The Brook & The Bluff is an alternative indie band originally hailing from Mountain Brook, Alabama and Bluff Park, Alabama — hence the unique derivation of the band’s name. The band is comprised of lead vocalist Joseph Settine, lead guitarist Alec Bolton, drummer John Canada, bassist Fred Lankford and keyboardist Kevin Canada. 

Positioned at the corner of indie folk and indie rock, the group has crafted a delicately nuanced sound that cannot be constrained by one definitive label. Their latest record, “Bluebeard,” seamlessly intertwines an intricate exploration of soul and funk in tandem with folk and pop in a way that is distinctive to their sound yet simultaneously differs from earlier creations. 

The band has made quite the name for itself over the last decade, in part through performing on back-to-back headline and supporting tours with prominent artists like Mt. Joy, Ashe, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Noah Kahan. They have also garnered traction through a number of notable festivals, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Following the release of their third studio album, “Bluebeard,” the band kicked off the fall leg of their headline tour in September 2023 with a sold-out show in Phoenix.

After two months of touring — from Vancouver, Canada to Charlotte, North Carolina and nearly everywhere in between — they remained true to form, wrapping up the fall tour with yet another sold-out show in Austin, Texas.

Their rampant success with the fall run certainly was indicative of a continuation of the tour in the new year, and as such, they hit the ground running in 2024 with a fresh lineup of tour dates for the spring. 

Following over twenty sold-out shows throughout North America thus far, the next stop in the “Bluebeard” tour is scheduled in Columbia at The Blue Note, this upcoming Tuesday, March 19, with support from Teenage Dads. 

Yet despite boasting a multitude of tours over the course of several years, the “Bluebeard” tour marks the band’s first original production. 

“We had done like a year of only opening for bands before this, and when you only have 40 minutes, and you’re playing in front of a crowd that isn’t necessarily there for you, and you don’t have your own lights, you’re kind of like, ‘Okay, well, what’s the most energetic, crazy, just 40 minutes straight with no breaks we can do? ‘Cause that’s all you have,’” Bolton said. 

In past tours, the band didn’t have the opportunity to coordinate and implement production specified to their performances. 

“Now we have [stage] lighting, and real mixing, and a sound person that’s really like working every night to make sure that the show is better or as good as it can be,” Settine said. 

While already lauded for their electrifying stage presence, the band believes these technical enhancements elevate their performances to a much higher level.

“The production lets us translate the songs even better live,” Canada, the band’s drummer, said. “It feels like we’re putting on a real show […] We’d kinda been ‘DIY-ing’ it for a while, but it’s nice when that can take a step up. It’s just better for everybody.” 

The band hasn’t always spent the seasons traversing North America to perform for thousands. Reflecting on his formative years, Bolton said his earliest audiences consisted of family members in the basement of his childhood home. 

“After Christmas, every year, my cousins would come over and do this big jam,” Bolton said. “[My cousins] would say, ‘Here just grab a guitar, it doesn’t matter if you can play or not. I spent several years terrified, not being able to play anything. But there was one year where I finally was like, ‘Oh, I can play chords and hold my own and not embarrass myself,’ and I feel like that was when I was like, ‘Okay, this is cool.’”

The venues they now fill may be a far cry from where the band began, but they still appreciate the sentiment of performing in smaller spaces. While they are now headlining venues they were opening at a few years prior, they certainly haven’t forgotten those years and the inherent intimacy that encapsulates tightly packed venues.  

“There’s nothing like the intimate show experience,” Canada said. “It’s just always going to be a better show for everyone. There’s not a bad seat in the house […] you get to connect more.”

Such is the case for Columbia’s The Blue Note. The venue’s historic ambiance, coupled with its relatively small capacity, not only fosters a distinct sense of connectivity but also allows for a more immersive experience with the varying elements of any given production.

“[The people in smaller towns] are way more stoked,” Settine said. “You come to a smaller town and you may or may not sell the show out, but the people that are in there are so freaking excited that you came to the town, that it doesn’t even matter.”

The “Bluebeard” tour setlist spans the band’s discography, ranging from featured hits such as “Long Limbs” to fan favorites like “Pastels” and classics that helped put them on the map like “Masks.” Concertgoers can expect a diversely illuminated venue with a captivating display of multicolored lights, tailored to accompany each song uniquely, promising a visually engaging performance for new and longtime fans alike.   

“This tour has definitely felt like a step up,” Canada said. “It’s kind of felt cumulative of our whole catalog too because we added this production that went hand-in-hand with these new ‘Bluebeard’ songs, and so blending that with some of our older stuff has made for definitely the most unique tour that we’ve been on.”

Edited by Alex Goldstein | agoldstein@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com