Lonesome Wonderers

Kennedale-based performing artists “Lonesome Wonderers” have been booked to perform a 25 minute set of all-original music at 3 pm on Sunday, 9 August, as part of the Fort Worth Songwriters Association 2015 Summer Showcase. The Summer Showcase is being hosted by Buffalo West in Fort Worth, near the 377 (Benbrook) traffic circle.


Residents of Kennedale since 1999, Lonesome Wonderers members Chris Behrens and Guy Huggins have been writing and performing original songs and classic covers as an acoustic duo for roughly one year. This will be their third public performance following well-received appearances at Fort Worth’s Main Street Arts Festival in April, as well as Azle’s Main Street Arts Festival in June.


Long-time friends and colleagues, Behrens and Huggins met at Duncanville High School in 1987 as members of the DHS Acapella choir, and their interest and talent for music began to grow. In 1990, the two, together with other DHS graduates, formed the progressive rock band “Requiem”, whose primary single “Masks” enjoyed airplay in both the United States, and in Europe. Requiem called it quits in 1993, and Huggins and Behrens focused on completing their undergraduate degrees, starting careers and raising their families.


In August of 2014, preparing for house party, Behrens approached Huggins about “working up some of the old tunes we used to play at parties”. Huggins added, “When we were kids, even back in high school, it seems like every party we went to would end up with a late-night sing along of all the tunes we grew up with. We’d play songs from The Eagles, Chicago, Billy Joel.. you name it. Singing all of these soulful songs together with great friends always created this magical connection, which is where we always felt the most at home. Music, like great food, has a way of bringing people together in the moment, and we want to share in more of that.”


Lonesome Wonderers music is heavily inspired by the country-rock genre, with a bit of soul, blues and jazz thrown in for good measure. Behrens describes their music as “a romantic melancholy vibe, full of real human emotion, about real human people, for real human listeners. There is no formula, no pretense, and no ego. We just write and sing about people you meet every day. Everyone can identify and connect with our music.”


Huggins’ musical talents were passed on to his three children. His son Drake, a 2014 Kennedale graduate, now a sophomore at Texas A&M University, played in the Kennedale band program for six years. His daughters Victoria and Samantha, now a senior and freshman respectively at Kennedale High School, have both been playing since they were in the sixth grade. This year both daughters will be part of the state finalist Wildcat Marching Band, with Victoria as Head Drum Major. “I think most of that comes from their mother”, says Huggins. “She was in the mighty Duncanville High marching band when they won the state marching band competition back in 1986. The fact that the kids ended up in band is more of a testament to her, than it is to me”.


When the Huggins sisters are on the field during half-time performances this football season, you’ll also get a strong dose of dad. The Lonesome Wonderer has volunteered as the Kennedale Marching Band’s show announcer for the last three seasons, and is expecting to repeat in 2015. “Its true”, says Huggins, “most folks know me, but only by my big announcer voice. But hey, it’s an easy and fun way for me to contribute to the program, plus I get a great view of the show!”


Lonesome Wonderers are currently focused on developing original material, recording and sharing their music through self-produced promo videos, and performing in public venues, as well as at private parties. When talking about their future, Behrens shared, “Right now we have seven original songs that are solidly part of our show, and lots more that we’re working up. Depending on how long we have been asked to play, we’ll add some of those old covers we would play with friends back in the day. That’s special, because not only does it connect the audience to us and the music, but it reconnects us to our youth, and our old friends, keeping that magic alive, but only for a lot more people.”


Lonesome Wonderers has shared their first original song “Sweet Kyla Brown” on their YouTube channel, and has completed the audio recording for the upcoming promo video of their song “Cold November Night”, which they hope to release sometime in August.


To get more information, updates, performances and recordings from Lonesome Wonderers, you can check them out at Facebook Lonesome Wonderers. - Kennedale News