Biography
Chattanooga-based punk outfit Basement Benders forged a propulsive and direct style of punk rock by drawing on the collective experience of its lineup, a sound fully displayed across the 2015 debut full-length Lydiad.
The project arose from the remnants of Dark Rides, uniting vocalist and guitarist Buddha—also known as Brian D. Bush—alongside guitarist Ashley Krey and drummer Morgan Stickrod, who then recruited Krey’s partner, Terry Johnson of This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, to handle bass duties. Although the players brought prior involvement in numerous local punk groups such as Hidden Spots, Drug Czars, Sharp Knife, Tulsa, and Future Virgins, the new ensemble avoided simply recycling earlier approaches. Their first release, the Basement Benders EP, arrived in 2015 via Dead Broke and Drunken Sailor. The brisk blend of melodic punk, echoing the approach of Jawbreaker, Leatherface, and Face to Face, soon attracted interest from the American punk imprint No Idea. Later that year the musicians entered Ryan Williams’ Black Bear Studios to track their debut album, Lydiad, which No Idea issued that November. In 2016 the band embarked on extensive touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. while also beginning work on a follow-up record. Because each participant remained occupied with separate endeavors, Basement Benders’ second album did not surface until 2018; Shrapnel Songs, put out by Dead Broke, emerged toward the close of that year.
The project arose from the remnants of Dark Rides, uniting vocalist and guitarist Buddha—also known as Brian D. Bush—alongside guitarist Ashley Krey and drummer Morgan Stickrod, who then recruited Krey’s partner, Terry Johnson of This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, to handle bass duties. Although the players brought prior involvement in numerous local punk groups such as Hidden Spots, Drug Czars, Sharp Knife, Tulsa, and Future Virgins, the new ensemble avoided simply recycling earlier approaches. Their first release, the Basement Benders EP, arrived in 2015 via Dead Broke and Drunken Sailor. The brisk blend of melodic punk, echoing the approach of Jawbreaker, Leatherface, and Face to Face, soon attracted interest from the American punk imprint No Idea. Later that year the musicians entered Ryan Williams’ Black Bear Studios to track their debut album, Lydiad, which No Idea issued that November. In 2016 the band embarked on extensive touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. while also beginning work on a follow-up record. Because each participant remained occupied with separate endeavors, Basement Benders’ second album did not surface until 2018; Shrapnel Songs, put out by Dead Broke, emerged toward the close of that year.
Albums