April Mae & The June Bugs

Artist Information

Biography

2013 Philadelphia Folk Festival Selected Performers

"With a sound built on cigar-box guitar, slap bass and washboard, no trio is more fun…taking familiar roots genres and twisting them around Mae’s elbow-gloved, gold capped fingers." - The City Paper

"A reverence for the old and a fresh new look to the future....a lot of fun" - WWOZ New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station

2013 Blues Women International Recording Artist - Hopson Sessions, Clarksdale, Mississippi.
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Bio - (280 Characters - See Left Side Bar Text)

Bio - (Full Version - Below)
Roots Baby Roots! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!
April Mae & the June Bugs are an exciting trio drawing on the talents of some very special musicians.

Cast of Characters
April Mae: Vocals, Kazoo, Washboard, Victory Rolls, Implements of Percussion
Dave ‘Catfish’ Fecca: Cigar Box Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Vocals
Topher: Upright Bass, Comic Relief

The June Bugs Story...
The idea of April Mae & The June Bugs started as a musical fantasy on the night of a blue moon. Somewhere on the side of a mountain in Boone, North Carolina, after April's ramblings into the deep south while on mini-tours with her blues-fusion group South Saturn Delta. As lead vocalist and songwriter, along with Dave 'Catfish' Fecca, April and Dave toured Memphis, Mexico and were 2009 Emerging Artist finalists at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas. Their original songs enjoying airplay nationally and internationally, while receiving CD reviews in France, Germany, Belgium and Norway. No small feat for these South Jersey born natives.

As I was sayin'...All this ramblin' down south inspired April to dig deeper into American Roots music, adding rockabilly, swing, gospel, bluegrass and boogie influences to her deeply rooted blues style. When close friend, cigar-box guitar builder and songwriter, Gerry Thompson invited April Mae and Catfish to quickly fill an opening on his NJ Cigar Box Festival bill...The stage was set!

Hankering after the idea of indulging in a rootsy, spunky, eclectic set - featuring upright bass! April Mae & The June Bugs were born.

They all had so much fun that night...it was infectious! And FUN is what music is supposed to be about after all!

Stay tuned - Join the mailing list, friend them on facebook, and be a part of the musical adventure. Expect to have a good time, because you will! Feel that Boogie!

Live video footage of April Mae & the June Bugs is here too, just click the VIDEO button for a taste!

For booking information please contact Blue Moon Music productions at:
856.802.1685 or via the email link on this page.

* "But what about drums?"
Well, since you asked...Some live audio tracks with drums are included here as well. However, April Mae & The June Bugs typically manifest as an acoustic trio, unless a drummer is requested, -or- unless they are feeling particularly cantankerous that evening. Which does happen from time to time! They've also been known to spice things up even more bringing in some fiddle and trombone on occasion. If you would like to book the group and have a specific format you're after, let 'em know, they'd be glad to help out, they're good like that!

Instrumentation

April Mae - Vocals, Kazoo, Washboard, Victory Rolls, Implements of Percussion.
Catfish - Banjo, Vocals, mandolin, cigar box guitar
Topher - Upright Bass, Comic Relief
Drums à La Cart - Occasionally and swingingly provided

Discography

"Boogie!" Released September, 2012.
"April Mae & The June Bugs" Self-titled CD, released June 2010. For a tasty samples please click the link below.

Currently receiving radio airplay in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

USA
WWOZ 90.7 FM The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station
The legendary "King Biscuit Time" Radio Show, KFFA, Arkansas.
The "Rockabilly Roadhouse" Radio Show, WPRB, Princeton, NJ.
"Talkin' The Blues" Radio show with Microwave Dave, JAB 90.9 FM and WLRH 89.3, The University of Alabama.
Reverend Nix's "Cigar Box Radio Show," http://www.CigarBoxRadio.com
Donny Cash's "Rug Burn Radio", http://www.section86.com/
Blow Up Radio, Lazlo's Den

CANADA
Big Groove Radio, Canada

EUR
Rootstime, Belgium www.rootstime.be
Beale Street, Belgium www.bealestreet.be
Rock 'n' Blues, Italy www.radiorcc.com
Rockabillity Rock'n'Roll Bar, Malaga, Spain
www.RockersHispanos.org
http://www.rockabillyworldwide.com

Official Website

http://www.AprilMAE.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• YouTube Channel
• Our NEW CD BOOGIE - Click here for a taste!

Audio

• June_Bug_Boogie_Sample
  Listen  
• Kiss Me_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• Maria_Lavaeux_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• I_Don't_Know_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• Travelin'_Fortune_Blues_Sample
  Listen  
• Scrub_Me_Mama_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• Blue_Moon_Risin_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• I_Chop_Wood_Sample_MP3
  Listen  
• Hear_My_Train_Sample_MP3
  Listen  

Lyrics

• SUN
• Travelin' Fortune Blues
• Sentimental Grace

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• (2013) Quite A Year For April Mae & The June Bugs [+ Show ]
  

  Career Jump-Start It’s shaping up to be quite a year for April Mae & The June Bugs. By NAILA FRA...Career Jump-Start
  
  It’s shaping up to be quite a year for April Mae & The June Bugs.
  By NAILA FRANCIS, STAFF WRITER
  
  If the events of this month are any indication, 2013
  could be a game-changer for April Mae Iorio.
  The effervescent rockabilly and roots-rock songstress,
  who serves as lead vocalist and washboard percussionist
  for trio The June Bugs, will be feted at a Get Outta Town party in Cherry Hill, N.J., Saturday to send her and husband Dave “Catfi sh” Fecca off to the
  International Blues Challenge in Memphis with some
  extra loot to help cover their journey’s expenses.
  
