By Nick J. Buckley for Black Squirrel News
PENNFIELD TWP. — As the opening riff of Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” echoed through a pole barn, the members of Bombshell rehearsed in a circle surrounded by amplifiers, cables and years of rock influences.
A short time later, the music briefly paused when a young child wandered through the open garage door wearing a rubber clown mask for his birthday before the band jumped back into another song.
For Bombshell, that collision between everyday life and music is part of the point.
“I don’t think that there was ever a time that we didn’t mesh with each other,” vocalist Brittni Burnett said.
The Battle Creek-based rock band traces its roots back to 2020, though the current lineup solidified in 2022. The group includes Burnett and fellow vocalist Chelsea Austin, guitarist Scott Wagner, bassist Douglas Brown and drummer Gabriel Keese, who commutes from Big Rapids after moving there with his wife for school.
The members came together through mutual connections, prior bands and even a Facebook musicians group. Their backgrounds range from church music and college bands to classic rock and country influences.
Bombshell performs a mix of covers and original music, though the band said they try to bring their own style and personality to every song they play.
“Whether it’s covers or our own stuff, we try to find what people connect with in rock music … and contribute to that magic of it all,” Wagner said.
Like many local bands, Bombshell balances rehearsals, performances and promotion alongside jobs, commutes and family responsibilities. But the members said music provides an outlet that feels more authentic than the routines of everyday life.
“That’s the most real version of me you’re gonna get,” Wagner said of performing live. “When I’m on stage and I can move around and just kind of let what I’m doing take over, that’s the real me.”
For Burnett, that same sense of freedom is part of what makes the band worth fitting around work, family and the routines of everyday life.
“It allows me to be who I want to be, rather than feeling like I have to be something else,” she said.
The band members said they hope to continue growing their audience and taking their music as far as they can.
“If we had the chance, we would take this to the end of the world,” Burnett said.
How to hear them
Bombshell will perform in the first semifinal round of Battle Creek Battle of the Bands from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 15 at New Holland Brewing alongside Barefoot Blonde and Allie Garland with Awesome Sauce.
How we reported this
This report was written following an on-site interview and rehearsal with Bombshell, as well as background research including a Q&A with the band in Voyage Michigan.
Photos by Nick J. Buckley
