The Speedbumps are an award-winning American band with a warm, authentic sound, built on a passion for hollow-bodied instruments, indie-folk and indie-rock influences, and singer-songwriter Erik Urycki’s breathy, commanding vocals and canny phrasing.
The band’s roots lie deep in the Rustbelt, where quiet strength and limited embellishment define the culture. The working class towns around Akron, the former rubber capital, from which artists like The Black Keys, The Pretenders, and Devo have emerged, have provided the band with an aesthetic that seeks to tease out beauty from the gritty details of everyday life.
Daryl Rowland, writing for the Huffington Post, said that singer Erik Urycki’s lyrics “often tackle complex human emotions with elegant economy.”
While the band cites influences from Paul Simon to Nick Drake to Radiohead, their material and vibe have more in common with festival favorites like The Decemberists, Wilco, or My Morning Jacket with their consistently ... view more »
The Speedbumps are an award-winning American band with a warm, authentic sound, built on a passion for hollow-bodied instruments, indie-folk and indie-rock influences, and singer-songwriter Erik Urycki’s breathy, commanding vocals and canny phrasing.
The band’s roots lie deep in the Rustbelt, where quiet strength and limited embellishment define the culture. The working class towns around Akron, the former rubber capital, from which artists like The Black Keys, The Pretenders, and Devo have emerged, have provided the band with an aesthetic that seeks to tease out beauty from the gritty details of everyday life.
Daryl Rowland, writing for the Huffington Post, said that singer Erik Urycki’s lyrics “often tackle complex human emotions with elegant economy.”
While the band cites influences from Paul Simon to Nick Drake to Radiohead, their material and vibe have more in common with festival favorites like The Decemberists, Wilco, or My Morning Jacket with their consistently smart, spare and rootsy approach.
Erik Urycki: vocals, guitar
Sam Kristoff: cello
Danny Jenkins: drums/percussion
Kevin Martinez: bass
Bethany Svoboda: keys, vocals
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ROGER HOOVER
A fearless songwriter, Hoover who distills the experiences of an American wanderer into songs that illuminate the ethereal worlds and promise within each of us. The darkness underlying Hoover’s compositions manifest itself as songs exploring mysterious religiosity of a swirling Depression-era dust storm, as the harsh North Dakota wilderness and of finding work there, the yearning for quiet places far from humanity, Saint John’s contemplative life and brotherhood, and one man’s gratitude for love and the potential inside all of us to change our landscape, songs that playwright Tyler Whidden says, “howl with the voices of the disenfranchised and heartbroken whose ghosts hang like shadows.” Even in the most desperate times, there is a blush of hope, a glimmer of promise.
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