Feathered Fish: a local band on the rise

By GRACE HOWIE

The Feathered Fish are a four-piece band from Fredericksburg comprised of vocalist Jeremy Hankins, lead guitarist Johnny Ray Wolfe, bass guitarist Collin Hill and Lee LeGros on Drums. The band was formed in 2013 by Hankins and Wolfe, and since added Hill and LeGros. These Fred natives play original songs in a genre that they call Rock ‘n’ Reggae, a term they have coined to describe themselves.

Their music, while it is a blend of Rock and Reggae, features both rock and southern rock, which makes for a unique and fresh sound unlike many that you will find. It is difficult to compare them and relate them to other bands due to this original quality that this band possesses.

The Feathered Fish have only released singles on iTunes, Spotify, Googleplay and Amazon, but they are expected to release a full-length album this summer.

They have played around the east coast in past years and have become quite well known especially in their hometown and around Northern Virginia. They have played at many establishments such as the Bourbon Room, Spencer Devon Brewing, Colonial Tavern and they were also featured at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festival. They have found a place on the east coast for their alternative rock/reggae sound and they hope to expand and break into the west coast in the near future.   

They are unsigned, but recently released their first single, “We on the run” on March 17. The song starts slow with a funky guitar riff from Wolfe and smooth vocals from Hankins as Hill and LeGros slowly integrate into the song but this progresses into a chorus that features a reggae flare which continues throughout the song. This is stylistically very typical for The Feathered Fish. This first single really showcases their style and this genre that they have worked to create.

It is easy to stay connected with this band, as they post tour videos and live performances on their YouTube page. It is possible to check out many of their unofficial singles such as “Love is a Wonderful Pain” in which their rock influences can really be felt. The live performances and tour ‘road to’ videos help give a perspective in which you get to see some of the behind the scenes.

The aspects where you get to see the making of the single and future album really highlight the personality of this band and its members as they seem relaxed and unrehearsed. At these times, it is easy to see they are playing for their love of this genre and they enjoy what they are doing which adds to the authentic feel of this group. Even through the videos of the live performances the energy of the band can be understood and the relaxed feel carries throughout.

Their next performances in Fredericksburg are on March 31, 2017 at the LeGume Kitchen & Bar on Caroline Street at 8:00 p.m. and April 1  at Spencer Devon Brewing on George Street at 9:00 p.m. Find information and more performances at https://www.facebook.com/thefeatheredfish/