The Victory Seeds, a femme-led folk rock band, is channeling the spirit of their childhoods and the music they grew up listening to in their new self-titled album – and their roots are right on campus.
The band was started by drummer and singer Sophia Bondi, a senior at the School of Jazz. She is accompanied by Jackson Earles on fiddle, Kate Pass on bass, Cameron Criss on guitar, and Frances Rodriguez on banjo, lead, and rhythm guitar.
Produced by Sean Walsh, member of the Brooklyn-based Americana band The National Reserve, the album was highly influenced by the Byrds’ 1968 country rock album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” Neil Young’s 1978 album “Comes a Time,” and newer country rock artists like Sturgill Simpson, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, and Western Centuries.
“I went to [Walsh] because I liked how his music sounded, and I thought that he could do something similar with our stuff,” said Bondi in an interview.
On Thursday, Jan. 25, The Victory Seeds’ self-titled album debuted. Almost exactly twelve hours later, the band of New School students closed on the final notes of “Radio Play” at their album release party in Alphaville, a bar in Brooklyn.
Sharing the bill with artists Nash Hamilton and Low Roller, the Victory Seeds took the stage at 11 p.m. Bondi sat down at her drums, counting to three, and the band burst into “Yours to Keep,” a power ballad about love on the road. Rodriguez lays down a riff that complements Earles’ fiddle, paving the way for the rest of the show.
The Victory Seeds formed in the summer of 2022, with Bondi aiming to “take [her] folky melodies and turn them into incredible folk rock jams,” as she wrote in an Instagram caption. Since then, the Victory Seeds have played shows all over New York, and recently played a show in Baltimore. With 33 shows already under their belt, the band took to the stage with seasoned confidence at their album release show. The debut embodied their femme country sound, pulling inspiration from all corners of the band members’ lives to create music that channels the memories of their youth.
The band jammed and improvised on songs like “Not Another Heartache,” with Henry Plotnick, Bondi’s partner on keys, notes flying out of the fiery red keyboard like sparks. Brea Fornier, another New School student, joined Bondi and Rodriguez for an acoustic rendition of “The Little Things,” the three harmonizing beautifully to the last song on the album.
Another song, “Willow Creek,” originally released as a single on November 9, 2023. It had friends and family singing and dancing in the audience, with Bondi’s country-twanged soprano vocals channeling Judee Sill and Carolyn Hester. The song is nostalgic, as is most of the album, and while the music is inspired by all member’s influences, all the songs on The Victory Seeds are written by Bondi, drawing on her memories of the past.
“Myrtle-Wyckoff Blues,” a Highwoman-esque song, begins with fingerpicking on the banjo from Rodriguez, who seamlessly blends their deeper voice with Bondi’s higher one. The song, a country ode to Brooklyn’s Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues subway station, brings a classic women’s folk sound to New York City. Cheers erupt when the two harmonize, “I used to daydream/ making my way up to Queens/ Terrapin Station playing in my head,” —a shout out to the Grateful Dead, a big inspiration for the Seeds. Earle’s fiddle leads into a roundabout train beat that closes out the song.
One of the band’s favorite songs to play is “Good Morning,” a romantic song largely inspired by sister group The Roches. Rodriguez and Bondi’s voices weave through heartfelt lyrics about Bondi’s partner living in Switzerland: “in Switzerland the sun is about to rise, but I’m at home with you on my mind.” The longing country ballad is backed by Rodriguez on banjo and a saloon-esque piano that complements Bondi’s wavering vocals.
“Pioneers,” a standout track on the album, is, like most of the other songs, inspired by Bondi’s childhood. “When I graduated high school,” she said at the show, “my dad took me on a roadtrip across the United States and this song is about our travels.”
The catchy, fast-paced song followed them on the road, as they listened to country mixtapes on the radio while escaping tornadoes and ultimately bonding in a way only a road trip will allow. Guitar riffs mimic cattle runs, while a strong driving bassline keeps the car–and song–on the road throughout the trip.
The biggest standout on the album, however, is “Maiden of the Water.” The seven minute, late 60s psych rock-inspired song is fluid, telling the story of the maiden of the water, who, as the lyrics say, flies over the lake with golden wings, lips leaving stardust behind, “her words the swords of her fight.” The song is darker, and Bondi and Rodriguez’s ethereal harmonizing on the chorus brings to mind sirens in the ocean. The track then transitions into a Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo; a memory from Rodrigez’s jazz guitar days. The freeform solo continues the song’s fluidity with help from a brush on the drums and airy piano notes, finally shifting into another manic guitar solo, which Rodriguez and Criss play with gusto live, fingers running frantically over frets while the rest of the band steps back.
The Victory Seeds’ album is a no-skip ode to nostalgia, love and New York City. Its music transcends generations and captures a tone that sets a precedent for the future of the band, which is bound to further the genres of femme and americana music. The vocals and arrangements are strong, perfectly matching lyrics written out of love, heartache, longing, and vulnerability.
“It feels so good [to have an album out],” said Bondi, “because it means that people who hear us and don’t know us can go listen to us and just have something concrete to take home with them.” The cosmic americana band is planning a tour this upcoming summer, and with the release of The Victory Seeds, they hope to gain more exposure in the country, blues, and bluegrass world.
“Thank you everyone for coming out tonight!” Bondi exclaims as she closes out Radio Play, the final song of the night. “And thank you for listening to our album! We are the Victory Seeds! Give my songs some radio play!”