The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs

Folk(ish) fuel for your psychedelic soul.

Kendra and Zack Harding form The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs, a folk(ish)/Americana group hailing from Winston-Salem, NC. The band made its debut in 2015, shortly after the two tied the knot in an old chapel in the heart of the Piedmont.

Song-by-Song: Rebel

September 11, 2018  /  Kendra Harding

From Kendra:

The way Zack and I co-write songs has evolved over the years. With “Rebel” we wrote our portions separately and put them back together later and I think the finished product ended up being really cool. The chord progression in the chorus has this almost anthemic feel that contrasts really beautifully with the sombre and tension-filled verses. I also love the switch between meters in the verses, contributing to the out-of-kilterness of the lyrical content.

From Zack:

Kendra and I played this one live at a songwriter’s night one time, and it was absolutely shredded to bits. They didn’t like the lyrics, they didn’t like the composition, they didn’t like the message, and they really, really didn’t like that off-kilter rhythm on the verse riff that sits somewhere between a 6/8 and a 3/4. I actually followed that group’s advice for a while, playing the song in a straight 6/8 and it completely neutered the tune. I’m glad I stuck with the original rhythm for this recording, as I think it’s vital to the composition. The way Wayne and Trevor orchestrated their playing around that rhythm is beautiful to me.

This seems to be a favorite among many who’ve heard the album. We knew it’d be the first single as soon as it started coming together in the studio. Also, Trevor’s solo after the first chorus is my favorite thing on the album. That some peak Pudding right there.