Bynded

The compact living room is taken over with intermingling sounds of unforgettable rock and heartfelt country. Justin Hampton's distinctive voice croons along with each note and chord Sean Kennedy strikes, the two remain perfectly in sync. Hampton's passionate lyrics and voice create an unexpected bond with each listener, while the unique melody Kennedy plays continues to resonate even after the music stops.

Former UNK graduate Ben Brummels from Pierce plays the bass guitar for Bynded. Brummels said he believes what sets them apart is the mixture of small town lyrics with a high-powered voice and sound.

UNL senior history major Marcello Sanchez plays drums for the group. "Being spread out is the most difficult aspect of playing music, but more importantly is not letting that stop us from what we're trying to do here...to be heard."

Kennedy, a UNK senior majoring in general science from Sutherland, is the lead guitarist for Bynded. Kennedy said he and Hampton share in lyric writing. Hampton, also from Sutherland, graduated from Mid Plains and is the lead vocalist and backup guitar. Kennedy said each member of the band contributes his own part.

Kennedy said, "I usually write most of the guitar parts, Justin comes up with a lot as well. Ben writes the bass lines, and Marcello comes up with the drum parts. When we all get together to practice, we'll all throw ideas at each other on what we think we could switch up or change or maybe add to make it more interesting, so we all have our creative say in what we play."

Kennedy said, "We've found out that we can't just sit down and force ourselves to write, it just has to come to us, and when it does we can write a whole songs worth of lyrics in about three minutes. It's crazy the way it just happens like that."

Kennedy said the inspiration for most of their songs comes from their own experiences.

"You never know when something is going to spark inspiration, and when that does you usually have to go with it or it'll be gone."

Bynded is optimistic about their future in the music industry. "We are going to try to go all the way. We just want people to hear us. We are always looking for places to play whether it's a bar or a garage. We just want to play," Hampton said.