JUNEBUG SPADE

Aborigine - philsonique

Garage rockers Junebug Spade are on a mission to keep rock real in OKC.
Louis Fowler
January 16th, 2013


Peter Anthony Seay II, front man for Oklahoma City garage rockers Junebug Spade, has a million cool points for you if you catch the movie their name references. Take a minute to think about it, if you need to …

Time’s up.

“It’s from I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” Seay said. “We were debating a name right before a last-minute show and I said, ‘Junebug,’ and we used that for a couple of shows — kind of a Beatles reference, I don’t know. But then I found out there was a band called Junebug and at another last-second show, the guy asked us our name to announce us and this guy that used to be in a band with us said, ‘Junebug Spade,’ kind of as a joke and we just went with it. It just stayed ever since. We’re all fans of that movie.”

And while Sucka’s Junebug Spade might have overdosed on large amounts of gold, OKC’s Junebug Spade still seeks its reward, playing raucous tunes all over the metro. Friday’s show at Kamp’s Lounge, Seay promised, will mark a return of “real rock.”

In other words, expect to hear an alt-flavored blend of influences from the ’60s and ’70s.

“We definitely have that kind of vibe,” Seay said. “I’m a huge Rolling Stones fan, Keith Richards fan; that’s usually what inspires me when I write, along with some other type of music that I might be listening to at the time. Also a lot of Kinks and some Velvet Underground in there, too. We just love to get that garage sound, you know?”

Many groups in the metro music scene are taking the experimental-rock approach. Seay believes while all that is just fine, most people just want to have a good time, and that Junebug Spade’s neo-psych retro sound is the perfect soundtrack to get your ya-yas out.

“People should come out to see us to see what real rock ’n’ roll is. That’s what we feel like we are,” Seay said. “A lot of people are doing more experimental things — which we used to be like, too — but eventually we decided that we’re more of an upbeat band. We’re always talking ourselves out of playing the slow stuff just because we want to keep the crowd going.”

Having toured recently with national acts like Built to Spill, Junebug Spade preps its next release for spring — either another EP or a full-length album; the band hasn’t decided yet. In the meantime, it will continue to play live whenever it can, all with one thing in mind: to keep people from sitting down in their seats.

“Our music is all about getting up off of your ass and having a good time,” Seay said. “It’s all about having that groove, man.”

Hey! Read This:
• Junebug Spade's Extra Virgin Olive Oil album review
• Larry Chin interview
• Sonic Violence interview
- Oklahoma Gazette

PHOTO GALLERY – BUILT TO SPILL / CAVEMAN / JUNEBUG SPADE – Words by Morgan Y. Evans & Photos by J.M.
TONY SHRUM JULY 26, 2012 0


BUILT TO SPILL / CAVEMAN / JUNEBUG SPADE
6/22 – Boston, MA @ The Paradise Rock Club
By Morgan Y. Evans
Photos by J.M.

It was a packed night at The Paradise Rock Club in Boston in late June, anticipation high in the small venue. I had never been to Paradise, but had heard it was a cool room from talking with Doc from the Bad Brains (who recently played there). After driving four hours to Boston and hitting a crap traffic jam, I was happy to find that the venue was in fact, awesome, and worth the trouble. Friendly staff, great beer for cheap (Whale’s Tale canned Pale Ale) and a really intimate room meant this was sure to be a sick place to see one of indie rock’s most venerable names.

Some people still somehow don’t know Built To Spill, even though they have been on a major label for years. In other more intelligent circles they are so respected it hurts. A band with such a self-aware sense of song craft and such stunning guitar solos (that actually help their songs instead of weighing them down) is not that commonplace. I also believe that drummer Scott Plouf is a pimp. That guy holds the beat down like a boss. Plus, with “There Is No Enemy” and “Ancient Melodies Of The Future”, they have two of the coolest album names ever. The former, in particular, makes me wonder who was reading Robert Anton Wilson when they wrote that record. Anybody?

The Paradise has weird fire lanes that make everyone have to pack in close away from the bar and exits like sardines, but unless you are standing next to a hairy person that isn’t the end of the world. It was weird to be enjoying a show and yet know I was surrounded by fans with terrible taste in baseball and football teams but, apparently, great taste in music.

Openers Junebug Spade from Oklahoma City were engaging. No frills indie pop (with occasional brit-pop sounding sections), there was nothing revolutionary but in a good way. Think smart, solid rock songs. They seem like they’d be cool dudes to drink beer with and listen to them tell stories. The cool band were understated but nonetheless easily warmed up the crowd and are clearly true believers. You could tell they were psyched to be there but they were professional. Junebug Spade made me thankful that bands are still just trying to make honest music without all the bullshit that dehumanizes and pollutes so much in the mainstream. I don’t mean that to only mean “indie rock” or punk is the only viable organic music. Handsome Furs even recently helped underscore how electronic pop can still be human. It’s about if something feels authentic or reeks of being contrived. When I hear a band like Junebug Spade or a folk artist like Hooray For The Riff Raff doing something that truly sounds from the heart, it warms me up.

Caveman were up next and had a very spacious, sci-fi tribal sound. Very well executed and polished. Would do great opening for Coldplay or something. Slightly reminiscent of the band Glint in some ways (who I like better), but was impressed. Caveman’s music does not suit their band name but rather puts you into a kind of light, airy dream state. They also have a great album name in “CoCo Beware.”

Doug Martsch and Built To Spill had the room in their pocket the whole show, despite really awful feedback problems. It wasn’t the band’s fault. They were extremely amicable about it even though song after song the mic kept feeding back. In some venues I know that sound person would have been crucified (and I am sure there must have been an explanation, as most of the night everything sounded great). Still, it was embarrassing when Doug had to give the sound person tips on how to make the feedback stop. In a way, it added to an endearing 90's lo-fi shambling feel, even when the band was spot on otherwise. Punk RAWK.

“Virginia Reel Around The Fountain” was quite the sing along, of course. So many Built To Spill songs are quite emotionally uplifting, even when humor is at play. Doug is just a brilliant wordsmith and a guitar player who can tell stories with a guitar solo. “You Were Right” was absolutely glorious and had most of the sweaty bodies in the room ecstatic.

My favorite song of the set was the newer “Life’s A Dream.” It is simply one of the most beautiful songs in the band’s catalog, contemplative and riveting. You settle into the world of that song and can’t help but feel wistful. Live, the seasoned band showed their range and truly did it justice. That alone was worth the four- hour drive.





- AMP Magazine

Junebug Spade @ Friends

As soon as I got back to “dirty sixth”, I hopped into Friends to watch Junebug Spade, a garage rock/ alternative band from Oklahoma City. Peter Anthony Seay II’s vocals mixed with Kyle Mayfield’s bass playing remind me a bit of Built to Spill, a band that these guys have also shared a stage with in the past. I hate to use the words garage rock because it reminds me of when I would listen to my friends’ shitty ska bands play in high school, but these guys did me a favour and gave this sub-genre a whole new meaning. It’s impossible for you not to feel the energy from these guys, much like my other favourite artists from OKC. The band just released their third EP, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which I highly recommend. I’m telling you, you haven’t heard the end of these guys yet!

-Eileen English - CJLO

Junebug Spade @ Friends

As soon as I got back to “dirty sixth”, I hopped into Friends to watch Junebug Spade, a garage rock/ alternative band from Oklahoma City. Peter Anthony Seay II’s vocals mixed with Kyle Mayfield’s bass playing remind me a bit of Built to Spill, a band that these guys have also shared a stage with in the past. I hate to use the words garage rock because it reminds me of when I would listen to my friends’ shitty ska bands play in high school, but these guys did me a favour and gave this sub-genre a whole new meaning. It’s impossible for you not to feel the energy from these guys, much like my other favourite artists from OKC. The band just released their third EP, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which I highly recommend. I’m telling you, you haven’t heard the end of these guys yet!

