The Band CAMINO sound like a 21st century rock band should sound.
They’ve got the sticky arena-size hooks down to a science, and they aren’t afraid to plug in electric guitars and get loud. They also break the mold at every turn, pulling from an ever-evolving palette of sonic and conceptual influences. They reorganize the chaos of modern life through a future-facing pop lens, accelerating the tempo, incorporating a myriad of unexpected and unconventional influences, and scrawling down raw emotions in the form of unfiltered and undeniable lyrics. As such, the Nashville-based trio—Jeffery Jordan [vocals, guitar], Spencer Stewart [vocals, guitar], and Garrison Burgess [drums]—have quietly eclipsed over 1 billion streams, sold out headline tours, and incited widespread tastemaker praise.
Now, they push the envelope again with their third studio album, NeverAlways.
“We’ve always had a sound of our own,” Jeffery affirms. “We’re constantly changing and growing too. All at once, the music is the juxtaposition of who we’ve been, where we’re going, and where we’re headed. We wouldn’t have made this record five years ago. It’s a perfect snapshot of what we’re listening to, how our tastes have matured, and how we’ve evolved. We’re continuing to take people on a journey.”
Their journey kicked into high gear back in 2015. They served up a series of fan favorite projects, including the My Thoughts On You EP [2016], Heaven EP [2017], tryhard EP [2019], and self-titled debut LP The BAND CAMINO [2021]. The group reached a critical high watermark with sophomore LP, The Dark, during 2023. Billboard applauded it as “diving deep into what a healing heart feels like, encompassed with sleek guitar riffs and swelling drum beats to help dance through the emotional rollercoaster of musical therapy.” Beyond praise from Rolling Stone and more, DORK hailed “the palpable excitement and spirit shaping each track.”
Along the way, they shined with showstopping performances on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live in addition to major festival sets at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Hangout. Leveling up, they sold out major venues, including The Nashville Municipal Auditorium and many more.
In the midst of a creative hot streak, they penned music nonstop throughout 2024 alongside collaborators such as Jordan Schmidt and Jonah Shy, yielding their most substantial body of work yet.
“We’ve been a band for over ten years, and we’re all around the 30 mark,” Jeffery notes. “Getting to this album and starting over again, we took a lot of time to explore our identity. We’re making music that we like listening to again. We didn’t start out with a grand idea. Instead, we showed up every day, and the songs showed us the idea. Thematically, we are exploring these patterns we see through life, love, and loss.”
Garrison continues, “We all move forward and go through certain patterns. Everybody has a breakup, loses a family member, has a great day, or has a bad day. You’re taking a step back, looking at yourself in the mirror, and recognizing life is arguably cyclical. It’s how we relate to each other. The world is so much bigger than yourself, and getting to be a part of it is fucking cool.”
The Band CAMINO introduced this next phase with the single “Infinity.” The mood fluctuates when they push the gain into overdrive, slipping from dreamy verses into a distortion-boosted refrain. It culminates on a pensive, provocative, and positive chant—“I’m swimming in the desert, trying to get my life together, think I’m gonna live forever”—lifted even higher by a hummable lead. Co-written with longtime collaborator Seth Ennis and Schmidt, it has all the makings of a future staple.
“We wrote ‘Daphne Blue’ and ‘See Through’ with Seth, and Jordan produced them,” Jeffery reminds. “Those tunes have been show-closers since 2019. We made ‘Infinity’ with the same guys, so it definitely felt like home team. The song is about being in one of those moments where you see the interconnectedness of everything, celebrate how crazy it is to be alive, and feel like you can maybe live forever in some weird way.”
Garrison elaborates, “‘Infinity’ is all about cycles—the good, the bad, and the indifferent—over and over again until we find out who we’ve always been and who we’re becoming.”
Keys shimmer above the bass-heavy groove of “Stupid Questions.” It swerves towards a chantable chorus, “How am I still calling you up, drunk and asking stupid questions?”
“It has the OG CAMINO feel,” says Jeffery. “It’s the side of your brain that’s always wondering, ‘But why is it this way?’ I’ll probably never get an answer, so you keep asking stupid questions.”
Then, there’s “Baggy Jeans.” Co-written with Captain Cuts, the track’s synths slip into the undertow of an upbeat groove punctuated by a hummable harmony and a hypnotic hook, “Wreck my heart in baggy jeans.”
“It’s about the casualness of an extremely casual breakup,” Jeffrey goes on. “Somebody breaks your heart in the most nonchalant way, and your only reaction is, ‘What the fuck? How was this so easy for you?’ It’s the juxtaposition of a girl wearing comfy clothing and ruining your life, which is how life often happens. Something crazy will go down on a Tuesday morning.”
By being so open and honest, The Band CAMINO might also just be the band the 21st century needs.
“Music has made us feel understood,” Jeffery leaves off. “A song that relates to you will hit you so much deeper. If you feel validated or end up in a good mood when you listen to us, we’ve done our job.”
“These are my boys,” Garrison smiles. “As amazing as it is to make music, it’s even more fun to do it with your best friends.”