Basement Benders

Chattanooga-based punkers Basement Benders channel each member's previous bands into a whirlwind of urgent and upfront punk rock, as heard on their 2015 debut album Lydiad. Formed from the ashes of Dark Rides, vocalist/guitarist Buddha (aka Brian D. Bush), guitarist Ashley Krey, and drummer Morgan Stickrod, drafted in Krey's partner and This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb member Terry Johnson on bass. Although each member had a rich history of playing in local punk bands -- including Hidden Spots, Drug Czars, Sharp Knife, Tulsa, Future Virgins, and more -- the band didn't just rehash their old sound. The group delivered their debut single, the Basement Benders EP, for Dead Broke and Drunken Sailor in 2015. The urgent mix of melodic punk rock, which recalled bands such as Jawbreaker, Leatherface, and Face to Face, soon caught the ear of American punk label No Idea. That same year the band headed to Ryan Williams' Black Bear Studios to record their debut album, Lydiad, which was issued in November by No Idea. 2016 saw the group head out on tour across the U.S., Europe, and the U.K., as well as start recording their sophomore album. With each member focusing on other projects, it wouldn't be until 2018 that Basement Benders' second album would see the light of day. Shrapnel Songs, which was released on Dead Broke, appeared at the end of the year.
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