Corey Medina & Brothers, including new member Brock Beaulieu on guitar and vocals, stopped by KBXE to debut three brand new songs on Friday, Aug. 23. The session showcases their expanded range with the additional musician, and also highlights Medina stretching his songwriting into new territory.
The band played at Riverfest back in 2016 when the festival took place under the tent outside the KAXE studios. A lot has changed for the band and the festival in the years since. Bassist Gary Broste joined soon after alongside Eric Sundeen on drums, making up the core lineup behind Medina for over seven years. As a trio, they released Better Days in 2019 and their latest album Soak in 2022.
The KAXE hosted music festival underwent a massive expansion in 2021 with headliners Trampled By Turtles and Yonder Mountain String Band. In 2022, the festival moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Library Amphitheater and continued to bring top-notch talent to Northern Minnesota with legendary alt-country band Wilco.
2023 was another step forward with a lineup of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Amanda Shires, Shemekia Copeland and Dessa leading to a sold-out festival.
This year, alongside Corey Medina & Brothers, the lineup features Spoon, Shakey Graves, Sarah Jarosz and S.G. Goodman, with the Bemidji band ready to kick off the day and represent Northern Minnesota.
"We think of it as an honor that we get to represent this area when people come up and say, 'What's this area have to offer?'" Medina said, "We're going to go out and give it our all. We're going to make sure they feel it when they leave."
The quartet began their session with the desert groove of "Peace Pony," a song inspired by stories Medina's grandmother told him growing up on the Navajo Nation.
The additional possibilities of the expanded lineup immediately stand out. Beaulieu's chords fill out the space while Medina plays the lead riff. Later in the song the two trade guitar solos, giving the instrumental section a nice change of pace.
When Broste, Sundeen and Beaulieu join Medina in the repeated refrain of "in the dirt, the red sand, with the yucca and the plants," it is the band at their finest and an interesting mix of the Southwest with Northern Minnesota.
"Just hearing about the trials of growing up as a young native girl on the rez, and kind of her only refuge was to go ride on her horse," Medina said, "Just to have that cool remembrance and having my Northern brothers up here singing and chanting behind me, it's a really cool exchange of both my worlds mending and colliding in such a cool way."
Another tie to Medina's past is the opportunity to share a bill with Spoon. Like many others, Corey is a longtime fan of the influential rockers, going back to when friends "who listened to that cool music" showed him the band. Medina was big into skateboarding at the time and Spoon's rhythmic and groove-heavy music was a great accompaniment.
"I like that there are real boundaries on what kind of band you can call Spoon other than maybe indie or alternative," said Medina.
Even though Corey would turn to the blues when he began to play his own music, that same emphasis on rhythm and groove is a key part of his sound.
The second new song debuted during the session is something a little different for the band, moving into R&B territory. Titled "It Ain't Me Babe," it is not a cover of Bob Dylan, but it is inspired by the famed singer-songwriter.
"It's a song about the dating world if we were as honest as Bob Dylan," Medina said.
Anchored by Sundeen's shuffling drum work, it's one of the band's funkiest songs to date, especially during the breakdown that leads to the final verses.
They wrapped up the KBXE exclusive performance with "Love Scar," heavy in both its sound and message. Medina's lyrics describe a love that is so all-encompassing it has negative effects, especially when it ends. The band ratchets up the volume and intensity to match his words, with heavy riffs and blistering guitar solos.
According to the band, they have many more new songs ready to go. Medina is also looking forward to sitting down with and writing, specifically with new member Beaulieu. As far as getting into a studio, there are no concrete plans at the moment. Finding the funds and time for a busy band is a difficult task, so for now enjoy these three exclusive live tracks recorded at KBXE.
"We just really encourage people to come see us live first and hear these and experience it . . . I think when it comes down to it we're really a live band," Medina said.
A perfect chance to see the group live is at Grand Rapids Riverfest on Sept. 7, 2024, opening up for Spoon, Shakey Graves, Sarah Jarosz and S.G. Goodman. Ticket prices increase the day of the festival, get yours now.
Centerstage Minnesota, Fridays at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on KAXE/KBXE, is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
