“The Bad Bees” are continuing to rock out towards their dream.
Thirteen years ago the Bad Bees were playing their first show together, at a friend’s backyard party, covering Metallica and Black Sabbath songs as eighth graders. The band has come a long way since then, playing numerous shows in and around the Philadelphia area. Brandon King, Bryan Kelly, Jacob Barbadoro and John Melvin make up the Bad Bees, an alternative rock quartet from Cinnaminson. While all balance full-time jobs and even busier social lives, the band is still fighting to make a big splash in the music industry.
“We started the band way back as another way to have fun, but now it has taken off into something we want to do as a career,” said King, the lead guitarist.
All four members started working on their craft between the ages of 10–12, striving to become better. Since then, they have put out an E.P,. “Fast Paced Space,” and are working on an album, “Big Pretty,” which is set to release this summer. When looking back on how they started, they identify several other bands as inspiration.
“We all tossed bands around that we enjoyed. Blink 182, Coheed & Cambria, Mars Volta and Metallica would be the main four we try to resemble,” said Barbadoro, the lead vocalist. “Whenever we listen to something new, we all pass that CD around for like a week trying to get some new ideas.”
After high school, it was tough for the quartet to get together on a regular basis as college life began. Trying to not only impress their parents, but also remain a part of the social norm added pressure on the band’s hopes of continuing.
“Once we all graduated college, there was a huge amount of social pressure to find jobs,” said Melvin, the drummer. “We all wanted to stay together, but it was hard to turn down full-time work for something that everyone else assumed was just a hobby.”
All four members of the band work full-time, and are close enough to practice whenever they can. They have found a sense of direction, and have also created several ways to make a daily routine.
“We set goals for ourselves to reach, and we also make a list each month of what we want to achieve so we always have that in our minds,” said Kelly, the bassist. “We aim to make this a business, so we look at all aspects like marketing and social networking besides just playing music.”
The band recently played for Radio 104.5’s “Live at 5” show on June 23, which they labeled as an “awesome experience.” In the future, they plan to get more local gigs while also playing in Jacksonville, Fla., in early August. Right now, though, the band just loves being an inspiration to others while doing what they love most.
“Playing together this long has been a dream. Inspiring others is also what we try to do, and whenever you look back and listen to what you have created, it just makes you feel really good inside,” King said.