  After five years of competing in regional events for a
  shot at entering the IBC, this is the first year she made
  the cut. The two were selected by the Lehigh Valley
  Blues Network last fall in its annual competition to
  choose a band and duo act to represent the local blues
  chapter during the world’s largest gathering of blues
  artists. In 2012, 119 bands and 86 solo/duo acts entered
  the IBC, which is sponsored by The Blues Foundation
  and features fi ve nights of showcases and finals,
  beginning Jan. 29, with talented hopefuls aiming for
  national and even global renown.
  
  “It’s like what the Grammys are to the pop world,”
  says Iorio, who will perform both as a duo with Fecca
  and with the June Bugs during Saturday’s fundraiser,
  which also will include appearances by some of the
  area’s most respected blues artists — such as Bucks
  County favorites Mike Mettalia & Midnight Shift —
  who are returning the favor after she played their own
  Get Outta Town parties to send them off to Memphis.
  Mettalia, who’s twice competed at the IBC, gave
  the Moorestown, N.J., resident the following advice:
  “Don’t expect to win. Have fun. Put your best foot
  forward.”
  
  “For me, it’s more about exposure and networking
  and getting myself out there,” says Iorio. “And playing
  on Beale Street will be fun.”
  
  The competition is one in a string of events this
  month that seems to be steering her career to new
  heights. On her way to Memphis, Iorio will stop in
  Clarksdale, Miss., for a two-day live recording session
  as part of the inaugural Blues Women International
  project. She is one of 10 blues artists from the U.S.
  and Canada, with styles reaching from Chicago and
  Memphis blues to zydeco and roots music, chosen by
  project founder Lonnie Mickelson to perform an original
  song, which will be recorded live from the Hopson
  Plantation Commissary and released as part of a CD
  compilation in the spring.
  
  “She’s doing stuff that nobody else is doing. She
  kind of has this acoustic thing and just a flair for off the-
  wall sound that’s really fresh right now,” says
  Mickelson, a blues promoter who launched BWI to
  give talented female artists a chance to get their music
  heard and distributed beyond their regional fan base.
  “Most of the people are doing the same thing right
  now, especially in the contemporary blues ... and all
  these girls are doing their own thing.”
  
  The participants, who will be backed by an all female
  band, will each be recording a previously
  unreleased song. Iorio was looking through some old
  journals when she came across the verse and part of
  a melody for a song she’d begun in 2010 but never
  finished.
  
  “I woke up at one in the morning and the rest of the
  song was in my head. I just grabbed my recorder and
  got it down. Sometimes, that’s the way it happens,” she
  says. “You don’t know when they’re coming. You have
  to catch them or they’re gone.”
  
  The new song may bear a solid blues imprint,
  but April Mae & The June Bugs — which in addition
  to Fecca on banjo, cigar box guitar and mandolin
  includes JJ Culpepper on upright bass — has been
  skirting the genre in recent years. The band’s latest
  CD, “It’s All about the Boogie,” released in 2012, is
  a heady, playful blend of swing, rockabilly, bluegrass
  and jump blues. Featuring original songs contributed
  by all three, save a cover of the 1940 boogie-woogie
  hit “Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat,” the album
  reveals Iorio’s ease in a number of vocal personas, from
  the dulcet and coy to the cheeky and smoldering as she
  fl irts and fl ees from romance, savors life’s simple pleasures,
  seeks a distant salvation and revels in the band’s
  instinctive “groovin’ jive.”
  
  Fecca and Culpepper also sing, as well as contribute
  to the quirky, comedic sass, with Fecca taking the vocal
  lead on the jaunty lumberjack tale “I Chop Wood.”
  For Iorio, the album marks an exciting evolution
  from the band’s 2010 self-titled debut of more traditional
  blues. It’s the fi rst to feature the mandolin and
  the 1940s washboard she began playing two years ago,
  creating her own gold-tipped gloves — “I wanted
  something campy,” she says — to strike the surface
  with a greater delicacy than a thimble would allow.
  Yet for all her genre-hopping under a broad Americana
  umbrella, the blues remains a foundation. It was
  what fi rst caught her ear when she was a girl in love
  with Led Zeppelin, taking note of nods to the likes
  of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon
  on songs such as “Whole Lotta Love” and “Since I’ve
  Been Loving You.”
  
  “To me, the blues is like liberation. It’s catharsis. I
  equate it to when you scream into a pillow and you feel
  better because it lets you channel your emotion into
  the music,” says Iorio, a Riverside High School graduate
  who got her degree in art from Rowan University,
  thinking she’d be a sculptor and ceramist before music
  came calling. “I come from the blues, but I love mixing
  that other stuff in because it’s what excites me.
  “Most of it is all sped-up, 12-bar blues anyway, just
  high-octane and punchier.”
  
