Bambara (band)
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Bambara is an American
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
band formed in 2007 in
Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...
, currently based in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. The trio consists of twin brothers Reid Bateh (lead vocals, guitar) and Blaze Bateh (drums), and William Brookshire (bass). The band is named after the character of the same name from the animated television series '' Æon Flux''. Drummer Blaze Bateh stated that "honestly there wasn’t anything in particular about him as a character that drove us to use his name. We were just huge fans of the show. I’ve watched the show start to finish countless times and I still get blown away by aspects of it. But yeah, we just thought his name sounded really cool". Reid Bateh's baritone vocals have been compared to
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian musician, writer, and actor who fronts the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Known for his baritone voice, Cave's music is characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety ...
and Rowland S. Howard.


History

The members of Bambara began playing with each other in 2001 in Athens, Georgia when twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh and school friend William Brookshire attended North Springs High School. The trio started out playing covers of bands such as
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
and
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
before developing their own sound that incorporated "funk, progressive, and a lot of Latin". They released their debut album ''Curtains and Cannibals'' in 2005 under their original name 23jinx. In October 2007, the band changed their name and formed as Bambara. The band moved to Brooklyn, where they signed to Arrowhawk Records in 2013. They recorded the album ''Dreamviolence'' from their basement apartment before releasing it in April of that same year. Their music was labeled as noise rock in part due to their use of machines, loops, and other assorted lo-fi software. By mid-2014, the band nearly finished their full-length LP ''Swarm'', but had their computer stolen with all of the tracks they had recorded up until that point. This resulted in a delay for the album as the band took a break before re-recording the stolen tracks. Bambara recorded and released an
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
EP of pure noise titled ''Night Chimes'' in August 2015. The band stated that the EP helped get the noise "out of their systems" which helped in creating a more toned down version of the abrasive sounds of ''Swarm'' when the time came to re-record it. The album was released on April 1, 2016. According to Zoë Beery of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', ''Swarm'' showcased the band's trademark atmosphere through long reverb and distorted guitars, but with clearer production to showcase the musicality as well as Reid Bateh's vocals. Their follow up to ''Swarm,'' entitled ''Shadow on Everything'' and released through Wharf Cat Records, continued this style for the band by restraining the noise experimentation while also incorporating a Western Gothic concept. The album follows a loose story of characters reciting eerie tales to each other at a
dive bar A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and local clientele. ...
. Critical reception for the album was positive. Following the release of ''Shadow on Everything'' in April 2018, the band embarked on a European tour in support for the album before going on an American tour in support of
Idles Idles are an English post-punk band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass), Joe Talbot (singer), Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums). After spending eight yea ...
. Idles lead singer Joe Talbot named ''Shadow on Everything'' his favorite album of 2018. Their time on the road continued into 2019 as they were chosen to perform at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
and announced an east coast tour in support of Daughters. In March 2020, while on a North American tour supporting ''Stray'', the band canceled the remainder of their tour dates due to the outbreak of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. While separated across the country during lockdown, the band began writing new music long-distance. The band was ultimately unhappy with the result and scrapped the EP only to start fresh when they were all back together in New York. They released the resulting EP, ''Love on My Mind'' in February 2022 to positive reviews.
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
called it a "novella-like EP whose shoegaze blur and metallic twang animate a dreamlike world of seedy characters and half-forgotten pasts." Bambara returned to touring in 2021, including dates opening for
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
and
Nothing Nothing, no-thing, or no thing is the complete absence of ''anything'', as the opposite of ''something'' and an antithesis of everything. The concept of nothing has been a matter of philosophical debate since at least the 5th century BCE. Ea ...
. In 2022, the song "Miracle" was used in season six of ''Peaky Blinders''. Following the release of ''Love on My Mind'', Bambara went on a two-month European tour and small run of North American dates. The band released its fifth studio album in 2025, titled '' Birthmarks''.


