Relatively newer to the local scene and proactively gaining its footing as a full band, Bad Britton is bringing its members’ respective musical influences and cumulative human experiences to Denver music fans. Though not new to their individual musical journeys — each member has been and currently is involved in multiple local projects — the players of Bad Britton are putting their best collective foot forward as a four-piece, ready to be Denver’s next up-and-comer. With some recent single releases and an upcoming show on March 29 at the Bluebird Theater opening for Austin’s Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol alongside co-openers Cleaner, bandleader Luke Britton is looking forward to playing with musical peers and heroes alike while sharing their growing catalog of highly elevated and comparably raw rock music.
READ: Local Listen — Sqwerv Covers All the Bases on Two Albums Released This Year
Bad Britton formed in the spring of 2018 following a gig at Your Mom’s House, with the intention of its formation being the answer to the question, “What if the band at the bar sounded good?” From that idea came the songwriting process, which Britton swiftly began working on. From there, the music began to flow, and with it came the lyrics. “Most of the lyrics are about human issues and behavior,” said Britton. Take “Gotta Be Cool,” for example, as “close to metal as [they] get.” The song is about posting content — Instagram, Facebook — and this idea that posting is what makes someone superficially “cool.” Or the most recent single, “Why Won’t You Stop,” written about that one person in everyone’s life who’s just painfully selfish. “It’s a relatable song because everyone has been to that point,” Britton said. The lyrics are “harsh, unforgiving and a little explicit,” and they certainly get the point across.
A single from 2023 titled “Let ’em (Pity Party)” refers to those moments when “if somebody’s gonna cheat, let ‘em.” The larger idea behind this song, however, is about not trying to hold someone back from being who they are. “Sometimes people do bad things and we want to control and stop it,” said Britton. “You just have to have an open hand.” Among many life lessons Britton reflects on in his lyrics, a number were learned in the church. One of Britton’s hugest influences was a childhood pastor who he remembers as not being afraid to “say the tough stuff.” When he discovered open mics and the ritual of creating and performing music, his inspirations were partly drawn from those memories. For Britton, music is about “encouraging each other, spurring each other on in love and being human.”
While there have been a couple of different iterations of the band’s lineup, the current lineup is drummer Dylan Johnson, bassist and backup vocalist Nick Crawford, leader guitarist Ian Ferguson, and guitarist and lead vocalist Britton. One of the most interesting aspects of this four-piece is the fact that they’re all involved in other, separate projects in and around Denver, all the while keeping time and creating space for the music of Bad Britton to flourish. And flourish it will on March 29, where Britton says they’ll be playing alongside some of their favorite local bands. They’ll also be debuting at least two new songs and will have a fresh slew of new merch to accompany the show. Overall, the focus of Bad Britton for the foreseeable future is to crank out new music, build a catalog and get on more playlists, all while honing their craft of live performance.