  She cites some of Elvis Presley’s earliest hits as a
  prime example, checking off influences that include
  Pete Seeger, Bessie Smith, the Red Stick Ramblers,
  former rockabilly trio The Dempseys and her own parents,
  singer Maryalice Silva of Delanco and musician
  Phil Iorio of Franklinville, who encouraged her when,
  at about 12, she picked up the bass.
  
  When she joined her first band, a blues-rock outfit,
  it was at the coaxing of a friend who invited her to play
  the instrument and then nudged her into the vocal
  spotlight. Though admittedly an introvert, she found
  an unexpected safety onstage and sheer joy in singing.
  
  When she met Fecca, the two would found the
  blues-fusion group South Saturn Delta, dissolving the
  quintet after 11 years when its blues template became
  too restricting. A chance invitation to perform at the
  New Jersey Cigar Box Guitar Festival a few years back
  gave birth to The June Bugs when she enlisted Culpepper
  to join her and Fecca onstage.
  
  But it’ll be just her and her husband on the road
  this month, touring as April Mae & Catfish in their
  vintage-style “Boogie Bus,” which they’ve converted
  to run on grease. Their final destination: the legendary
  Sun Studio in Memphis, where they’ll record a few
  tracks for their forthcoming album with Rockabilly
  Hall of Famer JM Van Eaton, the session drummer
  who played on Jerry Lee Lewis’ hits “Whole Lotta
  Shakin’ Going On” and “Great Balls of Fire.”
  Iorio has always been what she calls a “Sun Studio
  junkie,” a collector of mugs, lighters, pocketbooks —
  anything she can find with the logo.
  
  “So many amazing artists have come out of there.
  It’s a magical space because it hasn’t changed. It’s like
  stepping back in time. It feels like being Cinderella at
  the ball or having the theme park to yourself,” she says.
  “I just can’t believe this is all in the same month.
  It’s kind of overwhelming ... and it’s really an amazing
  way to start the year.”
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs perform Saturday at a Get Outta Town
  Party at Red Hot & Blue, 2175 Marlton Pike W., Cherry Hill. Show
  time: 6 p.m. to midnight (includes a silent auction and raffles).
  Admission: free. Information: 856-665-7427; www.redhotanblue.com;
  www.aprilmae.com
  
  Naila Francis is a feature writer at Calkins Media. Phone: 215-345-
  3149. Email: nfrancis@phillyBurbs.com. Twitter: @Naila_

• "No Trio Is More Fun" The City Paper [+ Show ]
  

  With a sound built on cigar-box guitar, slap bass and washboard, no trio is more fun in performance ...With a sound built on cigar-box guitar, slap bass and washboard, no trio is more fun in performance than New Jersey’s April Mae and the June Bugs. The recent Boogie! (aprilmaeandthejunebugs.com) does justice to the live show with the three taking familiar roots genres and twisting them around Mae’s elbow-gloved, thimble-capped fingers. On “Blue Moon Risen,” Dave “Catfish” Fecca trades that cigar-box guitar for mandolin, but with Mae wailing and scratching rhythm on the washboard, it is as much Yank Rachell as Bill Monroe. The one tune with boogie in the title is a modern bait and switch more Kurt Weill than Pete Johnson. —Mary Armstrong
  
  The City Paper - Philadelphia, January 4th, 2013.
  
  

• Blues Women Make History and Magic at Hopson Plantation [+ Show ]
  

  THUNDER BAY – Entertainment – Blues Women make history and magic with the first ever international r...THUNDER BAY – Entertainment – Blues Women make history and magic with the first ever international recording. Blues artists and an all female back up band joined passionate forces at the end of January. They gathered in Clarksdale, Mississippi near the famed Crossroads to record 17 all original songs. This all took place at the Hopson Plantation Commissary. Organizers turned the commissary into a recording studio.
  Blues Women gather to make history and music
  
  Women blues artists came from all over the globe including Canada, Australia and many states like Texas, Alabama, Maine and more. Most of the women are recording artists, some are seasoned touring artists, others are award winners. All are blues women songwriters and players, with a female view of the blues.
  
  This was the first project organized and spearheaded by the newly formed group called Blues Women International. Project manager was Lon Mickelson from Minneapolis. Mickelson is a long time blues promoter. Atikokan’s Sunday Wilde assisted with the plannning.
  
  It took months of planning to coordinate the venue. There were many assistants and the female artists involved. It was organized to take place prior to the Memphis IBC so that the women could save on travel costs.
  
  Hopson Commissary
  
  The Hopson Plantation Commissary stands today in much the same condition as in its glory days over fifty years ago. The building is full of antique and historical items which create a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of the deep south Delta
  
  Hopson Plantation Cotton Picking BluesCotton had always required a large amount of hand labor, at one time over a million families to raise 22 million acres of cotton.
  
  Today the Hopson Plantation is a place for music, arts and antiques and history.
  
