The Bellfuries

The band was formed in 1998 by Joey Simeone (lead vocalist/songwriter) and Josh Williams (upright bass), in Austin, Texas. Although ATX has long been a stronghold for roots music, the band had clearly broken the “rockabilly” mold on arrival. With an original songbook distilling Hank Williams heartbreak and Beatles melody, driven home by Joey’s virtuosic singing and stripped-down instrumental backing, The Bellfuries quickly developed a strong local following. The release of “Just Plain Lonesome” only served to document what the fans already knew. A handful of cover songs--learned from Webb Pierce, Dion, and Sam Cooke--were obvious nods to where The Bellfuries had come from. What was most intriguing, though, was where they were going. The original material provided an itinerary; shaped, but in no way limited by, these influences. “Just Plain Lonesome” and “I Don’t Wanna Wake Up Tomorrow” may seem instant country classics, but consider a few lines from “You Must Be a Loser:” “You must be a loser You must have a defect in your heart I knew I’d tear it all apart You better run away while you can, didn’t you know all my foolish ways? How all my plans disintegrate? You take those silly blinders off and you might see That you must be a loser to love a loser like me.” The uniquely nuanced, self-deprecating humor in songs such as “Loser,” combined with bright, catchy melodies, endeared “Lonesome” to many new listeners. (New sensation JD McPherson, who has referred to the Bellfuries as “one of the best bands that ever was,” went so far as to record “Your Love (All That I’m Missin’)” for his “Signs and Signifiers,” album.) The Bellfuries were now joined by guitarist Mike Molnar. Mike, at twenty-two, had already gained valuable touring and studio experience as a sideman for the late, great Ronnie Dawson, culminating in a 1999 performance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” While promoting “Lonesome” The Bellfuries toured constantly, crisscrossing the US many times over the next few years. Despite consistently positive reactions to the music, Joey was determined not to simply re-create his first album for a follow-up release. Further road work was put on hold while Joey briefly relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Pursuing a fresh approach to their music-making, The Bellfuries recruited drummer Bobby Trimble, alumnus of West Coast roots heroes Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys. Shecky Seaver was brought on board to handle bass duties. There was a change of musical scenery as well; the songs comprising "Palmyra" are even more pop-oriented, with jangly electric guitars prominent in the mix. The debut had trod a fresh path from where Webb Pierce and Sam Cooke left off, and so did "Palmyra." It just happened that The Smiths and REM showed up along the way.) The great rockabilly road warrior/scholar Deke Dickerson had this to say: "The Bellfuries are one-of-a-kind. Although there are thousands of power pop bands in the world, and thousands of rockabilly bands too, there has only been one band that successfully merged the two forms into something so damn good. What they do is so original it's like a breath of fresh air after a hard rain." While appearing at a British festival post- “Palmyra,” the band were chagrined to see fans lining up with brand-new (read: bootlegged) copies of “Lonesome,” which had gone out of print during negotiations with the original label. When The Bellfuries returned to the UK for a sold-out appearance at the Rockabilly Rave festival in 2010, they brought their own, legitimate reissue, and in Joey’s words, “everybody bought the record again. There were lines going to the back of the [ballroom] and looped around, like an amusement park.” A recently issued DVD, featuring another sold-out performance in 2011, perfectly captures the enthusiastic relationship between the band and their European fans. The Bellfuries maintain a full, worldwide touring schedule--current dates, times and locations are available at www.thebellfuries.com. The latest single “Bad Seed Sown,” is a vinyl 45 and teaser for the new album, scheduled for release in 2014. Raw, loud, and in a rollicking R&B vein, it’s a maddeningly brief snapshot of a band that can do seemingly anything they want to, and is determined to do everything they want to.