Catch Of The Week: Sons Of Alfond
Meet Sons of Alfond from Portland, Maine!
Say hello to the boys in the band…
Cam– vocals and guitar
Jake– guitar
Sean– drums
Ralph– bass
Put them all together and you’ve got a 4 man band who likes to rock their country. Their guitar-laden melodies scream rock, while the storytelling and emotional appeal are pure country. There are hints of Montgomery Gentry here, southern rock and even 90’s grunge. One thing is clear, Sons of Alfond’s charm is rooted in their love of playing, together. Their chemistry, joy and work ethic are fully on display when you push play.
How did they come up with the name, Sons of Alfond? According to the band: “We played a couple gigs without a band name when we first got started, so we had to come up with something pretty quick. We watched an episode of Sons of Anarchy one night and then came up with Sons of Alfond, or SOA for short. Alfond is a notable name in Maine, their family has donated and built a lot of athletic arenas and we have all played on an “Alfond Field/Arena/Stadium” at one point, and after it grew on us we stuck with it”
Push Play
From their EP, Sons of Alfond, take a listen to “Low on Gas”
Just for you, Cam and Sean performed an acoustic version of the song from home
Band Aids
From: Portland ME
Grew up in: Jake- Bangor ME; Ralph- Brewer; Cam- Biddeford Maine; Sean- Rochester NH
Current single, and or EP or Album: Sons of Alfond (Self-Titled EP)
What lead you to music:
Cam: I grew up playing travel hockey so in the car rides to and from games my dad used to play old George Thorogood and Stevie Ray Vaughan CDs and that got me into the electric guitar sound. The love of country came from my mom who actually used to sing along to your station when I was younger! I used to call in her radio requests haha.
Sean: My friend when I was a kid gave me a few drum lessons and we’d play in his basement for hours and I just kept going ever since
Ralph: My Grandfather had a guitar and was always into music
Jake: I just always thought guitar players looked cool so I picked one up
How old when you started:
Cam Started guitar when I was 15, started singing on stage around 19-20
Sean: 8 years old
Jake: 4th Grade
Ralph: 12 years old
Instruments played: Cam-Acoustic and Electric Guitar/ Jake-Acoustic and Electric Guitar/ Sean- Drums Ralph-Bass, Guitar, and a little bit of piano and lap steel
Describe your sound: I think we’re best described as alt-country with a musical edge. We love loud guitars, but also love songwriting, and sometimes the song needs to be a bit more toned down to get the message across. You can hear the distinct variety in these 4 new songs on the EP
Who inspires you: Our parents have really helped us push and take the chances that got us this far, so they’re a huge inspiration for all of us.
Awards/accolades: We might have the record for police calls due to breaking city noise ordinances! Nothing official but that’s ok by us
Dream duet partner:
Cam: Guy, Eric Church, Girl, Carrie Underwood
Sean: Would love to play on a track with Hardy
Jake: Cody Johnson
Ralph: Dua Lipa
All- time favorite country songs:
Cam: Talledega – Eric Church
Jake: You Never Even Called Me By My Name – David Allen Coe
Sean: Boots – Hardy. I’m relatively new to the country genre
Ralph: Whatever it Is – Zac Brown Band
First country concert:
Sean: First country concert was actually our own, when we opened up for Dylan Scott a couple years ago
Cam: Eric Church, who opened for Zac Brown Band
Jake: Also Eric Church, but when he opened for Miranda Lambert 10 years ago
Ralph: Zac Brown Band
What songs do you like now on Country 1025: Chasin You – Morgan Wallen, Beer Never Broke My Heart – Combs, Hope You’re Happy Now – Lee Brice/Carly Pearce
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing:
Sean Daydreaming about being a touring drummer
Cam: I’d probably be coaching youth hockey outside of a day job
Jake: I’d still be a dentist
Day Job:
Jake: Dentist
Ralph: Lab Technician
Cam: Sales Rep
Sean: Sales also
Most proud moment:
Sean: Can I use the Dylan Scott show twice?
Cam: Probably seeing our single Sunshine State of Mind hit 50,000 streams on Spotify. Not a huge number but from where we started, didn’t think I’d see that happen
Jake & Ralph: Yea the Dylan Scott show was crazy. Nearly sold out, crowd was awesome, Jimmie Allen was great too, always love those big act sets.
Crazy thing that happened in your music career:
Clay: I met Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band guitarist, wrote with John Mayer on his debut album) in Nashville and he ended up convincing me to buy a guitar he was playing in the same shop
Sean: Probably getting into a Pats/Eagles sports debate with Jimmie Allen earlier this year
Jake: Teaching Dylan Scott how to do a proper moose call
Ralph: Watching Jake teach Dylan Scott how to do a moose call
Other things you like to do:
Sean: I’m a die hard Boston sports fan, also like brewery hopping around Portland
Cam: I like golfing and going to concerts, also fishing
Jake: Hunting, fishing, anything outdoors
Ralph: Woodworking
Fun facts:
Cam: I’m a sucker for “girl power” songs. They’re too catchy and upbeat to not sing along with on car rides.
Ralph: I actually never intended on being a bass player until the band started, I’m mainly a guitar player. Also I’m a Maliseet Tribal member.
Sean: I played college soccer, and listen to a lot of EDM music
Mantra: “Never underestimate a Pirate Party”**
Sons On Social
Making the Music
Every week, Kruser’s Local Catch highlights New England’s homegrown country music talent, and tells you where to catch them locally and in Nashville. Click here to view previous catches.
*Singer/songwriters with original music: Please submit for consideration on The Local Catch by emailing: [email protected]