  The recording took place on Monday and Tuesday January 28-29 and is now in the second stage of the mixing and editing. The new release is expected to be launched in March of 2013. Many of the artists stayed on site at the Shack Up Inn and the Hopson Commissary so they could network, and work on the creative process. It was magic and history in the making with so many female artists in the blues together to meld and record.
  
  The players involved in the recording were: Pat Pepin (Readfield, Maine), Billie Feather (Winston-Salem, NC), Carol Dierking (Dallas, TX) Heather Cross (Little Rock, AR), Jaqueline Nassar (Clarksdale, MS), Cindy Maloney (Denton, TX), Joni and Alexandra Buffalohead (Minneapollis, MN) DieDra (Birmingham, AL), Kelly Chappue (Huntington Beach, CA) Dee Lavell (Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia ) Julia Magnus (Austin, TX), Sunday Wilde (Atikokan,Ontario Canada) Janelle Frost (Birmingham, Alabama) and April Mae (Lenola, NJ).
  
  A variety of original music was recorded in this inaugural project, and it is hoped that this project will be one of many organized by the Blues Women International.
  
  Stay tuned for the upcoming release – out in May of 2013, and please check out all the women artists listed above for further information on their musical journey’s.

• "A Fresh New Look to the Future...A Lot of Fun!" WWOZ [+ Show ]
  

  April Mae and the Junebugs played live on WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans and worldwide on www.WWOZ.org. A...April Mae and the Junebugs played live on WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans and worldwide on www.WWOZ.org. April Mae sang the blues and some of their own compositions straight from the heart. Catfish is a skilled instrumentalist who showcased her voice and his banjo and cigarbox guitar with original interpretations and a fresh look at some traditional pieces. They have a reverence for the old and a fresh new look to the future....a lot of fun.
  
  Hazel the Delta Rambler
  
  WWOZ 90.7 FM the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station

• Boogie CD Review "Sultry Melting Pot" - Rootstime, Belgium [+ Show ]
  

  The Review: (English Translation) Boogie! is the second album of this trio from Moorestown, New... The Review: (English Translation)
  
  Boogie! is the second album of this trio from Moorestown, New Jersey, a result of a chance meeting of like-minded people with a love for music in the U.S. after decades still the hearts beat faster. With roots in blues April Mae is a typical product of the musical history of the U.S.. Attracted by the mystique and history of the genre she went frequently to the South to be there to meet with local, richly varied musical haute cuisine.
  
  A sultry sultry melting pot is the result of these numerous music tours, at least for those who have the time and effort to his ears wide open. Boogie! is an album that should be discovered, let it be put first. First, let go of the idea that you're dealing with yet another rockabilly trio that his sound on board knows to capture.
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs are not traditional rockabilly, but explain in detail how to determine the history of what is today 'roots', is created. In that sense Boogie! more a musical documentary than a CD of the nth roots band. Once people have discovered, undergoes a very pleasant trip with expert tour guide from April Mae (vocals and washboard), Dave 'Catfish' Fecca (on cigar box guitar, mandolin and banjo) and JJ Culpepper on upright bass.
  
  A journey that begins with the rousing guitar lick it with rockabilly tunes surrounded Kiss Me, but where the beautifully framed voice of Mae your note seems to pull in a smoky '30s jazz club in New Orleans, accompanied by a delicious rhythm which is in the hands of Fecca and Culpepper in excellent hands appears. Special of The Day is supported by the trombone Chapman Sowash and makes it indeed to speciaaltje of the day. Hot, sultry and especially southern tones, even more emphasized by the sexy, theatrical vocals Mae, are interspersed with a sharp blues solo guitar Fecca on his cigar. And just as the idea has taken hold that with Bye Bye Baby traditional rockabilly song tackle've put Fecca with a solo blues influences are again making the spectrum of the song a completely different dimension.
  
  The washboard of April Mae gets all the attention in the bluegrass and folk interspersed with I Do not Know. It appears to be a strong and powerful rhythm instrument and fits seamlessly into the nice up tempo of the song. I Chop Wood was just a tribute to Derrol Adams may be, an American singer-songwriter who banjo hit a bridge between European (read: Irish) folk and American styles. The album ends with grandiose languid swing (Pin Up Girl) and the instrumental Moonlight Paradise, which seems to have run away from a film by David Lynch.
  
  Boogie! houses classic American music with rockabilly and swing as the main ingredients, but framed with a variety of related styles like jazz, doo wop, r & b and a pinch surf, boogie and bluegrass. On stage will undoubtedly make for a big party, but with Boogie! on the plate is a deep bow in place. An absolute must have for the gourmet roots .....
  
  Ferenc Koolen

• Boogie CD Review "Sassy Aplomb!" [+ Show ]
  

  “April Mae & the June Bugs continue their forays into Roots Americana with sassy aplomb.” Thomas J. ...“April Mae & the June Bugs continue their forays into Roots Americana with sassy aplomb.” Thomas J. Cullen III, President Bucks County Blues Society and Contributing Editor Blues Revue

• Boogie CD Review "Old-Timey Styles To Mix Things Up" [+ Show ]
  

  April Mae & The June Bugs / It’s All About The Boogie This female washboard player fronted Rockab...April Mae & The June Bugs / It’s All About The Boogie
  
  This female washboard player fronted Rockabilly Trio has a very clever name, and ranges into some other old-timey styles to mix things up on their new 11 song CD. April Mae wrote 3 of the songs, one of them with fine guitarist/mandolin/banjo player Dave “Catfish” Fecca, who wrote 4 others and sings on “I Chop Wood.” Bass player J.J. Culpepper also wrote 3 songs. The one and only cover is Don Raye’s “Scrub Me Mama (With A Boogie Beat),” complete with a kazoo solo!
  
