The Vegabonds

The Vegabonds may be the best damn rock ‘n’ roll band that you’ve never heard of – yet.

Formed in 2009 by a group of college-aged buddies from Auburn, Alabama, The Vegabonds hit the road a decade-and-a-half ago and haven’t let a foot off the proverbial gas since. Headlining clubs and playing opening tour slots behind a handful of independent albums, the band became an under-the-radar gem in America’s loud and rowdy Southern rock scene – known for playing a can’t-miss live show, no matter if its a 3 p.m. festival set in the gooey-hot Georgia sun or a midnight romp inside a bar soaked in cheap beer and neon lights.

But under-the-radar can’t last forever. And after the world starts spinning their ambitious new album Young & Unafraid, it’ll be hard to keep The Vegabonds a secret much longer.

The group – featuring lead singer Daniel Allen, Richard Forehand on guitar, Paul Bruens on bass, Beau Cooper on keyboards and Bryan Harris on drums – has logged about 500,000 miles on the road, opening for Blackberry Smoke, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Gregg Allman, among others. Despite getting a first taste for touring while overseas, the band’s most comfortable trekking through the south, where stops often include Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville, the band’s adopted home since relocating in 2012.

And this summer, they’ll take Young & Unafraid on the road. The album debuts independently on June 20, marking the culmination of songs that the group began workshopping about five years ago. Channeling the heartland rock spirit of Bruce Springsteen, the simple-worded charm of Tom Petty, the earnestness of Kings of Leon – Allen’s favorite band – and rambunctious picking inspired in-part by the Allman Brothers Band, Young & Unafraid tells a coming-of-age journey that tackles big dreams, broken hearts and an untamed search for happiness.

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