_{By Zach Collier}

I have covered The Bombshell Flowers many times. Frequent Velour Battle of the Bands finalists, the band is known for their energetic live shows, tight three-part harmonies, feel good anthems, and for cultivating relationships that endure far beyond their music. The aura around the band is such that they feel like your best friends – even if you’ve never met them before. As such, the title of their new album – Something New, Something Familiar – is incredibly fitting.

The group is made up of Branden Blackham (drums, vocals), Brant Green (guitar, vocals), and Gavin Cox (bass, vocals). Best friends and bandmates for nearly two decades, they first played together as teens in the band Melting Rain before transitioning to their current iteration as The Bombshell Flowers in 2021.

Far from being an exclusive club, they know how to make everyone around them feel like they’re in the inner circle. This new record, for example, was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Art City Sound by Jason Jones. About Jones, they say: “We’ve done all of our studio albums with Jason. He’s like our 4th band member.”

“We’ve always loved writing songs that make you want to smile and sing along, but still tell a story – usually one that shows we’re maybe a little emotionally unstable,” jokes Brant. “That contrast has always been a big part of what we do.”

This album still sounds like quintessential Bombshell Flowers. Upbeat, a little surf-punky, and fun. But it’s more intentional than anything they’ve made before. “Everything from the subject matter to the recording process feels more grounded in who we are, and really showcases how deeply rooted our friendship is,” says Brant.

Gavin agrees that the record reflects the same fun-loving, high-energy songs that we’ve come to expect from The Bombshell Flowers. “The songwriting and recording processes have always been such a joy for us, and I think that joy comes through in all our work,” he says.

This is their first album since 2023’s The Death of Me and represents a stylistic shift towards thematic cohesion. “I think we wanted to connect to our roots,” reflects Brenden. “This album has a lot of moments that feel like where we grew up in small town central Utah. The cover and everything reflects on that.”

The art around the music took time to perfect. After hundreds of tries, the band was able to connect with a designer that nailed the vintage vibe they were after for the album art. The typography is reminiscent of Pet Sounds, and they created a weathered collage of photos of the band. “Those little touches with the photos of us over the years finally gave this album visual life,” says Brendan.

“You’d think that between the three of us it’d be easy to land on a title and visuals, but this one took a minute,” says Brant. “We went back and forth quite a bit before anything really stuck. The title Something New, Something Familiar came from a line in one of the songs, and it ended up capturing what we felt like we were actually presenting with the record better than anything else.”

You can hear the line in the opening track, “Take Me Back.”

“When we finally saw the artwork, it felt pretty immediate. Like, ‘this is it.’ We wanted the whole thing to feel like you ripped it straight out of our scrapbook.”

“Yeah, this album really put us through the ringer creatively when it came to the visuals,” says Gavin. “We were intentional during the songwriting process… we wanted this album to be a reflection and celebration of the 14 years that we’ve spent making music.”

To celebrate their time together, the band also shot a documentary that’ll come out in roughly six months.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about what truly sets us apart from other bands, and we came up with two answers,” reflects Gavin. “The first is that we’ve been playing music together since we were 12 years old. It’s rare to find local bands that have been together for five years, much less 14. The second is our live shows. I think we put on as good of a live show as you’ll see in Utah.”

The documentary highlights both their 14 years of friendship and the power and camaraderie of their live performances. “Ultimately, it’s a celebration of music, friendship, art, and how a decision to start a band in middle school changed our lives in ways that are difficult to describe. It’s honestly a documentary for us, and if people like it or relate to it, that’s even better,” says Gavin.

“I hope viewers come away understanding what The Bombshell Flowers is really about,” says Brant. “At its core, it’s still just three kids who loved punk rock and met in middle school. Getting the chance to go back to the town where we met and play these new songs where it all started felt really full circle. We were able to talk about and relive some of our childhood memories together, and I don’t think there’s a better way to show how much this band has meant to us and how impactful it’s been on each of our lives. I feel so lucky that I’m still creating this with Brenden and Gavin.”

Brenden’s favorite experience from making this record was being back home in Moroni, where everything started. “We were a couple blocks from the middle school where we honestly fell in love with performing. Those fun memories and being in a spot that has deep roots for our families has helped a lot.”

The band shot a lot of the live performances super late at night with filmmaker Steven Bartholomew. The late hour made it feel like a casual hang out between friends instead of some big production day. “We were just messing around, playing songs, and reminiscing the whole time,” recalls Brant. “It never really felt like work, which is probably why those moments always turn out the best.”

“It’s because it’s simple. It’s like In-N-Out,” says Brenden. “It’s not a complex menu. Three dudes, three instruments, three vocals. We can nail what we do in recordings live because of that minimalist setup. We’re not for everyone, but because our options are simple, it keeps the process clean and live performances accessible.”

That really is their edge. Simple set up, maximum trust in each other, and the best vibes I’ve felt from any local band. “There really isn’t any replacement for all the reps that we’ve been able to accumulate together,” says Gavin. “The three of us are having the absolute time of our lives when we are playing live. When you’re seeing a band up on a stage that is just having a blast, it’s hard for the crowd not to experience the same feelings. Regardless of whether our genre of music is your cup of tea, you’re going to have fun.”

Something New, Something Familiar is out everywhere now. Make sure to follow The Bombshell Flowers on Instagram for updates on the new documentary. You can listen to my favorite track, “In The Breeze” below.