  Opening with “Kiss Me,” song #2 gives you a capsule autobiography of April Mae and the band. Catfish is a fine guitarist, and the group is augmented here and there by harmonica (Mike Mettalia, from the band Midnight Shift which we’ve reviewed), a little extra percussion, and a trombone on “Special Of The Day,” a jazzy New Orleans flavored tune (with drums). A couple tracks are listed as Bluegrass, and regardless of whether the Bluegrass community would agree, they do offer variety, and we get to hear that Catfish is also a fine mandolin player!
  
  While they call several of the tracks Rockabilly, they might not be recognized as such by some of the purists – but I like them, and I like the variety of music here. As a washboard player myself, I always appreciate the instrument appearing, especially in a band like this where it’s on every song.
  
  They may somewhat more resemble a Jug Band or Ragtime ensemble, or a street act, but I believe variety and inclusiveness are very important. And actually, April’s song “Pinup Girl” reminds me a little of Josie Kreuzer’s style. I’d sure go see ‘em play, and look forward to any further recordings that might come my way!
  
  -Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News
  

• Boogie CD Review "It's All About The Boogie!" [+ Show ]
  

  "It's All About The Boogie" is aptly titled and is a never fail exploration into a Rock-a-billy Amer..."It's All About The Boogie" is aptly titled and is a never fail exploration into a Rock-a-billy American Roots music that's made for good times....Blues 411 Magazine

• Boogie CD Makes Coach's 10 Top List [+ Show ]
  

  The Coach’s Top Ten Fall 2012 new releases. 1. Chris O'Leary Band: Waiting for the Phone to Ring...The Coach’s Top Ten Fall 2012 new releases.
  
  1. Chris O'Leary Band: Waiting for the Phone to Ring (Vizztone)
  2. Mississippi Heat: Delta Bound (Delmark)
  3. John Lee Hooker, Jr.: All Hooked Up (Steppin' Stone)
  4. Maria Muldaur & Various Artists: First Came Memphis Minnie (Stony Plain)
  
  5. April Mae & the June Bugs: It's All About the Boogie (AMJB)
  
  6. David Vest: East Meets Vest (Ark-O-Matic)
  7. Brad Hatfield: Uphill from Anywhere (BH)
  8. Mighty Sam: Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey) (Mighty Music)
  9. Dennis Jones: My Kinda Blues (Blue Rock)
  10. Cee Cee James : Blood Red Blues (FWG)
  
  [“The Coach” is a long time associate of BCBS and CEO of the Boogaloo Investigators]

• Happy To Have The Blues Award 2012
  

  Sexiest Voice (Female) 2012 April Mae and Maria Muldaur October / November 2012 Issue

• "Entertaining Crowds...Up and Down the East Coast" [+ Show ]
  

  "The headlining band, the New Jersey-based April Mae and the June Bugs, has been entertaining crowds..."The headlining band, the New Jersey-based April Mae and the June Bugs, has been entertaining crowds with its unique brand of rockabilly, jump blues and swing up and down the East Coast."
  
  
  
  'The Eccentric Garden Vaudeville & Burlesque Show' Debuts
  Article: Friday, April 20th 2012
  
  Blackhearts Society & Burlesque Productions, a newly formed vaudeville and burlesque troupe based in Quakertown, is staging its first production, "The Eccentric Garden Vaudeville & Burlesque Show," on Saturday at McCoole's Arts & Events Place in Quakertown.
  
  The Eccentric Garden is set as a 1920s high society speakeasy in an era of bootleggers, dames and gangsters. Performances include comics, jugglers, singing, cabaret dancers and classic bump and grind, as well as skits from various performers, with audience participation encouraged.
  
  The burlesque headliner, Kiki Berlin of Philadelphia, has been performing classic burlesque on stage for the past 10 years. Formerly with the Hellcat Girls, Kiki will be performing a tribute to the bygone era.
  
  The headlining band, the New Jersey-based April Mae and the June Bugs, has been entertaining crowds with its unique brand of rockabilly, jump blues and swing up and down the East Coast.
  
  The main show starts at 8 p.m. with a preshow cocktail party at 5 with vendors of merit.
  
  Portions of the proceeds will be going to support the Muscular Dystrophy Society by sponsoring one of the troupe's dancers who has MS in the Philadelphia Walk, as well as the Upper Bucks Alliance for Creative Expression.
  
  The venue is at 4 S. Main St.
  
  Information: Blackhearts Society and Burlesque Productions' Facebook page.

