On February 13, The Vegabonds will wander into Rounders, making a return to their home state. And for The Vegabonds, especially front man Daniel Allen, it’s all about home.
“The song that really defines our band is ‘Where We Used to Go’…it’s kinda talking about when the two original members of our band left and the stuff we were going through…It’s just saying come pick me up and take me back to the place where we used to go…back to the good times,” lead singer Allen said.
The Vegabonds got their start playing gigs around Auburn and Tuscaloosa, which Allen says helped a lot in their growth as a band.
“I think it was great. Our target audience is the college crowd. We connect with folks those age ranges so when we were first starting off we had the perfect platform,” Allen said, “We ended pretty much doing a SEC tour all the time…We’ve built pretty solid relationships with venues and fraternities and sororities.”
After a few years in Alabama, The Vegabonds moved to Nashville in 2012.
“Nashville is a whole different monster. Everybody and their brother plays music here. It’s good to be around that environment too…you can go down to the pub on the corner and someone will be there blowing your mind. It makes us better,” Allen said.
True to their home, the South is entrenched in The Vegabonds’ style—Daniel Allen describes their sound as “new south rock”, and cites Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson as influences. Since their move to Nashville, The Vegabonds have been working on a new album, which is set to release on the 18th.
“It’s a different feel…since our last release we’ve had two of our original members drop out and we added a keyboard player. The sound is a little bit different. The songwriting is way better…It’s by far our favorite album we’ve put out,” Allen said, “We can’t wait for everybody to hear it and just see the direction we’re going now. We have a great team behind us…everything is kind of falling in place exactly how we wanted it to.”
The show at Rounders will showcase the entirety of the album and act as its release party.
Even with the changes in their recent album, Allen thinks that there is always more to be done.
“We’re always changing. It may be subtle or it may be crazy but I think none of our albums sound the same. I think that’s a good thing. You should always change and evolve. I can’t say exactly what it’ll change to but I’m sure it’ll change a bit.”
Like most bands, The Vegabonds love to play shows, especially when it comes to their fans.
“We love to tour. That’s how we connect with everybody, that’s how we get our face in front of people. I love to write songs and that whole process, but playing live with these fellas is really awesome for me, and I know they feel the same way.”
Macy Sykes of Rounders concurs.
“They’re kind of jam bandy, but rock at the same time…they’re a good interactive band,” Sykes said.
Ultimately for Allen, the greatest satisfaction comes from the connection he has with his bandmates.
“Being in a band is the closest thing I’ll ever get to playing professional sports. I just love being on a team and this is what being in a band kind of brings me,” Allen said.
The show will start Saturday night at 10 p.m. and will cost $5-$10.
