fast-rising rock band The Bends released their latest track today, “Virginia

Emerging out of jam sessions on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU), fast-rising rock band The Bends released their latest track today, “Virginia.” Listen here.

Formed after childhood friends—guitarist Ian Marmande and drummer Jacob Rhodes—linked up with frontman Hayden Field and bassist Chase Perkins during their time at LSU, The Bends played their first show in 2023 to a crowd of 800. Since then, they have mapped out their own college circuit tour, spilling over to stages in student-filled bars and clubs in college towns spread throughout the Southeast of the US. To date, the buzzworthy group has performed nearly 100 shows across the college circuit and beyond, with their very first hard-ticketed show selling out The Varsity in Baton Rouge in May.

The Bends’ grassroots momentum has attracted a growing fanbase eager for not only their electric live show, but original music, too. Inspired by the textured vocals and garage rock style of bands like The Strokes, Kings of Leon, and Cage The Elephant, The Bends released their debut track, “Makeup,” last year, which reached the Top 5 on Spotify’s Viral Chart. Their follow-up tune, “Weekend Love,” notched a coveted ‘Advance Placement’ slot on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation channel.

The newest addition to the repertoire, “Virginia,” was penned by the band’s frontman, Hayden Field, alongside Kevin Griffin, the lead vocalist of fellow Baton Rouge-born band, Better Than Ezra. Griffin also produced the track.

Sparked by a voice note of a melody exchanged between Field and Griffin, “Virginia” captures the infectious energy of the four-piece band’s college-town roots—an origin shared by both The Bends and Griffin’s Better Than Ezra, who, though decades apart, all emerged from the same LSU scene.

This fall, The Bends will be touring behind these tracks and new music to come on their first-ever headline LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR. The band will return to Baton Rouge to kick off the tour on Sep. 5 and will hit 15 total cities, including a stop at the renowned Austin City Limits music festival on Oct. 12. Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. at www.TheBendsMusic.com.

LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR:

Sep 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Fred’s Bar

Sep 11 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues

Sep 25 – Oxford, MS – The Lyric

Oct 1 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm

Oct 2 – Statesboro, GA – Blue Room

Oct 12 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits

Oct 16 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt

Oct 17 – Nashville, TN – The Mil at Cannery Hall

Nov 11 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups

Nov 12 – Chicago, IL – Schubas

Nov 18 – Charlottesville, VA – Southern Cafe

Nov 20 – Washington, DC – DC9

Nov 21 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Nov 22 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry

Nov 23 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

About The Bends:

Born out of dorm room demos and packed college house shows, The Bends are a rock band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reimagining the sound of early 2000s garage rock with catchy choruses and a stage ferociousness that will, and has, enthralled the most stubborn of bad attitudes. Formed after childhood friends - guitarist Ian Marmande and drummer Jacob Rhodes - linked up with frontman Hayden Field and bassist Chase Perkins during their time at Louisiana State University (LSU), the band played their first show in 2023 to a crowd of 800. Since then, The Bends mapped out their own college circuit tour, spilling over to stages in student-filled bars and clubs in college towns spread throughout the Southeast of the US. After selling out their first hard-ticketed show at The Varsity in Baton Rouge this past May, the band is now gearing up for their first headline tour: LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR, kicking off in September. Prompted by their growing fanbase to share original music, The Bends released their debut track, “Makeup,” last year, reaching the Top 5 on Spotify’s Viral Chart while follow-up tune, “Weekend Love,” notched a coveted ‘Advance Placement’ slot on SiriusXM’s Alt-Nation channel. Their latest single, “Virginia,” preludes more new music to come from the four-piece this year. Influenced by the likes of The Strokes, Kings of Leon, and the Cage The Elephant, The Bends have created real momentum the old-school way: one sweaty stage and packed room at a time