• "Great Fun!" [+ Show ]
  

  Imelda May's Personal Tour Blog, "Support came in the shape of April Mae and the Junebugs, great fun...Imelda May's Personal Tour Blog, "Support came in the shape of April Mae and the Junebugs, great fun and we had a private smelling of Dave their Guitarists guitars* in the dressing room."
  
  * The guitars being smelled were "Catfish" Dave's:
  1. Custom Cigar Box Guitar. Builder Gerry Thompson. Pick Up and Electronic customizations by Catfish Dave.
  2. "Maria" Mexi-Strat. Dave personally customized and carbonated this guitar by setting it on fire and reworking the wood. She gets her name from the Fender employee who wrote her name in the neck pocket.

• "A Vibe That You Cannot Duplicate..." [+ Show ]
  

  East coast ramblin’ Americana band with a solidly entertaining collection of American roots music, A...East coast ramblin’ Americana band with a solidly entertaining collection of American roots music, April Mae and her fellows have a vibe that you cannot duplicate and we are ‘Happy to Have the Blues” with April Mae, Roots Baby Roots!
  
  Track #16. April Mae & The June Bugs
  “Travelin’ Fortune Blues” (3:29)
  
  2011-12 Big City Blues Sampler CD #11
  "Get Rhythm, When You Get The Blues."
  
  - Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine.
  

• "Just Enough Grease to Keep Ya Slip Slidin’ Towards Ecstasy!" [+ Show ]
  

  Riverfront Blues Festival – Looking Back in Photos: Blues 411 Magazine Honorable Mention: "A...Riverfront Blues Festival – Looking Back in Photos:
  Blues 411 Magazine
  
  Honorable Mention:
  
  "April Mae and The June Bugs a NJ three-piece band that brings rock-a-billy sensibilities with just enough grease to keep ya slip slidin’ towards ecstasy! Fun times, fast times and a crowd pleasing set made them the surprise hit of the Bandwagon Stage. Yeah New Jersey!"
  
  Chef Jimi
  ©Blues411.com 2011

• "Full of Energy!" [+ Show ]
  

  - Diamond State Blues Society, DE Your set was really sharp and...different. I like the format of t...- Diamond State Blues Society, DE
  Your set was really sharp and...different. I like the format of this band especially with the upright bass gives it another sound that's full of energy!
  
  Thanks for the great day of music.
  
  Gene Fontana
  
  President
  Diamond State Blues Society

• "ICONIC!!!" [+ Show ]
  

  "(April Mae & The June Bugs) has all the makings to become ICONIC!!! Hot damn, you're onto somethin'..."(April Mae & The June Bugs) has all the makings to become ICONIC!!! Hot damn, you're onto somethin'!"
  
  - Shane Speal, Cigar Box Nation and Scrapplehead Promotions

• "Solidly Entertaining" [+ Show ]
  

  Blues Festival Guide Magazine - CD Releases: April Mae & The June Bugs April Mae & The June Bugs,...Blues Festival Guide Magazine - CD Releases: April Mae & The June Bugs
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs, the band’s debut album, features original songwriting along with some very special reinterpretations of songs by such artists as Cab Calloway, Bobby Bare and Eddie Cochran.
  
  The breadth of the band’s material reads like a recipe for American music gumbo; equal parts jump blues, rockabilly, swing and the spirit of New Orleans permeate their music along with a dose of vintage vibes added like Tabasco sauce.
  
  Traveling and performing through the deep south, soaking up the sounds of roots music forms like bluegrass, delta blues, rockabilly and swing led April to form the June Bugs. April Mae, lead vocalist, also plays washboard and percussion with the June Bugs. Dave “Catfish” Fecca sizzles on cigar box guitar, electric guitar and banjo, while JJ Culpepper’s rollicking, expressive bass lines provide the perfect balance between April’s hot-smoke-and-honey vocals and guitarist Catfish’s gritty leads.
  
  "A solidly entertaining collection of American roots music." ~ Tom Cullen, Contributing Editor Blues Revue Magazine, President Bucks County Blues Society.

• Coolest Blues Song Nomination 2012 [+ Show ]
  

  - Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine, Feb./March 2012, Page 55. East coast ramblin' Americana ba...- Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine, Feb./March 2012, Page 55.
  
  East coast ramblin' Americana band with a solidly entertaining collection of American roots music, April Mae and her fellows have a vibe that you cannot duplicate and we are "Happy To Have The Blues" with April Mae.
  
  "Get Rhythm, When You Get The Blues," Big City Rhythm & Blues Sampler CD #11 2011-12
  
  

• Jimi Award Nomination: Best Traditional Release [+ Show ]
  

  Blues411 ‘The Jimi Awards’ for 2011. Award Nominations. Traditional Release: April Mae & T...Blues411 ‘The Jimi Awards’ for 2011.
  
  Award Nominations.
  
  Traditional Release:
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs – self titled
  
  Ben Prestage – One Crow Murder
  Super Chikan & Watermelon Slim - Okiesippi
  Toby Walker – Shake Shake Mama
  Brad Vickers & The Vestopolitans – Travelling Fool
  Spencer Bohren – Black Water Music
  

• Happy To Have The Blues Award 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  On November 13, 2011 Big City Rhythm & Blue Magazine presented April Mae and her affectionately name...On November 13, 2011 Big City Rhythm & Blue Magazine presented April Mae and her affectionately named "Boogie Bus" with the Happy To Have the Blues Award in the category of "Best Ride - Female". The Boogie Bus is custom painted candy apple red and banana cream in a vintage and whimsical style that took her months of sketching to realize.*
  
  Little Freddie King from New Orleans was presented with the Blues Musician "Best Ride - Male" award honoring him as well as his stylish 1973 Caddy.
  
