asked them how the Auburn community has welcomed them into the music scene:
“Everyone I’ve met and worked with in the Auburn music scene has been such a pleasure. There’s such a clear spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, as well as plain ol’ love! I think we all want to see each other do amazing things, and as a result we are able to put on some kickass shows.”
Jackson Chambers, The Official Bard of Baldwin County, Anthropology Student at Auburn University
My favorite songs of Bard’s are “whip-poor-will, the psychopomp of the eastern woods” and “hopin’ n’ wishin’ (a love song for your enemies).” Check out these songs and the rest of their incredible originals, including one recently featured on an official Spotify playlist, “Folk Misfits.”
- Genre: folk, folkpunk
- Spotify | Apple Music | 4,089 Monthly Spotify Listeners
- Website | Instagram | Facebook
2. Bruh Collective
Bruh Collective makes funky electronic music featuring distinctive instruments like the trombone and didgeridoo. (Dylan Basden / Dylan Basden Photography)
Bruh Collective is composed of longtime friends Sam Harrison, Duncan Selle and John Evans, who have been making funk experimental music together since eighth grade. Now, they are sharing their music with the Auburn community with surreal performances.
Combining electronic musical influences with modern production techniques, Bruh Collective makes fun danceable music reminiscent of what you might hear while playing Mario Kart. They also rely on using the weirdest instruments they can find, like the didgeridoo and aztec death whistle (fans go crazy when they bring these out at shows).
- Genre: electronic/funk
- Spotify | Apple Music | 175 Monthly Spotify Listeners
3. Brunch with Rosie
Listen to Brunch With Rosie for upbeat, fun indie funk music. (Dylan Basden / Dylan Basden Photography)
Brunch with Rosie is an indie rock band comprised of friends Hunter Price, Isaac Hayes and John Evans of Bruh Collective. This group is another experimental indie band looking to share their thoughts and musical passions with the world.
“Hunter and I met through Auburn commercial music ensemble and we worked on each other’s songs for Sonic Nation’s first EP in 2021. I met Isaac through my friendship with Bard and we all eventually became close friends.”
“We all started writing and playing together last summer and played our first show in June 2022, and we’re really excited for our upcoming shows and for AubFest 2!”
John Evans, Brunch With Rosie, Student at Auburn University
Brunch With Rosie’s first EP, “Chasing Shadows,” will be released this month.
- Genre: indie funk/rock
- Spotify | Apple Music | 32 Monthly Spotify Listeners
4. Radio Decay
Radio Decay is an indie rock band with alternative, punk, emo and new wave influences. They have been playing shows across the southeast and in their hometown of Auburn since 2015, spreading their passion for expression and creating meaning. Their music is the type of high-energy, invigorating music that gets the whole crowd headbanging.
- Genre: indie rock with a punk flare
- Spotify | 37 Monthly Spotify Listeners
- Website | Instagram | Facebook
5. The Band Silhouette
The Band Silhouette are a funky, alternative rock band made up of Dylan Deal (drums and vocals), Will Scarpa (bass), Brenner Oakes (guitar and vocals), and James Berryhill (guitar and vocals). (Dylan Basden / Dylan Basden Photography) (The Band Silhouette / Facebook)
The Band Silhouette began in 2021 when drummer Dylan Deal put out an ad on Instagram looking for a guitarist for his band. James, guitarist and vocals, responded to the ad with small expectations of having some friends to jam out with.
“For about seven months, we would meet and play the handful of cover songs we were learning, but because of COVID and Auburn’s general lack of a music scene, I was unsure if we would ever even play a show together. Around August of 2021, thanks to some persuasion by Brenner, we threw our first house show.”
“What ultimately made me feel like this band could actually succeed was a complete fluke. We had been jokingly covering Toxic by Britney Spears at our rehearsals, and when we were lucky enough to get an encore, we gave it a try, and the crowd went nuts.”
“I think what we all learned from that is people want to hear what they don’t expect, and if you do something fresh, they’re always going to respond. Since then, I’ve had complete faith that with a little luck that we could actually succeed as a band.”
James Berryhill, guitarist and vocals for The Band Silhouette, Student at Auburn University
From there, The Band Silhouette continued booking local gigs and writing and recording original music. Their debut single “Runaway” dropped on December 2 and reached 6,000 streams in just 3 months. Keep your eye out for their next single “Natalie” which debuts next month.
- Genre: funky alternative rock
- Spotify | Apple Music | 206 Monthly Spotify Listeners
- Website | Instagram | Facebook
What’s AubFest and how can I attend?
You can see all these artists and more live at AubFest 2—the second edition of AubFest—a small music festival including local bands, camping, food trucks and concessions. The second AubFest is officially happening on Saturday, March 25th.
Local Auburn University student Ashley Spencer is the founder and visionary behind this all-day concert bringing together local talent and music lovers.
“I’m most excited to use what I learned from AubFest 1 to improve AubFest 2. It’s awesome to already have an established following to hopefully have a great turnout and experience for everyone. I’m also pleased that this will be a reoccurring event.”
Ashley Spencer, Biosystems Engineering Sophomore at Auburn University
- When: Saturday, March 25
- Where: Boggin’ On The Plains 3935 US-29, Auburn, AL 36830
- Price: $25/person | Purchase Tickets
- Instagram | Facebook
If you can’t make it to AubFest 2 but still want to support the local music scene, follow DIYAUBURN and the artists’ socials to stay up to date on their new releases, announcements and pop-up shows. You can also support by engaging with the bands on social media and giving their music a listen on your preferred streaming platform.
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