-Eileen English - CJLO

Watch laid-back local rockers Junebug Spade pranking and playing.
By Matt Carney
January 9th, 2012
Yeah, so this new Junebug Spade video totally confirms the band’s reputation as fun-loving stoners.

“My Lover” alternates between silly sped-up and rewound shots of them dousing each other with water and what appears to be bags of flour; swirling, psychedelic food dye in what appears to be a toilet (for tripping on a budget!); and a cool, throwback film treatment that definitely doesn’t appear to be your typical DSLR fare. Nice work for matching your sound, gents!



And yeah, if Junebug Spade had a signature track, this one might just be it, all lazy licks and sexual angst before it kicks into a catchy, noisy chorus. Watch: - Oklahoma Gazette

2008 - Youtube

2008 - Youtube

Music video from the album Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The song "MY LOVER" by JUNEBUG SPADE.
Video footage by Marlena Vair and Caitlin Lindsey
Editing by Peter Seay II - YouTube

Music video from the album Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The song "MY LOVER" by JUNEBUG SPADE.
Video footage by Marlena Vair and Caitlin Lindsey
Editing by Peter Seay II - YouTube

Most ’90s radio rock was just really loud and distorted pop songs. Somebody probably would have noticed eventually that Boston’s “More than a Feeling” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” were pretty similar, but Nirvana self-disclosed this by at least once singing Boston’s words and melody over their song.

And while some a lot of ’90s bands took rock way too seriously, some simply wrote great songs; the ones that figured out rock was pretty much loud pop were among the best at this (Blur, Oasis, Nirvana, sometimes Bush) and the absolute worst (Candlebox, Creed, sometimes Bush). Live, on the other hand, took rock very seriously, and they made awesome music too. This isn’t an exclusivity clause.

Still, really loud pop songs make Junebug Spade‘s Extra Virgin Olive Oil my favorite straight-up rock’n'roll release of the year. It takes a lot to get me psyched about ’90s-inspired rock, but a good starting point is a killer melody, and JS has those in spades. Both the guitars and the vocals layer on the catchy, and the results are dynamite. When both of those elements come together on “Slow Your Roll,” it’s clear that Junebug Spade understands this: guys wanna rock, girls wanna shimmy, and everyone wants to sing along, either at the show or in their car. They provide the goods for all of that. This band makes everyone happy. That, my friends, is admirable.

The basic elements of this band are nothing new: a songwriter/guitarist/vocalist, guitarist, bassist and drummer. Bassist Kyle Mayfield is high in the mix, which is a standard ’90s move that provides a nice counterpoint to the melodies. The drummer wails away. The guitars go after it in the aforementioned awesome way. Vocalist Peter Seay caps off the sound with a slacker-tastic vocal delivery that makes it sound like he’s totally not even working that hard to deliver these songs. It’s not the sterilized/rote vocal performances that sometimes took over radio rock; there’s a non-southern drawl to his vocal, and it fits perfectly over the tunes.

All five tunes are money, but “Public Display of Affection” takes a perky, Strokes-ian riff and totally morphs it with a mega chorus. “Slow Your Roll” employs an awesome tempo change and a wicked slide guitar riff (!) to close out the EP. “Aborigine” has Blur all over the guitar line, and I love it, because Seay’s voice is nothing like Albarn’s, so it sounds like an homage and not a rip-off.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is entertaining all the way through. For a guy who doesn’t cover hardly any straight-up rock anymore, this is a pretty dramatic statement. Fans of rock shouldn’t sleep on Junebug Spade.
- Independent Clauses

Junebug Spade perform live at Homagrown Music Showcase. - Homagrown Music Showcase

While hanging out at Red Pin Bowling Lounge, Junebug Spade talks about finding the perfect balance between art and business. Like many bands, they are just happy to play whenever and wherever, but they also must pursue that ever-elusive formula that keeps them thriving as artists without turning them into starving artists. One thing's for sure, they've been around long enough to know that you just have to keep at it.