  In March 2012, April Mae had the Boogie Bus converted to run on recycled vegetable oil.
  
  Grease it up baby, here they come!
  
  
  
  *Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine's Happy To Have the Blues Award was presented to April Mae at Kenny's Castaways in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYC.

• "Surprise Hit April Mae & the June Bugs!" January 30, 2012 [+ Show ]
  

  - Lehigh Valley Music; Special to The Morning Call Blues Bands Give Their All To Send Midnight Sh...- Lehigh Valley Music; Special to The Morning Call
  
  Blues Bands Give Their All To Send Midnight Shift to Memphis...
  
  Surprise hit April Mae and the June Bugs performed upbeat rockabilly with electric guitar, standup bass, and April Mae on country inflected vocals. The group featured thumping bass, some fuzz and slide guitar, spirited singing, and great versions of “Marie Laveau” and “Blue Moon.”
  
  (Two of the three photographs in this story featured, April Mae and her guitarist Catfish.)
  
  By Dave Howell Special to The Morning Call, January 30, 2012
  Categories: Concert Reviews, Music, Music News
  

• "Nice Surprise!" [+ Show ]
  

  Wilmington Riverfront Festival … Blues…Blues…Bluezzz…All the Way Tubman-Garrett Park in Wilmingto...Wilmington Riverfront Festival … Blues…Blues…Bluezzz…All the Way
  
  Tubman-Garrett Park in Wilmington was the place to be when they had their Blues Festival at the Riverfront. The three-day festival hosted dozens of rock ‘n roll and blues artists from around the region....
  
  Another nice surprise concert for me was that of April, Mae & the June bugs. It was a lively set of 3 and brought out a lot of energy in their chosen numbers...."
  
  - Dileep Srinivasan
  Concert Reviewer
  
  

• "The Breakout Surprise Act" [+ Show ]
  

  "April Mae and the June Bugs were the breakout surprise act (of the Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Fe..."April Mae and the June Bugs were the breakout surprise act (of the Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Festival) with their 1940's/50's style and charm."
  
  ~ Shane Speal
  
  Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Festival, A Report by Shane Speal.

• "Nonpareil! " [+ Show ]
  

  Ron Goad, BMI Grassroots Initiative Consultant " I certainly find your fabulous ensemble to be n... Ron Goad, BMI Grassroots Initiative Consultant
  
  " I certainly find your fabulous ensemble to be nonpareil! "
  
  ~ Ron Goad
  
  Songwriters' Association of Washington Vice President (SAW.org)
  BMI Grassroots Initiative Consultant, (BMI.com)
  Reston Herndon Folk Club Board of Directors (RestonHerndonFolkClub.com)
  Frederick Acoustic Board of Directors (FrederickAcoustic.org)
  F.A.M.E (Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise), Board of Director (FrederickAcoustic.org )
  
  non·pa·reil; [non-puh-rel] adjective. 1. having no equal; peerless. noun 2. a person or thing having no equal. 3. a small pellet of colored sugar for decorating candy, cake, and cookies. 4. a flat, round, bite-sized piece of chocolate covered with this sugar.

• Roots Baby Roots! Interview with April Mae [+ Show ]
  

  Full Feature Article and Interview with April Mae in Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine. Plus photos, ...Full Feature Article and Interview with April Mae in Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine. Plus photos, and Happy To Have the Awards feature.
  
  Link provided below.
  
  Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, Dec./January 2012

• 'Fans of Southern Culture On The Skids or the Squirrel Nut Zippers, will also enjoy this gem..." [+ Show ]
  

  Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, Feb./March 2012 - CD Review April Mae & The June Bugs, Self-Rel...Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, Feb./March 2012 - CD Review
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs, Self-Released CD
  www.aprilmaeandthejunebugs.com
  
  Engaging vocalist April Mae and her duo of June Bugs (upright bass player J.J. Culpepper and cigar-box guitarist/banjoist Dave "Catfish" Fecca) currently perform their unique Americana mix of jump blues, rockabilly, boogie (fittingly, a bouncy version of "June Bug Boogie" leads affairs off here, nodding to both Spike Jones and the Red Stick Ramblers), swing and gospel with hefty pinches of psychedelia and N'awlins bayou blues tossed in for good measure in and around their Moorestown, New Jersey base. Four steaming covers are mixed in with seven creative band originals as the trio swimmingly tackle material by Cab Calloway, Shel Silverstein, Lawrence Walker and, remarkably, rock 'n' roller Eddie Cochran's perky "Somethin' Else." Originals of note include the hymn-like reflection "Sentimental Grace," the jaunty blues "Break Of Dawn" (with a fine screaming vocal by the Catfish), a Hendrix-like "Mile Away" and a banjo-framed slice of loneliness titled "Sun." Fans of Southern Culture On The Skids or the Squirrel Nut Zippers, will also enjoy this gem which, with any luck, should get them out of "Joisey."— Gary von Tersch
  

• "June Bug Boogie" Song featured in Blues Festival Guide Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "June Bug Boogie" song, written by April Mae, now spinning on the Juke Box of Blues Festival Guide M..."June Bug Boogie" song, written by April Mae, now spinning on the Juke Box of Blues Festival Guide Magazine's website.
  
