How newfound friendship led to the formation of SUPERFUND

By Grace Koennecke, Editor in Chief

Photograph by Nathan Watson

It’s hard enough to be a musician full-time, but it’s even harder when one is trying to balance a music career with their standard 9-to-5. However, for Alabama-based band SUPERFUND, they make it look easy.

The band’s origin story is quite unique, with its start dating back to when drummer Cameron Sullivan connected with some of his future bandmates on Instagram. Through the platform, Sullivan was introduced to guitarist Keith Eggleston. 

As Sullivan and Eggleston began playing together in a band before the formation of SUPERFUND, they eventually met lead vocalist Greer Miceli and baritone guitarist Griffin Bedell at a party. 

“I met Griffin because Greer was wearing a shirt for the band ‘Joyce Manor,’” Sullivan said. “It's one of my all-time favorite bands, so we started talking about Joyce Manor, and she's like, ‘Oh, you should meet my boyfriend, Griffin.’ Griffin spent 35 minutes showing me every Spotify playlist he's ever sent. It was really enlightening, and then Greer comes up and goes, ‘Oh, by the way, he plays bass. He's really, really good at it.’ I'm like, ‘Oh my gosh, you got to come play bass with me and Keith.’”

From there, the four began playing and practicing together, and most of their first album was written after two practices. However, they were in need of a bassist for SUPERFUND, which led to the addition of bassist and backup vocalist Kayleigh Drake.

Eggleston says he reached out to Drake on a platform most people wouldn’t guess: LinkedIn. The two had known each other at the beginning of their music careers through being in a band together 15 years ago, but Drake admits she hadn’t played bass for several years before Eggleston reached out.

“I'm like, ‘I have not played bass since we were in a band together, but if you all are okay with me being a little out of practice then yes, I'm down,’” Drake said. “And it worked out. Like riding a bike, you don't really forget.”

Since March, the group has been releasing music and performing together, and they even share their own Google Calendar. Their name is one that stands out not only because of its capitalization, but also because of its intentionality. 

“It was pretty pertinent,” Miceli said. “I mean, there's a Superfund site pretty near here as well. It’s in North Alabama. It's caused a lot of political controversy recently, so it was kind of top of mind. And then I think like, maybe in some circular way, either because of that or because of the songs, the songs ended up starting to be a little bit political too. It all kind of worked together pretty well.”

SUPERFUND is inspired by a variety of genres, which is clear if you’ve listened to their music or seen them perform. When asked about their musical inspirations, each member named a different genre that seemed to align with their interests and personalities. From 90s power pop and shoegaze to Midwest Emo and hardcore, the group said they tend to pull from across various decades of music.

The group has also been told by listeners that they lean towards more of a grunge punk sound, but their Bandcamp has labeled them as alternative rock punk. What makes SUPERFUND a band to watch out for is their lyricism.

“Most of the lyrics are written by either me or Griffin, which is helpful because we live together so we can bounce that stuff off each other a lot,” Miceli said.  I'll say that often I will have things already written, maybe with a certain melody in mind. The guys come with music already written or just ideas that they've sent in voice notes. It feels a little bit like a collage of things because, similarly to how we are all into different music and we're bringing different influences, Griffin and I bring different lyrical experiences as well. It kind of feels like whatever fits with the music that everybody's writing is maybe what we'll write words to.”

As a band in the South, the music scene has changed over time, with Eggleston saying the scene has expanded over the last 20 years since he started. He says the scene has become more open-minded to new genres and audiences, making it more inclusive and diverse.

“I feel like the most recent generation has been just very open-minded as far as genre and people, and they're just incorporating everyone into one big DIY freak, punk, whatever you want to call it kind of scene,” Eggleston said. “It's not as segregated as it was when I was coming in, where it was just like, ‘This is a hardcore show. This is an indie show.’ Everybody's kind of contributing and committed to the idea of making a community for people who are not necessarily fitting into whatever's happening like at the big stadiums or something like that.”

After talking with SUPERFUND, this is clearly a group that aligns with this sentiment. When reflecting on their highlights so far as a band, Sullivan says his personal favorite has been being told they were too loud during a performance. He says it was entertaining to hear, and that the band didn’t turn any of their equipment down to appease.

Other highlights include playing their first show, which Miceli and Drake say was meaningful since they were asked by their favorite local record store, Seasick Records in Birmingham, Alabama, to perform. They say the community that supported the group before and after the show gave them the confidence to keep performing, and that their first show was a sign that SUPERFUND was more than just a band of newfound friends.

Bedell also says forming SUPERFUND has allowed him to meet other people in the music scene in Alabama, which has resulted in meaningful conversations about songwriting and technical gear.

“When we play a show with another band, it's so much fun to not only meet new people, but also to talk music and songwriting and talk technical stuff,” Bedell said. “I'm a huge technical guy, and I love talking to people about their pedal boards or why they chose their amp or whatever, and so it's about meeting new people, talking to people, talking to musicians. The people are constantly giving me that gratification.”

If you want to catch a SUPERFUND show in the future, they’re performing at “Loud at the Library” at the Birmingham Public Library on August 21. 

You can also find their Bandcamp here or follow them on Instagram.