Rock n’ roll is a movement and it’s happening now. First cousins Landon Milbourn, Brandon Qualkenbush, and Tyler Baker, also known as Nashville-based rock outfit Goodbye June, are doing their part to keep the momentum going. The group recently inked a deal with legendary label Interscope Records, home of Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga. “It’s been a goal of ours to sign with a great label. It’s been a long process; they seemed like a great fit for us,” says Qualkenbush, “There aren’t a lot of bands like us on their label, so we felt like it was a good opportunity.” “The other labels we ‘dated’ didn’t really know what to do with us, they were all trying to categorize us, and Interscope wanted us for what we were,” adds Milbourn. “They excel at bands who are on the fringe of what they do, and we like that.”
Goodbye June is definitely a cool drink of water in the current and somewhat dry rock n’ roll landscape. With their AC/DC-esque sound and electric energy, they have the ability to work any crowd into a foot-stomping frenzy. Indeed, they come by it all honestly; Milbourn’s father was a music minister, and Qualkenbush is the literal son of a preacher man. “We moved around quite a bit; I learned how to get up in front of other people and play or sing,” says Qualkenbush. “The early years cultivated the desire to play music and move people. ” They also cite their exposure to the southern and black gospel music as a major influence on what they do, with some blues tucked in for good measure. While they didn’t travel the same ministerial path, their family is very supportive. “It was a culture shock for them at first, we grew up clean-shaven with short hair and wearing suits every week,” he adds of their look, which now involves a much more significant amount of hair amongst the three of them. ”We’re trying to get sponsored by Pantene,” says Baker. “I’m aiming for an Herbal Essences commercial myself,” says Milbourn with a laugh.
The members decided that a move to Nashville would be best, but the journey came with its fair share of hurdles. “We all love Nashville. We didn’t know what we were getting into though—we had zero clue what we were doing at first. We didn’t know anybody, we didn’t have jobs, I think i had $500 to my name,” recalls Milbourn. “I remember once Brandon even ate a taco out of a trash can!” “Our friend threw it away and I was hungry!” Qualkenbush adds with a laugh. “It was rough for a while.”
Now, their music is garnering much buzz in the digisphere—with almost 2.5 million plays on Spotify, their hard-hitting single “Oh No” has become the go-to video game theme song, and the band is preparing to release Danger In The Morning, a five-track EP produced by Paul Moak, on August 26th. “We’ve been working on new music for a while,” says Baker. “We’re really excited for people to hear what we’ve been up to.”
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Goodbye June on Tour:
Leave a Reply