  March 2012

• "A Solidly Entertaining Collection of American Roots Music!" [+ Show ]
  

  April Mae & The June Bugs CD Review "A solidly entertaining collection of American roots music!" ...April Mae & The June Bugs CD Review
  
  "A solidly entertaining collection of American roots music!"
  
  Tom Cullen
  Contributing Editor Blues Revue
  President, Bucks County Blues Society

• " A Rockabilly Heaven Fit for The King Himself" [+ Show ]
  

  Between headliner Imelda May and local trio April Mae and the Junebugs, last week Johnny Brenda's mo...Between headliner Imelda May and local trio April Mae and the Junebugs, last week Johnny Brenda's morphed into a rockabilly heaven fit for The King himself.
  
  Openers April Mae (self-proclaimed "biggest fan" of Imelda May), and her band are worth more than a mention and in fact, we'll give them several...It was virtually impossible for us to not squeak with delight when upright bassist JJ Culpepper called out (at the top of his lungs) "Play that gee-tar Catfish!" ...If you know anything about Phillyist at all, you know we love a good stage show). Dude's name is Catfish! Whilst peering out from behind his dark Elvis shades (yep, sunglasses at night, and inside at that) play Catfish did—from behind his back. Lest you think The Junebugs are all flash and image and no substance, let us assure you this is not the case. Their musicianship is excellent and song writing intriguing.

• "What A Treat!" [+ Show ]
  

  Coffee Works recently had April Mae and the Junebugs play on a Thursday night and what a treat it wa...Coffee Works recently had April Mae and the Junebugs play on a Thursday night and what a treat it was! This is a very talented collection of performers doing great classic jazz and blues tunes. Look for them to be back early June for a Full Friday night of Junebug entertainment!
  
  (Link to full article below.)
  http://coffee-works.com/2010/02/april-mae-and-the-junebugs/comment-page-1/#comment-6

• April Mae & The June Bugs Concert and CD Release Party! [+ Show ]
  

  - Kelli Tome, Full Moon Blues, FullMoonBlues.com Exciting new band, April Mae & The June Bugs hos...- Kelli Tome, Full Moon Blues, FullMoonBlues.com
  
  Exciting new band, April Mae & The June Bugs hosts CD release party at The Bus Stop in Pitman, NJ on July 28th after successfully opening for international pop sensation Imelda May.
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs recently performed as the opening act for Grammy Awards performer Imelda May last month at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia. Post show Phillyist reviewer Allison Krumm declared, “Between headliner Imelda May and local trio April Mae and the June Bugs, last week Johnny Brenda's morphed into a rockabilly heaven fit for The King himself.”
  
  “April Mae & The June Bugs,” the band’s debut album, features original songwriting along with some very special reinterpretations of songs by such artists as Cab Calloway, Bobby Bare and Eddie Cochran.
  
  The breadth of the band’s material reads like a recipe for American music gumbo; equal parts jump blues, rockabilly, swing and the spirit of New Orleans permeate their music along with a dose of vintage vibes added like Tabasco sauce.
  
  Traveling and performing through the deep south, soaking up the sounds of roots music forms like bluegrass, delta blues, rockabilly and swing led April to seek out upright bassist JJ Culpepper to form the June Bugs. April Mae, lead vocalist, also plays washboard and percussion with the June Bugs. Dave “Catfish” Fecca sizzles on cigar box guitar, electric guitar and banjo, while JJ Culpepper’s rollicking, expressive bass lines provide the perfect balance between April’s hot-smoke-and-honey vocals and guitarist Catfish’s gritty leads.
  
  “Opening for Imelda May was such an honor. Performing to such an excited and responsive audience was invigorating” says April, “Getting to hang out with Imelda at the show was icing on the cake.”
  
  April Mae & The June Bugs will be performing songs from their self-titled CD live on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at The Bus Stop Music Café, 148 S. Broadway, Pitman, NJ 08071. “We chose the Bus Stop because they are so supportive of our music and the original music community” says April, “The inspiring vibe is a plus…I love the vinyl records everywhere.”
  
  Doors open at 7:00 PM / Performance time is from 8:00 - 9:00 PM. The Bus Stop features a creative menu including dinner, casual fare and desserts, even banana splits and milkshakes, which will be available before and during the show. BYOB. Admission is free for all ages.
  

Setlist

Our typical set list is a 1-hour set. However we also play 4 set evenings in cafe's and blues clubs.

Our sets feature originals and eclectic roots music re-interpreted with a swinging back beat, a delta belt, and a dab of N'awlins for extra spice!

Some reinterpretations include songs by:
Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Skeets McDonald, Bobby Bare to name a few.

Basic Requirements

Calendar