Peter, Matt, A.J. and Kyle make the most of an amazing array of Red Pin appetizers while hanging with a sweetheart of a singer songwriter named Brianna Gaither and her band. And yes, there are some amazingly below-average bowling skills among this otherwise talented bunch.

The Chevy Bricktown Showcase is a mini-documentary series produced by Griffin Marketing Solutions and the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. It explores the vast wealth of talent emanating from the OKC music scene, inviting the viewer to come along and "hang with the band" for a day. Directed and produced by Tommy Smeltzer and Kevin Muir. - CHEVY BRICKTOWN SHOWCASE PART 2

While hanging out at Red Pin Bowling Lounge, Junebug Spade talks about finding the perfect balance between art and business. Like many bands, they are just happy to play whenever and wherever, but they also must pursue that ever-elusive formula that keeps them thriving as artists without turning them into starving artists. One thing's for sure, they've been around long enough to know that you just have to keep at it.

Peter, Matt, A.J. and Kyle make the most of an amazing array of Red Pin appetizers while hanging with a sweetheart of a singer songwriter named Brianna Gaither and her band. And yes, there are some amazingly below-average bowling skills among this otherwise talented bunch.

The Chevy Bricktown Showcase is a mini-documentary series produced by Griffin Marketing Solutions and the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. It explores the vast wealth of talent emanating from the OKC music scene, inviting the viewer to come along and "hang with the band" for a day. Directed and produced by Tommy Smeltzer and Kevin Muir. - ChEVY BRICKTOWN SHOWCASE part 2

Performed live at Red Pin Bowling lounge in Bricktown OKC. - CHEVY BRICKTOWN SHOWCASE

While hanging out at Red Pin Bowling Lounge, Junebug Spade talks a lot about the power of amalgamation. In bringing just the right disparate elements together. These four veteran OKC rockers create a unique blend of sounds into what might be called "power chill" or "smooth crunch." You get where I'm heading with this? They perfect the notion of the whole being more than the sum of parts. Peter, Matt, A.J. and Kyle each bring a flavor that makes the perfect rock 'n roll stew. It's not unlike the blend of loud music, great food, a sweetheart of a girl named Brianna Gaither and yes, bowling. It's a wonderfully unlikely recipe for a great time.

The Chevy Bricktown Showcase is a mini-documentary series produced by Griffin Marketing Solutions and the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers. It explores the vast wealth of talent emanating from the OKC music scene, inviting the viewer to come along and "hang with the band" for a day. Directed and produced by Tommy Smeltzer and Kevin Muir. - CHEVY BRICKTOWN SHOWCASE

Don’t worry, rock kids. Now on EP No. 3, Oklahoma City’s Junebug Spade is still the same, early British, vaguely psychedelic, throwback band that Oasis returned to fashion in the ’90s — the kind of band that kills with simple, original guitar riffs and lyrics about ... well, girls mostly.

Things crackle to life on this short disc, goofily titled “Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” by layering Peter Seay’s great, big, grinning voice over his vintage, red dirt-crunching guitars (reinforced by fellow riffing ace AJ Sadeghi), which lick their way across the opening track, “Aborigine.”

“EVOO” makes for a fun, heavily stoned 18 minutes of music, from the off-kilter rhythm of “My Lover” to “Public Display of Affection”’s appropriately playful tempo and the conflicting guitars on “She’s Mine,” which seem to be engaged in a pretty heated argument.




The EP creeps along at a lecherous pace, and seethes with as much romantic desire as it does self-destruction. So it’s pretty much in line with most of the music the Rolling Stones ever recorded. Locally, Junebug Spade seems to compare as The Pretty Black Chains’ stoner cousins.

The album’s out now, and you can snag it for $5 at junebugspade.bandcamp.com. —Matt Carney - Oklahoma Gazette

Since Junebug Spade experiments with rock music, we experimented with the interview, turning it into a vinyl scavenger hunt. They played a good hand.