Musical style and influences

Their style has been described as
noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...
and
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
. '' Noisey'''s Colin Joyce described the songs as "chaotic" and "being held together with formless washes of noise and anxious vocal drones." Marcos Hassan from ''Tinymixtapes'' listed the severity of Swans and the "depraved cabaret mold" of The Birthday Party as the sound they've been honing together. Reid Bateh had a transformative experience listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 1996 album '' Murder Ballads'' for the first time. Reid Bateh has mentioned the films of Wong Kar Wai and
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
and the moods portrayed in them as influences on their sound. Bateh also cited the Southern Gothic themes from the writings of Flannery O'Connor and
Bruno Schulz Bruno Schulz (12 July 1892 – 19 November 1942) was a History of the Jews in Poland, Polish Jewish writer, fine artist, Literary criticism, literary critic and Art education, art teacher. He is regarded as one of the great Polish (language), Po ...
as influences on the themes in ''Swarm.'' Bateh has cited photographer
Nan Goldin Nancy Goldin (born 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work explores in snapshot-style the emotions of the individual, in intimate relationships, and the Bohemian style, bohemian LGBT subcultural communities, especially dealing w ...
's book '' The Ballad of Sexual Dependency'' as an influence to his lyrics on ''Love on My Mind.''


Band members


Current

*Reid Bateh – lead vocals, guitar (2007–present) * Blaze Bateh – drums, vocals (2007–present) * William Brookshire – bass, vocals (2007–present)


Mercenaries

* Bryan Keller Jr. – guitar, vocals (2016–present) * Sam Zalta – guitar, keyboards, samples (2016–present) * Lilah Larson - guitar, vocals (2025-present)https://www.instagram.com/p/DHBxn8Kx6dC/?img_index=1


Discography


Studio albums

* ''Dreamviolence'' (2013) * ''Swarm'' (2016) * ''Shadow on Everything'' (2018) * ''Stray'' (2020) * '' Birthmarks'' (2025)


EPs

*''Dog Ear Days'' (2010) *''Rings'' (2012) *''Night Chimes'' (2015) * ''Love on My Mind'' (2022)


References

{{reflist, refs= {{Cite web, url=https://www.ohmyrockness.com/bands/bambara, title=((Bambara)) Band Profile and Upcoming New York City Concerts, last=McNamara, first=Patrick, website=Oh My Rockness, language=en, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/03/08/bambara-turn-southern-gothic-into-brooklyn-noise/, title=Bambara Turn Southern Gothic Into Brooklyn Noise, last=Beery, first=Zoë, date=8 March 2016, website=Village Voice, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bambaras-shadow-on-everything-stream-interview/, title=Bambara's New Noise Rock Record Echoes the Grimy Loneliness of City Life, last=Joyce, first=Colin, date=2018-04-04, website=
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
, language=en-US, access-date=2019-03-18
{{Cite web, url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/bambara, title=Interview: Bambara, website=Tiny Mix Tapes, language=en, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=http://www.masqueradeatlanta.com/attraction/bambara/, title=Bambara, website=The Masquerade, language=en-US, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/02/13/585160010/bambaras-western-gothic-opus-shadow-on-everything-comes-to-life, first=Lars, last=Gotrich, title=Bambara's Western Gothic Opus, 'Shadow On Everything,' Comes To Life, website= NPR, date=13 February 2018 , language=en, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.sweetstatic.com/music/review/bambara-shadow-on-everything/, title=Bambara - Shadow on Everything, last=Seyfert, first=Russell, website=Sweet Static, language=en-US, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://thequietus.com/articles/24353-bambara-shadow-on-everything-album-review, title=Bambara – Shadow on Everything, website=
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...
, date=9 April 2018 , language=en-us, access-date=2019-04-10
{{Cite web, url=http://pancakesandwhiskey.com/2018/09/24/the-joy-of-getting-bruised-up-with-idles-bambara-in-brooklyn/, title=THE JOY OF GETTING BRUISED UP WITH IDLES & BAMBARA IN BROOKLYN, date=2018-09-24, website=Pancakes And Whiskey, language=en-US, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.facebook.com/BAMBARA.band/posts/10161681136230137, title=Bambara, website=www.facebook.com, language=en, access-date=2019-04-10 {{Cite web, url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/best-2018-daughters-alexis-marshall-picks-favorite-music-movies-sports-event, title=Best of 2018: Daughters' Alexis Marshall Picks Favorite Music, Movies, Sports Event, date=2018-12-17, website=Revolver, language=en, access-date=2019-04-10


External links


Bandcamp page
Musical groups from Athens, Georgia Musical groups established in 2001 American post-punk music groups 2008 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)