Badlands: A Journey Through Roots, Americana, and Boundary-Defying Sound
Formed in May 2014 by three friends, Badlands began as a shared pursuit of musical paths rooted in country, folk, bluegrass, and gospel. The acoustic palette—guitar, banjo, harmonica, and expressive vocal lines—grew to embrace blues, rock, and even soul. From the outset, the band chose a path of steady evolution. The core idea remained constant: draw from roots music and Americana, echo the spiritual warmth of Appalachian traditions, and let those influences shape what the group could become. The result is a sound that feels born in a village but resonates beyond it, always tasting like something familiar yet unmistakably original. Badlands drinks directly from the village well, then serves a brew that is distinctly its own, inviting listeners to hear something familiar and new at the same time.
From the original trio, the lineup expanded to six members, each adding their own voice to the collective tapestry. May Ibáñez joins with vocals and harmonica, weaving melodic threads that lift the ensemble’s storytelling. Raúl Pruñonosa contributes banjo, guitar, mandolin, and vocals, infusing tempos and textures that keep the performances dynamic. Rafa Adrián brings violin, keyboard, guitar, and vocals, enriching the harmonic and melodic range with cinematic color. Guillermo Giner plays guitar and dobro, delivering the slide-laden textures that can shift a chorus from intimate to expansive. Pablo Sampietro anchors the rhythm with drums and percussion, while Andrés Marco provides the bass backbone, handling both double bass and electric bass with confidence. Together, they have released a quartet of EPs—Prodidy, Relentless, Howl, and Golden Lights and Western Winds—along with two LPs, Handmade Pieces and Tornado. Across these recordings, Badlands has embedded itself into the Valencian music scene, earning recognition through various competitions and earning invitations to many of the country’s most prominent festivals, where live performance becomes a catalyst for connection with audiences who crave a blend of tradition and risk. The arc of Badlands is not merely about cataloging styles; it is about reimagining them in a live context and inviting listeners to experience the energy that arises when diverse backgrounds converge around shared songs and stories. Fans in Canada and the United States have caught glimpses of this approach through tours and festival appearances, where the music speaks in a language that feels both familiar and adventurous, inviting a broader conversation about what it means to honor roots while moving toward new horizons.