Directed by Sundance-approved Oklahoma filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the video for metro-based experimental rock quartet Junebug Spade’s “Under the Gun” shows guitarist and vocalist Peter Seay II playing in a variety of unusual locations: a Laundromat, a junk store, a room lined with mattresses and various front steps.

So when I told Seay that we’d be meeting at Guestroom Records’ Oklahoma City location for an interview, it must not have fazed him.

He brought along bassist Kyle Mayfield — formerly a member of Corban Eldra and Uglysuit, and current member of O Fidelis — who probably wasn’t surprised, either, seeing as we nearly won a Bison Witches Bar & Deli trivia contest the last time I interviewed him, as part of O Fidelis.

But the location wasn’t the only curveball: “So,” I said, “when I ask a question, you guys are only going to answer in the form of albums.”

“I was going to do that anyway,” Seay said.

“Good! Here’s your first question: Where are you from, musically or otherwise?” “Well, I’m from —” “No, no. Go get an album to answer it.”

“Oh,” Seay and Mayfield said simultaneously. They both scurried off into the rows at Guestroom to find an appropriate answer. Mayfield raised Broken Social Scene’s “You Forgot It in People” and beckoned me over.

“I’m English and Canadian,” he said, “and this is one of my favorite bands of all time. Favorite albums of all time. Changed my life.”

He put it back down, then turned back to the stacks, where Seay was searching fruitlessly.

“It’s not here right now,” he said, “but Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ is where I’m from. That album is in my blood. That album is everything that made me say, “That’s what I want to do.”

He turned and spotted something on the wall, then gestured wildly toward it.

“Oh, my God, there’s the other album right there!” Seay said, rushing over to Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main St.,” which was on display on the back wall. “This is like the midpoint. ‘Definitely Maybe’ is the beginning, and this is the middle. This is like where I’m from as far as music.

“So what’s one of your hobbies that has nothing to do with music?” I asked.

Seay glanced south at a copy of Van Halen’s “Diver Down.”

“Scuba diving is my … I wish I could say that. I got this, I got this,” he said, ambling off and soon returning. “I got this. Right here. ‘Paul’s Boutique’ by Beastie Boys. I like to junk-shop. I’ve actually been to Paul’s Boutique on the Lower East Side. That’s the first record I bought, in ’86, when I was a kid. Tells you how old I am.”

He put it back, as I threw out my next question: “What’s a funny Junebug Spade story you’ve got?” They both spread out to look for things. Using an Elliott Smith record as his starting point, Mayfield told a rambling tale that includes two costumed Beetlejuices and Luke Wilson’s character from “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

Mayfield and Seay then collaborated in looking for a disc with a lamp on the cover, but found nothing.

“Good album right here: Cypress Hill, ‘Black Sunday.’ ‘Hits from a Bong’ is a great song,” Seay said. “That’s ridiculous, because I’ve mentioned two albums that sample a bong.

That’s ridiculous.

He kept rummaging, and eventually held up a copy of Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” pointing to its iconic cover art of a nude infant swimming toward paper currency.

“I’ve been in so many shitty bands.

I played for a dollar once. We signed it,” he said. “It is signed and framed. I have been that baby going for that dollar.”

Mayfield laughed at a find in the CD racks.

“We should answer ‘Creed’ for the next question, no matter what it is,” he said.

“Whom do you admire, performance-wise?” I asked.

Mayfield held up “Weathered” by Creed. Seay headed to the vinyl section at the back of the store and pointed to a Velvet Underground record.

“They had a creative live performance,” he said. “We’re starting to use projectors, like they did. Just simple ideas, nothing over-the-top.”

As Mayfield started to talk about The Non and The Appleseed Cast, Seay was thumbing through at a stack of CDs way off in a corner.

“Sweet!” he said. “We’ve sold some CDs!” I asked my final question: “What’s something you want to buy?” “You mean something I’m gonna buy that I shouldn’t?” Seay said. “Brian Eno, ‘Here Come the Warm Jets.’ He’s very influential to a lot of people. Lot of people cover it. It’s an album that a lot of people overlook. But I’m not buying that because it’s the Japanese version!” “Probably ‘Brothers’ by The Black Keys,” said Mayfield.

