Infant Richard and the Delta Stones

The Nappie Awards serve a twofold purpose with regard to local music. First, they allow local fans to prove their love and loyalty to the Azalea City’s musicians. Second, the nominations can introduce Lagniappe readers to some of the freshest musical acts the area has to offer. The Nappie Award for “Best New Local Band” is designated for an emerging musical act that has made a positive impression on local music lovers in the months leading up to the Nappies.

Lagniappe readers chose Infant Richard and the Delta Stones as Mobile’s hottest up-and-coming band. Symone French (vocals), Andrew Johns (saxophone), Christian Heiden (bass), Paul McDonald (guitar) and Daniel Clements (drums) make up this musical collective. Heiden, who also won the Nappie for “Best Area Bassist,” will be the first to admit winning this award is a mission accomplished for the band.

“It’s pretty damn exciting,” Heiden said. “It’s definitely exciting, and it’s been a goal of ours since last year when we found out about these awards. We made it a point to win at least one of them. We would’ve liked to have won everything that we were nominated for, but we’re happy with the ones we did get.”
The members of Infant Richard and the Delta Stones came together at Felix’s Fish Camp. With the line-up in place, the group decided to take its name from a 14th century monk named Infant Richard. This monk was martyred for his beliefs, and visual depictions of the event sparked an artistic revolution in France. Guitarist Paul McDonald says the group wants to spark an artistic revolution in 21st century Mobile.

Together, this six-piece powerhouse has earned a dedicated following with an eclectic sound that combines jazz, jam, rock, blues, soul and whatever else they feel like throwing into the mix. Drummer Daniel Clements explained that the band’s goal for its sound has always been to provide the Azalea City with something new. With the members’ various musical backgrounds, this wasn’t difficult.

“Everyone wanted to create something new and different,” Clements said. “Everybody in the band has different styles and influences. When you put all that together, it makes something unique and different.”

For those wanting a taste of Infant Richard and the Delta Stones, the band’s “VD EP” can be sampled on SoundCloud. They’ll also be opening for Jamell Richardson at Soul Kitchen on Saturday, July 25. The group has plans to record a live album at O’Daly’s and another original album in early 2016. - Stephen Centanni

Voters in an AL.com contest have selected local band Infant Richard & The Delta Stones to play a special concert next Thursday at Fairhope Brewing Co.

The show is part of a statewide "real. music" series, a dozen concerts that will feature local, up-and-coming acts at Alabama craft breweries. The concerts will be recorded for a compilation album to be released next year.

For the Fairhope Brewing show, Infant Richard & The Delta Stones were up against Crowned Jewelz. The Delta Stones finished with just under 58 percent of the more than 7,300 votes cast.

The band is named for a martyred 14th-century French Monk; its music draws on rock, blues and jazz.

The 6 p.m. performance is free and open to the public, but space is limited at reservations are recommended. Click here to make reservations. Walk-ups will be admitted on a space-available basis.

Fairhope Brewing Co. is at 914 Nichols Ave. in Fairhope. For more information on the brewery and its products, visit www.fairhopebrewing.com. - Lawrence Sprecker

'Infant Richard and the Delta Stones' is an eclectic six-piece band from Mobile, AL. Founded in the summer of 2014, they quickly made their mark on the Port City music scene. They won multiple 2015 Nappie Awards, including Best New Local Band.

'Infant Richard and the Delta Stones' has shared a bill with national acts, including Dumpstaphunk, Moon Taxi, and The Revivalist. They also played the inaugural 1065 Festival.

Up next for IRDS is a tour on their newly recorded EP that was recorded at Luke Peavy's Dauphin Street Sound.
They're a self-described "band that likes to dance and get weird."

You can see 'Infant Richard and the Delta Stones' play "Live at the Museum" at the Mobile Museum of Art Thursday, July 21 at 7:00 p.m.
They're also playing at Mardi Gras in July at Fairhope Brewing Company Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m.

To keep up with the band, you can follow them on Facebook.

