The Bends Deliver New Single 'Lips'

11-14-2025

(SMN) Emerging out of jam sessions on Louisiana State University (LSU) campus, electric young rock band The Bends release their brand new song, "Lips" today.

"'Lips' tells the story of a relationship that's reached its breaking point," explains frontman Hayden Field. "Things have turned sour, yet I can't help but cling to those early moments when everything felt exciting and fun. Hence the lyrics about making out in the bathroom at a party."

"The chorus of "Lips" was actually the first piece of music I ever shared with the band," he continues. "Since then, we've reworked the song several times until it finally landed where it needed to be. We love its rhythm and the way it naturally gets people moving. There's always a little shoulder groove happening when we play it live."

It follows their debut EP, Leeward Drive, which featured lead single "Virginia," penned by Field alongside Kevin Griffin of fellow Baton Rouge-born band, Better Than Ezra. Sparked by a voice note of a melody exchanged between Field and Griffin, "Virginia" captures the infectious energy of the four piece band's college town roots-an origin shared by both The Bends and Griffin's Better Than Ezra, who, though decades apart, all emerged from the same LSU scene.

Expanding beyond their Baton Rouge beginnings, The Bends set their sights on Nashville. There, a mutual friend shared their demos with Brad Shultz of Cage the Elephant, who was immediately impressed and soon teamed up with the band to produce Leeward Drive's centerpiece track, "The Fence."

The Bends' grassroots momentum has attracted a growing fanbase eager for not only their electric live show, but original music, too. Inspired by the textured vocals and garage rock style of bands like The Strokes, Kings of Leon, and Cage The Elephant, The Bends released their debut track, "Makeup," last year, which reached the Top 5 on Spotify's Viral Chart. Their follow-up tune, "Weekend Love," notched a coveted 'Advance Placement' slot on SiriusXM's Alt Nation channel.

The Bends have been on tour throughout the fall, prompting Orlando Weekly to praise the group as "a scrappier Kings of Leon," while the Vanderbilt Hustler raved about their "addicting indie-rock" showcased during a wall to wall packed venue in Nashville. They will bring the Leeward Drive Tour to upcoming sold-out shows at NYC's Mercury Lounge. See full list of tour dates below.

LEEWARD DRIVE TOUR:
Nov 12 - Chicago, IL - Schubas - SOLD OUT
Nov 18 - Charlottesville, VA - Southern Cafe
Nov 20 - Washington, DC - DC9 - SOLD OUT
Nov 21 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (x2) - SOLD OUT
Nov 22 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
Nov 23 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair