As I write this, I have “Daphne Blue” by The Band Camino playing in my headphones. I can’t remember where I first heard this song, but it quickly became one of my most listened to of the year. My Spotify Wrapped for the last couple of years has had The Band Camino all over it!
Singers and guitarists Spencer Stewart and Jeffrey Jordan and drummer Garrison Burgess released their self-titled first full-length album in 2021 but have been playing together for the past six years, getting their start in Nashville. The band previously had a fourth member, Graham Rowell, who was removed from the band on grounds of sexual assault accusations from fans, and Burgess replaced former drummer Andrew Isbell after he left the band in 2017.
The album has no slow moments but a huge range of emotions, from the romantic “I Think I Like You” to the angrier “Who Do You Think You Are?” and prior EPs and singles reflect their same versatility. Seeing this album, and just them, on tour was one of my favorite concerts of all time. I first saw them open for Dan+Shay and had already been a fan, but six months later when they came to L.A. on their headlining tour, I had to go. The show was energetic, with enthusiasm stemming both from the fans and the band. It had the feel of the best kinds of concerts, the ones you can’t believe you got tickets to for less than $100, where everyone knows all of the words and you buy a $40 t-shirt because you loved the show so much.
I don’t know that there are many artists who have released so many songs that no matter how many times I listen to them, they never get old, and I feel like I’m hearing them for the first time. The Band Camino is so on that list. I blast “Underneath My Skin” and “Know It All” on my walks to class; I listen to “What I Want” and “2/14” in the shower. I love artists who I can listen to in any mood, and who have songs for every feeling.
Any artist whose show you can go to by yourself is an artist worth listening to. For me, that honor doesn’t include very many people, but The Band Camino has enough presence and vitality to fill the Rose Bowl. Even with their new single, “Told You So” having just come out, I’m anxiously awaiting more music. Catch me at the barricade the next time they come to L.A.