Game over, I shook hands with both Spade members, and headed out to my car to play my own purchase from Guestroom. (“Graceland.” Paul Simon.) - Oklahoma Gazette

Since Junebug Spade experiments with rock music, we experimented with the interview, turning it into a vinyl scavenger hunt. They played a good hand.

Directed by Sundance-approved Oklahoma filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the video for metro-based experimental rock quartet Junebug Spade’s “Under the Gun” shows guitarist and vocalist Peter Seay II playing in a variety of unusual locations: a Laundromat, a junk store, a room lined with mattresses and various front steps.

So when I told Seay that we’d be meeting at Guestroom Records’ Oklahoma City location for an interview, it must not have fazed him.

He brought along bassist Kyle Mayfield — formerly a member of Corban Eldra and Uglysuit, and current member of O Fidelis — who probably wasn’t surprised, either, seeing as we nearly won a Bison Witches Bar & Deli trivia contest the last time I interviewed him, as part of O Fidelis.

But the location wasn’t the only curveball: “So,” I said, “when I ask a question, you guys are only going to answer in the form of albums.”

“I was going to do that anyway,” Seay said.

“Good! Here’s your first question: Where are you from, musically or otherwise?” “Well, I’m from —” “No, no. Go get an album to answer it.”

“Oh,” Seay and Mayfield said simultaneously. They both scurried off into the rows at Guestroom to find an appropriate answer. Mayfield raised Broken Social Scene’s “You Forgot It in People” and beckoned me over.

“I’m English and Canadian,” he said, “and this is one of my favorite bands of all time. Favorite albums of all time. Changed my life.”

He put it back down, then turned back to the stacks, where Seay was searching fruitlessly.

“It’s not here right now,” he said, “but Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ is where I’m from. That album is in my blood. That album is everything that made me say, “That’s what I want to do.”

He turned and spotted something on the wall, then gestured wildly toward it.

“Oh, my God, there’s the other album right there!” Seay said, rushing over to Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main St.,” which was on display on the back wall. “This is like the midpoint. ‘Definitely Maybe’ is the beginning, and this is the middle. This is like where I’m from as far as music.

“So what’s one of your hobbies that has nothing to do with music?” I asked.

Seay glanced south at a copy of Van Halen’s “Diver Down.”

“Scuba diving is my … I wish I could say that. I got this, I got this,” he said, ambling off and soon returning. “I got this. Right here. ‘Paul’s Boutique’ by Beastie Boys. I like to junk-shop. I’ve actually been to Paul’s Boutique on the Lower East Side. That’s the first record I bought, in ’86, when I was a kid. Tells you how old I am.”

He put it back, as I threw out my next question: “What’s a funny Junebug Spade story you’ve got?” They both spread out to look for things. Using an Elliott Smith record as his starting point, Mayfield told a rambling tale that includes two costumed Beetlejuices and Luke Wilson’s character from “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

Mayfield and Seay then collaborated in looking for a disc with a lamp on the cover, but found nothing.

“Good album right here: Cypress Hill, ‘Black Sunday.’ ‘Hits from a Bong’ is a great song,” Seay said. “That’s ridiculous, because I’ve mentioned two albums that sample a bong.

That’s ridiculous.

He kept rummaging, and eventually held up a copy of Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” pointing to its iconic cover art of a nude infant swimming toward paper currency.

“I’ve been in so many shitty bands.

I played for a dollar once. We signed it,” he said. “It is signed and framed. I have been that baby going for that dollar.”

Mayfield laughed at a find in the CD racks.

“We should answer ‘Creed’ for the next question, no matter what it is,” he said.

“Whom do you admire, performance-wise?” I asked.

Mayfield held up “Weathered” by Creed. Seay headed to the vinyl section at the back of the store and pointed to a Velvet Underground record.

