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. 

Solo artist. Frontman. Behind-the-scenes songwriter. For more than a decade, Adam Hood has left his mark both onstage and in the writing room, carving out a southern sound that mixes equal parts country, soul and American roots music.

It's a sound that began shape in Opelika, Alabama. Raised by working-class parents, Hood started playing hometown shows as a 16 year-old, landing a weekly residency at a local restaurant. He'd perform there every Friday and Saturday night, filling his set list with songs by John Hiatt, Hank Williams Jr, and Vince Gill. As the years progressed, the gigs continued — not only in his home state, but across the entire country. Eventually even landing himself a three-year nationwide tour opening for Leon Russell.

These days, though, Hood is no longer just putting his own stamp on the songs of chart-topping country stars. Instead, many of those acts -- including Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Anderson East, Josh Abbott Band, Lee Ann Womack & Brent Cobb -- are playing his songs.

In 2016, Hood signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Nashville and GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Cobb’s Low Country Sound. All while remaining adamantly focused on his own career, playing around 100 shows annually promoting third solo release, Welcome to the Big World, and now his newest release, Somewhere in Between.

A showcase for both his frontman abilities and songwriting chops, Somewhere in Between shines a light on Hood's strength as a live performer. He recorded most of the album live at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios over two quick days. Teaming up with friend and producer Oran Thornton (Miranda Lambert's Revolution, Angaleena Presley's Wrangled) their goal was to create something that reflected the raw, real sound of his concerts, where overdubs and unlimited takes are never an option. The result is a record that reflects Hood's working-class roots, mixing the upbeat thrill of his roadhouse roots-rock songs with the contemplative, stripped-down sway of his country ballads.

Joining him in the studio were guitarist Pat McLaughlin, bassist Lex Price, and drummer Jerry Roe. All of whom captured their parts in just a handful of live takes while Hood simultaneously tracked his vocals. Stripped free of studio trickery and lushly layered arrangements, Somewhere in Between is an honest, story-driven record. One that’s both relatable and deeply autobiographical, with Hood writing or co-writing ten of the record’s eleven tracks, alongside friends like McLaughlin, Brent Cobb -- who also appears on the electrified "She Don't Love Me" -- Josh Abbott, Jason Eady, and plenty of others.

Somewhere in Between is an album that finally finds Hood telling his own story. A dedicated family man, he wrote "Locomotive" — a heartland anthem, full of Telecaster twang and sunny swagger — after watching his young daughter develop her motor skills while playing with a set of blocks. Balancing his life as a relentless road-warrior, Hood penned highway ballad "Downturn" about a life filled with wanderlust and long drives from gig to gig.

As a blue-collar songwriter, Hood shines a light on everyday experiences — from family and friends to the thrill of Friday nights. Partly because he’s stuck to his roots. The native Alabaman still lives in the Yellowhammer State and celebrates America's rural pockets with songs like "Keeping Me Here" and "Real Small Town," two songs filled with images of main streets, open landscapes, hard times, and good people.

"It's southern music," he says, grouping Somewhere in Between’s wide range of music under an appropriate banner. "That's what it represents: the soulful side of southern music, the country side of southern music, the genuineness of southern culture, and the way I grew up. One of the t-shirts I sell at every show simply says ‘Southern Songs,’ and It's a good summary of what I do. It's what I've always done."