The Bends are set to release their debut EP, “Leeward Drive”, this Friday.

Emerging out of jam sessions on Louisiana State University (LSU) campus, young rock band The Bends are set to release their debut EP, “Leeward Drive”, this Friday.

Check out the first single, “Virginia,” HERE, penned by the band’s frontman, Hayden Field, alongside Kevin Griffin of fellow Baton Rouge-born band, Better Than Ezra. 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.

Expanding beyond their Baton Rouge beginnings, The Bends set their sights on Nashville. There, a mutual friend shared their demos with Brad Shultz of Cage the Elephant, who was immediately impressed and soon teamed up with the band to produce Leeward Drive’s centerpiece track, “The Fence.” Listen to the track full project HERE.

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.

This fall, The Bends will be touring behind these tracks on their first-ever headline 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 and a handful of sold out dates including New Orleans and New York City.

LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR:

• Sep 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Fred’s Bar
• Sep 11 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues - VENUE UPGRADE!
• 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 - SOLD OUT!
• Nov 21 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge - LATE SHOW ADDED!
• 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 an indie 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 hard ticketed show in 2024 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 earlier this year, the band is now gearing up for their first headline tour, LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR, kicking off in September with a handful of dates already sold out including New Orleans and New York City.

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, with their debut EP “Leeward Drive” arriving this Friday with two new tracks, “The Fence” and “On a Roll”. With an undeniable live energy fueling their rise, The Bends have created real momentum the old-school way: one sweaty stage and packed room at a time...