They’ve been making their way in the music scene for a few years now, and the last half of 2026 is shaping up to be a time of leveling up for this coast rock and blues act.
Black Water Bayou, a name that invokes the scenery of so much of our coastal wilderness, hails from Saucier and is a band that is built on that very down-home vibe. They serve up southern rock with a relaxed attitude, instrumental skill, and a driving desire to be as natural in their style as possible. It’s a classic sound that draws heavy influence from artists of decades past, many of whom are no longer with us, and one that the band aims to keep alive and fresh for today’s fans. ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Free, and many others are counted among the band’s inspirations along with more contemporary acts such as Joe Bonamassa and Blackberry Smoke. With two lead singers, groovy bass and percussions and dual lead guitars, Black Water Bayou sets up and brings the southern heat with full powered rock and roll style.
It was around 2018 when singer/guitarist Jeremy and guitarist Quenton first started tossing the idea of a band around. The two had been childhood friends, and had been going out fishing together when they started to click over their mutual love of guitar. Early lineups came and went over the next few years as some early song ideas came about, and that over time became a steady band that’s now four years into its run. Those shared activities and life experiences- fishing, hunting, camping, random conversations, even working various jobs together became the basis of the band’s lyrical inspiration, according to Jeremy.
“As far as lyrics go, I write about what I see in the real world,” he said, naming those classic rock influences and that organic style of the band. Three of the band members were actually painting a house together at the time of our phone interview. It’s these sort of times where ideas and plans shape up for when they put down their work tools and pick up their instruments, and why after several years of evolution, Black Water Bayou is tighter than ever.
“Right now I feel the members I have in this band are that sound I’ve been hearing in my head,” Jeremy said. They have recently begun investing in the business side of the band, bringing on team members for management, booking and sound, and are actively working on building a bigger web presence, merch and performing in new places. Most importantly in all of that is the music itself, and they are heading into the studio later this summer to start laying down some high quality recordings of the songs they have been already been pleasing listeners with.
“We put the live music before anything,” Jeremy explained. Their years of performing together have allowed them to shape up their original material on stage into something that is comfortable, great sounding, and fully developed before getting into recording. Songs like “Rollin’ Like a Train,” “Good Game,” and the potential album-title track “Southern Way of Life” have shown up as staples and crowd favorites at their shows.
We caught up with the band at River Peach Bar & Grill in Biloxi, where they were rocking a cool Sunday afternoon set that paired great with a river breeze and a platter of crawfish. They kept things friendly with some conversational audience banter, and fattened up their set with a great selection of cover tunes like “Call Me the Breeze,” “Can’t You See” and “Voodoo Child.” They often roll like that and play long shows including multiple sets of carefully selected covers that they sometimes put a bit of their own spin on. For a band with their style, it makes for a big and well rounded listening experience for any fan of classic, southern rock and roll sounds.
Black Water Bayou will be appearing on June 25th for Week 4 of the Live Music Showdown at Ground Zero Blues Club, which features 20 independent local and regional acts showcasing for a variety of prizes. Beyond that, they’ll be bringing that down home sound to venues across the coast and beyond throughout the summer. Follow them on their socials for upcoming show dates, live streams and other news.
~Enjoy Local Music~
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Jeremy – lead vocals/ guitar
Justin – lead vocals/ backing vocals/ percussion
Jason – bass guitar
Quenton – guitar
Mitchell- drums
Live photos by Coast Observer
