Press Kit
“Check these fellas out. I remember being in a bar with ten guests and having a beer with Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, chillin’ in Chapel Hill with Woody and the Steep Canyon Rangers, hanging with Darius Rucker, Edwin McCain, Ben Folds, and Dave Matthews for a minute — how damn cool and fresh and talented. And amazingly nice dudes that were so accessible when they could be. These fellas give me that vibe.”
— William Kelly, Big Haint Blue
Bio
Reed Brake draws inspiration from a wide range of musical genres and they have songs that lean toward folk, some more to bluegrass, others to country, and some to psychedelic rock with overdriven tones. The quartet plays with high energy and thrives with on stage experimentation. Live, the band may unexpectedly adjust tempo, launch into an extended jam, or transition into a totally different song. The improvisation ensures no two shows are exactly the same. It also ensures the boys stay alert and listen with intention to each other. Reed Brake sets consist mostly of original music, but they will throw in covers that they have adapted to fit their unique sound. The Reed Brake sound is hard to fit into a box, but it’s probably not what you expect from a band lead by acoustic guitar and mandolin. The band was founded in 2020 and has been working hard to grow their audience in true grassroots fashion. Home base is Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Reed Brake is Justin Hart on lead vocals and mandolin, Jack Adams on vocals and guitar, Lucas Hales on bass and occasionally banjo, and David Phillips on drums.
Sample of Recent Performances
Blue Canoe — Tupelo, MS
B-Side — Memphis, TN
Lava Room — Florence, AL
Nowhere Bar — Athens, GA
Oversoul Brewing — Helena, AL
Proud Larry’s — Oxford, MS
The Venue — Tuscaloosa, AL
Westside Motor Lounge — Atlanta, GA
Woodlawn Theatre — Birmingham, AL
Zydeco — Birmingham, AL
Visions and Dreams
Reed Brake released their debut album, Visions and Dreams, in July 2023. The album was recorded at Matt Patton’s (of the Drive-by Truckers) Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, MS and was produced by Bronson Tew. The album features 12 original songs that were allowed to evolve with live audiences before being tracked.
Reviews of Visions and Dreams
“This debut album includes twelve songs that are firmly planted in the roots music field and the organic sound is very pleasing, laced with nicely paced song arrangements that showcase the inventive interplay between the musicians. The musicians excel on tracks like Strange Courage, Savage Gulf, and Dirty Field Golden highlighting strong playing on these up-tempo workouts. Elsewhere Return To Earth, Graveyard Of Ambition, and Road Home show a softer, laid-back side to the band with the sweet melodies always present in the arrangements. . .on this evidence there is still plenty more gas in the tank and more to come from this group of talented musicians.”
— Lonesome Highway
“. . .a wonderfully rustic and southern sold folk rock tonality that delivers as much heart as it does character. . .riddled with lush instrumentation and energy that feels almost like a live performance. . .like a jazz record in a way where each instrument has that personal attribute. . .these guys managed to really deliver classic feeling hooks that bounce around in your head hours after the record has ended. . .you automatically want to see these guys live right in your face. . .”
— BuzzSlayers
“. . .an immersive atmosphere, with no small amount of heart and feeling coming through the vocals while the instrumentation has some of the playfulness and invention too.”
— Various Small Flames
Mixedwoods
The Mixedwoods EP was released in April 2024. The songs were recorded and mixed at Sound of Birmingham in Birmingham, AL by Don Mosley and mastered at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA by Jason NeSmith. The EP features four songs, including the improvised take of Holdin’ on Nuggets that was released as a single.
Please see the following links to listen to our albums, watch live performance videos, and view our social media interactions.
