Royal Bangs

Indie rock trio the Royal Bangs craft boisterous experimental rock that leans into the abrasive textures of '90s noise rock. The group came together in Knoxville, Tennessee during 2005, built around longtime high-school friends singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Schaefer plus drummer Chris Rusk, with guitarist Sam Stratton completing the lineup. After uploading tracks to the internet, the band drew the attention of the Black Keys' Patrick Carney, who placed them on his Audio Eagle Records imprint and issued their first album, We Breed Champions, in 2008. Their second release, Let It Beep, arrived the following year. In 2010 the band moved to Glassnote Records, then delivered their third studio album, Flux Outside, in 2011. That record was produced by former Sparklehorse member Scott Minor and mixed by longtime Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. The Royal Bangs resurfaced in 2013 with Brass, again produced by Carney.