All content © 2016, WALA; Mobile, AL. (A Meredith Corporation Station). All Rights Reserved. - Linda Jones

Weeks Bay Plantation and Live & Listen are pleased to announce the official lineup for The Blueberry Jam, a music and arts festival held on Weeks Bay Plantation in Fairhope, Alabama on Friday, October 14th - Saturday, October 15th. This year's headlining set will come in the form of special tribute, with The Heavy Pets Present Walrus: A Tribute To The Beatles. Many will recognize The Heavy Pets from their countless appearances at many of the nation's biggest music festivals, as well as frequent play on SiriusXM JamOn radio. Also performing this year will be Zach Deputy, McLovins (two nights), CBDB, Little Raine Band, Paw Paw's Medicine Cabinet, Infant Richard & The Delta Stones, and Lee Yankie & The Hellz Yeah. - Jordan Kirkland

Symone French & Daniel Clements of Infant Richard & the Delta Stones stopped by the studio today to talk new music, babies, 1065 FESTIVAL, naming the band & more with Tony. Hear their new single below and on AREA 251 – 92ZEW’s daily spotlight on the 251 area code!! - Lee Ann

People filled the streets this past weekend for Mobile’s second annual Ten Sixty Five Music Festival.
Moon Taxi and Blind Melon kicked things off on Friday. Seether, Dirty Heads and The Struts headlined Saturday night. And Counting Crows wrapped up the festivities Sunday evening.
Ten Sixty Five also featured many local bands such as The Mulligan Brothers, Wet Willie and Infant Richard and The Delta Stones. University of South Alabama student Peter Favier said Ten Sixty Five’s contributions to the local music scene set it apart from its predecessor, Bay Fest.
“I like this more honestly because I like the local music scene, I like the just you know helping out the local bands, there’s a better vibe,” Favier said.
Ten Sixty Five certainly did return with a better feel. On Friday night people sat on the makeshift patios that were set up in order to serve alcohol for the festival and relaxed with a bite to eat. Dauphin Street and Cathedral Square were filled with people young and old, but the atmosphere was more inviting and casual than BayFest ever felt.
Paul McDonald, lead guitarist for Infant Richard and The Delta Stones said, “Overall incredible vibes last year. Definitely a better fit for the city of Mobile than BayFest was. With BayFest it cut off a lot of downtown to the rest of civilians, and also brought in outside vendors to sell food and alcohol. With Ten Sixty Five the vendors are the bars and restaurants of downtown Mobile.”
Ten Sixty Five was famously put together in short fashion last year after the announcement that BayFest would be ending its 20 year run. Local businesses and sponsors banded together to bring Mobile a solid, if smaller lineup of musicians that turned out to be just what the city needed.
It’s all in an effort to change Mobile’s music scene, and it seems to be working. Dauphin Street Sound, where Symone Cobb, lead singer for the Infant Richards said the band is recording their final songs for an upcoming album, is already contributing with their flashy new studio. The studio is owned by The Jake Peavy Foundation, who was a huge supporter of the new festival and even claims the name of one of the stages.
Out of crises is born opportunity, and the people of Mobile seized that opportunity last year with the demise of BayFest. Ten Sixty Five’s second year certainly inspirited that sense with an even better lineup and atmosphere. - Jason Ruffin

Another great Mobile band performing at The Merry Widow during Southsounds 2016 is Infant Richard and the Delta Stones. The band has built a reputation on blending a variety of genres for a unique sound. The band attributes their local success to the businesses that provide a platform for them to perform. - Croma

An Alabama twin spin will transport the audience across a wide spectrum of sound, with Infant Richard & the Delta Stones providing local support. This collective of talented musicians has been responsible for some of the best new sounds coming out of the Azalea City. The six-piece reportedly owes its fresh music to “getting weird and having a good time,” and has pleased crowds from Callaghan’s to Azalea Manor.

Infant Richard & the Delta Stones has been introducing crowds to its latest effort, “The VD EP.” With a creeping sax and Symone French’s sultry vocals crawling through the track, “Jack Squattery” serves as a good introduction to the album and the band. “Chattanooga Chocolate Factory” is a superb modern jam song marked by versatility. This is a band whose live interpretation of its songs should improve an already good thing.

CDBD brings its jams to LoDa by way of Tuscaloosa. The band’s trademark “joyfunk,” a musical concoction melding roots rock and jam with funk overtones, is infectiously danceable. Its sophomore effort, “Joyfunk is Dead,” is ironically named. The tracks on this album present a musical style that is thriving and evolving. - Stephen Centanni

Infant Richard & the Delta Stones
Origin: Mobile, Alabama
For fans of: N*E*R*D, The Black Keys, Nickelodeon's "Unfabulous"
You gotta hear: Their rendition of Kelis' "Milkshake"
In a band of boys rocking out, IRDS lead singer Symone French delivers a taste of class. That is, until she lets loose, herself. IRDS is gearing up for the release of their latest record, which features a decent stock of coffee-house love songs. However, this group does their best work when embracing their raunchy edge, as evidenced by their headbanging heavy metal versions of "Milkshake" by Kelis and "Lollipop" by Lil' Wayne. - Jared Boyd