Six Things You Need To Know About…
Goodbye June
The Nashville powerhouse trio on tragedy, tough competition and swapping the Lord’s music for the devil’s.
There’s no school like the old school. At least according to Nashville-based trio Goodbye June, whose powerhouse rock‘n’roll is deeply indebted to the timeless thump of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, CCR et al. But that’s not quite it. Products of Tennessee and Indiana, cousins Landon Milbourn (vocals), Brandon Qualkenbush (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Tyler Baker (lead guitar) also channel Southern blues, gospel and country-soul, making for an intoxicatingly diverse experience. Having recently toured with kindred spirits Greta Van Fleet, and with third album Community Inn also upon us, they’re eager to spread the message. “We’re having a blast,” enthuses Milbourn. “And we want to make the UK and Europe our second home.”
Spreading positivity is what they’re all about. The most powerful moments on Community Inn – like Live In The Now, Be Yourself and the coruscating Universal Mega Love – are surging hymns to self-empowerment and fellowship. “We’re trying to promote good vibes,” declares Milbourn. “Universal Mega Love is really about taking care of your mental health and well-being, so that you’re able to give love and appreciation to others as well. It’s all to do with having a positive outlook.”
The band formed as a result of a family tragedy. On leave from the US military in June 2005, Baker’s brother Shane was killed in a car accident. Milbourn and Qualkenbush helped Baker deal with his grief, a process that led to the trio writing songs in his basement. They named themselves Goodbye June in honour of Shane. “We formed because of a death and this band has always been very sensitive to emotion,” Milbourn explains. “After Shane passed away it was like, ‘Let’s do this! Let’s turn this disaster into something else.’”
Rock music was once forbidden fruit. Both Milbourn and Qualkenbush were raised in deeply religious households in Tennessee. Qualkenbush’s father was a preacher, while Milbourn Snr was director of the gospel choir in church. Secular music was a no-no. “It was super strict at home,” recalls Milbourn. “Straightforward gospel music was all we were allowed to listen to. Then we started sneaking in ‘bad’ music – Nirvana, Bush and other stuff – but had to keep it hush-hush. It probably wasn’t until I was 16 or 17 that I really started getting into The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. That was a whole musical revelation.”
Their dynamic live show is informed by the church services of their youth. Milbourn and Qualkenbush may have been barred from listening to rock music as kids, but going to church had its advantages. “They were pretty wild Pentecostal services,” Milbourn says. “So from a young age I realised what music can do to people. It’s so emotional. As we got older we decided to take that aspect and put it into rock‘n’roll. I always say that I grew up playing the Lord’s music and now I’m playing the Devil’s.”
Nashville was the making of them. In 2009 the trio decided to move to Nashville, where they steadily began making a reputation for themselves. It was a tough slog, though. “Those early shows are the ones you never forget,” winces Milbourn. “There was one gig in particular where we played to five people. But we just kept going. The competition in Nashville really made us step up our game. You have to fight to get your name out there.” A significant step was beating 8,000 other hopefuls to win 2014’s Unsigned Music Competition, where a jury of musicians and journalists awarded the band $10,000 in cash.
They’re in favour of pushy parents… sort of. Milbourn only became a frontman after receiving constant pressure from his father. “As a kid he’d force me to sing, but I always wanted to be a drummer,” he explains. “Looking back now, I’m very glad that he pushed me like he did, but at the time I hated him for it. I’m still not trying to sound like a dying dog. I think I’m just trying to make my dad proud.”
Community Inn is out on October 25 via Earache Records.