The Speedbumps

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Winners of the January-February Relix Magazine JamOFF!

The Speedbumps are an award-winning American band with a warm, authentic sound, built on a passion for hollow-bodied instruments, indie-folk and indie-rock influences, and singer-songwriter Erik Urycki’s breathy, commanding vocals and canny phrasing.

The band’s roots lie deep in the Rustbelt, where quiet strength and limited embellishment define the culture. The working class towns around Akron, the former rubber capital, from which artists like The Black Keys, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and Joseph Arthur have emerged, have provided the band with an aesthetic that seeks to tease out beauty from the gritty details of everyday life.

The band consists of Erik Urycki on vocals and guitar, Bethany Svoboda on vocals, banjo and Wurlitzer, Sam Kristoff playing cello — often where you’d expect a guitar riff, Kevin Martinez on acoustic and electric bass, and Danny Jenkins on drums.

Daryl Rowland, writing for the Huffington Post, said that singer Erik Urycki’s lyrics “often tackle complex human emotions with elegant economy.”

While the band cites influences from Paul Simon to Nick Drake to Radiohead, their material and vibe have more in common with festival favorites like The Decemberists, Wilco, or Ryan Adams, with their consistently smart, spare and rootsy approach.

“Mixing deft musicianship, radio-ready hooks, and grooves that call to mind Punch Brothers as often as G. Love and Special Sauce, The Speedbumps seem to be stretching their arms out to anyone (roots fans, pop-rock radio fans, jazz circuit enthusiasts) with an inclination to sing along, catch said grooves and smile through the sadness.” – No Depression