“They had a creative live performance,” he said. “We’re starting to use projectors, like they did. Just simple ideas, nothing over-the-top.”

As Mayfield started to talk about The Non and The Appleseed Cast, Seay was thumbing through at a stack of CDs way off in a corner.

“Sweet!” he said. “We’ve sold some CDs!” I asked my final question: “What’s something you want to buy?” “You mean something I’m gonna buy that I shouldn’t?” Seay said. “Brian Eno, ‘Here Come the Warm Jets.’ He’s very influential to a lot of people. Lot of people cover it. It’s an album that a lot of people overlook. But I’m not buying that because it’s the Japanese version!” “Probably ‘Brothers’ by The Black Keys,” said Mayfield.

Game over, I shook hands with both Spade members, and headed out to my car to play my own purchase from Guestroom. (“Graceland.” Paul Simon.) - Oklahoma Gazette

The word “quirk” is defi ned as a peculiar trait
or behavior, so people who are depicted as
being quirky hold a unique ability to transcend
beyond the limits of what is average and
ordinary.
Case in point: Oklahoma City rock band
Junebug Spade, whose unusually catchy name
embodies a fun, poppy-stoner-rock spirit.
“We wanted to use someone’s name to go by,
so we came up with Junebug Spade, which was
the nickname of a very distant relative of mine
and Brandon’s,” says Peter Seay, guitarist and
ringleader of the group.
Adding to the quirk, the group’s music video
for the song “Just Another” summons the essence
of offbeat music video classics that pay
homage to musicians having a good time while
not taking themselves too seriously, bringing
to mind the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” or the
Beatles’ “Hard Day’s Night.”
“It’s old-school, goofy – we aren’t trying
to portray some glamorous rock star image
of ourselves,” Seay explains. “We’re just who
we are and how we come across is the same
offstage as it is in our live shows.
“I don’t really understand the whole ‘quirky’
thing, since that hasn’t been our intention at all,
but I can see how people might get that impression.
We go with the less is more approach.”
Combining talent, efforts and common
understanding of music, Seay, his cousin and
bassist Brandon Reed, drummer Matt Barrett
and John Salame on keys and guitar have built
a hefty amount of momentum over the past
year.
The quartet has played numerous keynote
shows, such as Dfest, Downtown OKC’s New
Years Eve Opening Night with the Flaming
Lips, the Twilight concert series for the OKC
Arts Festival and regular opening gigs for the
Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the help of former Chainsaw Kittens
guitarist Trent Bell, Junebug Spade is currently
working on the follow-up to their self-titled
debut EP, a project that Seay anticipates to be a
more mature collection of songs that incorporates
their Oklahoma roots into their unexpected
indie sound.
“When you grow up in Oklahoma City, you
become part of both the city life and country
life, and that’s something most parts of the
world don’t have,” Seay says. “There aren’t
many big cities where you can drive 15 minutes
away to open land like you can in Oklahoma.
I believe that that’s something pretty original
we’ve got going on here.” - The Oklahoma Magazine

author: Brad at CD Baby
"Beyond the Horizon," the first track on the eponymous debut EP from these Oklahoma City psych-rockers (easy on the psych), starts innocently enough: a tidy little guitar line eases the song in, feeling like it may become the backbone for a semi-peppy progression and an ultimately mellow song. When the keys begin to tinker on top, you can sense it building, and before you know it, the drums crash in and they're off. The song does indeed build off those humble beginnings, but where they take it is certainly bigger than anticipated. Favoring tones between the instruments that are well-tailored for a separation of sound, the parts expertly hold tight together over these six tracks, paving the way for layered vocal melodies that make perfect sense, are never obvious, and are sure to be a welcome guest when they're inevitably stuck in your head. - CD Baby

author: Brad at CD Baby
"Beyond the Horizon," the first track on the eponymous debut EP from these Oklahoma City psych-rockers (easy on the psych), starts innocently enough: a tidy little guitar line eases the song in, feeling like it may become the backbone for a semi-peppy progression and an ultimately mellow song. When the keys begin to tinker on top, you can sense it building, and before you know it, the drums crash in and they're off. The song does indeed build off those humble beginnings, but where they take it is certainly bigger than anticipated. Favoring tones between the instruments that are well-tailored for a separation of sound, the parts expertly hold tight together over these six tracks, paving the way for layered vocal melodies that make perfect sense, are never obvious, and are sure to be a welcome guest when they're inevitably stuck in your head. - CD Baby

