Kevin Brown spent his formative years in Owensboro, graduating from Daviess County High School and Brescia University. Now, he calls the island country of Cyprus home and plays bass for Bloom Φields (pronounced Bloom Fields), an American progressive folk quartet he formed with Chris Bloomfield.
Bloomfield is originally from Memphis and, like Brown, married and relocated to his wife’s homeland. The two live in the southern portion of the country, which the U.N. patrols.
The story of the band’s formation is an interesting one.
“Chris posted in a Facebook group he was looking for a mandolinist,” Brown said. “I quickly replied, and he thought I would be a mandolin player. He discovered I wasn’t, but we still got together to form a band.”
Bloomfield is described as a singer-songwriter who embodies attitude and class and houses a timeless poetic sound with a modern country flair. BΦ’s sound is an eclectic mix and tends to marry a fusion of folk, blues, funk, and psychedelica.
Because the group calls Cyprus home, they make an extra effort to pay homage to their host country, hence the Greek F in their name. Their logo colors are from the Cyprus flag, and they’ve added several Greek components to their sound.
“(Recently), we played a stadium show for 1,000 people,” Brown said. “I’ve played shows all over North America, but never on a stage that big. The way this year’s going, we hope to be in Athens early next year and eventually mainland Europe.”
The group is currently working on their album Far from Folk. The album name is double entendre portraying how far they are from home and how far they’ve ventured from their initial folk sound.
The son of an Owensboro native, Brown was born in D.C. and returned to Owensboro for most of his childhood. He recalled fond memories of growing up in Trinity Hills and running track and field at Daviess County High School.
“We all really hope we can get back to the area and play a handful of shows in the areas we’re from,” he said.
Access Bloom Φields’ website here to learn more about Brown and the band’s efforts.
