The Bloody Legends & The Mendenhall Experiment with Brandon Mendenhall

Jai That Aussie Metal Guy And The Bloody Legends

In this edition of The Bloody Legends Jim and I caught up with Brandon Mendenhall of The Mendenhall Experiment for a very inspiring chat about the forthcoming single "Say It", battling cerebral palsy to learn guitar, the documentary "Mind Over Matter", and all things The Mendenhall Experiment.

Mendenhall talks about the single, "'Say It' was a different process for us, the song came together organically as a full band, with everyone throwing in their flavor on the fly. It was one of those 'magic moments' as a band where everything just flowed out of us and the song came together in an evening. It stands as one of our heaviest songs in the catalogue.” Vocalist Alyce Hayes adds, "'Say It' is a song about speaking your truth, even when you're scared, or when you feel unheard. It's a personal mantra and reminder for myself, really. We can't fully become who we're meant to be until we can speak for ourselves. When the guys sent me the music, I was immediately inspired. I think I had the lyrics written in about 30 minutes. 'Say It' is asking the question: 'What if I don't stay silent? What if my words have power?' Because they do. Words absolutely have power." The Mendenhall Experiment was born as Brandon's own personal aspiration to be in a world-famous band while working within the limitations of Cerebral Palsy, knowing full well that the cards were stacked against finding musicians willing to work with him. Possessing a fierce desire to succeed, Brandon went to visit a friend in the Rock & Roll Mecca of Los Angeles- and never left, pursuing his dream with relentless tenacity and bulldog determination. Failure was not an option. Formed in 2008, The Mendenhall Experiment also features bass player Nathan Stockton, who overcame a disability of his own-childhood deafness-through the power of music. He and Brandon are joined by Alyce Hayes on vocals, Mike Lira on guitar, and Justin Lubeck on drums. Based in Southern California, TMX has been regularly performing on the infamous Sunset Strip in addition to gigs throughout the region opening for the likes of such metal mainstays as John 5, POD, Alien Ant Farm, Kill Devil Hill, Fear Factory, Prong, Flaw, Metal Allegiance, Smile Empty Soul, Cold, and more. In 2013, the five-piece performed at the Monster Energy Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California, sharing the stage with Korn, Megadeth, and Five Finger Death Punch. A breakthrough occurred on June 17, 2014, when TMX made it to the final round of The Battle of the Bands for Warped Tour. After an electrifying performance that left the audience screaming for more, The Mendenhall Experiment took second place. The subsequent buzz reached the discerning ears at Liquid Bit Music Productions and in August 2014 TMX inked a publishing deal with the company, six years to the day after the initial incarnation of The Mendenhall Experiment performed its first show in Brandon's hometown of Kankakee, Illinois. Shortly thereafter, the quintet put pen to paper again to sign their first development deal with Lucent Records, including national digital distribution through Universal Music Group.

The Mendenhall Experiment is: Brandon Mendenhall - Rhythm Guitarist Alyce Hayes - Vocalist Mike Lira - Lead Guitarist Nathan Stockton - Bassist Justin Luebeck - Percussionist For More Information: https://www.themendenhallexperiment.com/