By Beeb Ashcroft

Junebug Spade's eponymous EP is a promising debut effort. The Oklahoma City natives deliver a collection of tight rock tunes, with classic hooks and well-crafted melodies. A little psychedelic, a little Supergrass, these rockers excel at delivering warm and timelessly compelling tracks on this six-song EP. Drawing the listener in with the immediately catchy opening cut, "Beyond the Horizon," Junebug Spade mixes garage guitars with lush piano work and a hint of 60s pop-style vocals. "Just Another" follows, a retro homage with good drum work and dirty guitar riffs.

"Buckshot" is the third track on the EP, and probably my favorite. Opening with a great trumpet melody, this song is fun and memorable. The sound is great on this whole CD, and I love how they capture the warmth and edge of fuzzy rock guitar – too often lost in today's slick and smooth top 40 rock."

The longest cut on the EP, "Happy Medium," illustrates what the band mean when they refer to themselves as "Stoner-Pop." Five minutes of dreamy riffs, this song is spacey and a bit prog-rock, although it drags in places. But the tempo kicks back up with "Awake ... Slow Down," a fantastic rock piece that sounds a bit like Radiohead in their OK Computer era, as it stops, slows, and switches melodies drastically, urging the listener to slow down” as the distorted rock licks ease out.

The final track, "Monstrosity," is anything but. It ends the EP on a high note, delivering more inventive hooks with the kind of consistency that promises great things from this band. This fusion of jangling power pop-garage rock is well-executed and ear-pleasing, staying with you long after the record has finished playing. I was really impressed with the quality of this EP, from the sonics to the standard of songwriting. These songs are infectious, and I think Junebug Spade will get your feet tapping - whether you want them to or not. - Indie Music

By Beeb Ashcroft

Junebug Spade's eponymous EP is a promising debut effort. The Oklahoma City natives deliver a collection of tight rock tunes, with classic hooks and well-crafted melodies. A little psychedelic, a little Supergrass, these rockers excel at delivering warm and timelessly compelling tracks on this six-song EP. Drawing the listener in with the immediately catchy opening cut, "Beyond the Horizon," Junebug Spade mixes garage guitars with lush piano work and a hint of 60s pop-style vocals. "Just Another" follows, a retro homage with good drum work and dirty guitar riffs.

"Buckshot" is the third track on the EP, and probably my favorite. Opening with a great trumpet melody, this song is fun and memorable. The sound is great on this whole CD, and I love how they capture the warmth and edge of fuzzy rock guitar – too often lost in today's slick and smooth top 40 rock."

The longest cut on the EP, "Happy Medium," illustrates what the band mean when they refer to themselves as "Stoner-Pop." Five minutes of dreamy riffs, this song is spacey and a bit prog-rock, although it drags in places. But the tempo kicks back up with "Awake ... Slow Down," a fantastic rock piece that sounds a bit like Radiohead in their OK Computer era, as it stops, slows, and switches melodies drastically, urging the listener to slow down” as the distorted rock licks ease out.

The final track, "Monstrosity," is anything but. It ends the EP on a high note, delivering more inventive hooks with the kind of consistency that promises great things from this band. This fusion of jangling power pop-garage rock is well-executed and ear-pleasing, staying with you long after the record has finished playing. I was really impressed with the quality of this EP, from the sonics to the standard of songwriting. These songs are infectious, and I think Junebug Spade will get your feet tapping - whether you want them to or not. - Indie Music