stungun: a rock'n'roll band
Hailing from Florence, Alabama, Stungun emerges as a powerful presence in the alternative rock scene. Formed in 2022, the band is a tight-knit quartet featuring Austin Brent on lead guitars and vocals, Bradley McMurtrey on bass, and Jared Melton on drums. Drawing from a diverse range of influences including Taking Back Sunday, White Reaper, and Manchester Orchestra, Stungun crafts a sound that pays homage to the past while pushing the boundaries of modern alternative rock.
Frontman Austin Brent's journey through music, previously marked by his roles in West Means Home and Roy Sullivan, garnered the attention of industry heavyweights like Chris Carrabba and Joel Madden. With a nod from Kerrang magazine in 2018, their prior ventures showcased their undeniable talent. Now united as Stungun, the band members fuse their musical backgrounds to create a sonic tapestry that blends the raw emotions of 90s and early 2000s alternative with the vibrant energy of southern rock. The result is a revivalist sound that resonates with a timeless yet fresh appeal, capturing the essence of Stungun's musical identity.
Austin Brent
Lead Vocals + Guitar
Austin's parents were young metalheads. He grew up most-influenced by theatrical rock bands like Motley Crüe and KISS. Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains were always on heavy rotation too. When he was four years old, he watched Eric Draven smash his guitar on the rooftop in the movie The Crow. He knew then that his life's purpose was to be as loud and as free as he could be.
His grandfather is a blues, guitar player from Mississippi. He inspired Austin with his soulful riffs and skilled picking. At age 10, Austin got his first guitar. He found a love for song-writing and has been insatiable since.
As Austin entered his teenage years, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, and My Chemical Romance peaked his interest first. He spent his high school years playing in various pop-punk bands where he spent time listening to Balance and Composure and Title Fight. His current influences are All Get Out, The Dirty Nil, and Vundabar.
Bradley McMurtrey
Bass + Backup Vocals
Bradley was born and raised in The Shoals. He had a very diverse musical upbringing with his step father being a semi professional trumpet player and his grandfather's tendency to do a little picking and grinning along to country standards.
Bradley began taking trumpet lessons from his step father around the age of ten and his grandfather bought him his first bass shortly after his fifteenth birthday. In high school Bradley played bass in jazz band and went on to play bass in a big band swing band for some time. Rock and roll right?
Bradley's biggest musical influences are The Avett Brothers, Oasis, My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, Cage The Elephant, and Vampire Weekend,.
Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, and Scott Avett are his heroes.