Bloomington band Witness Protection will perform at 4:30 p.m. June 9 at People’s Park. The five-piece group will play both covers and original music, which their website describes as “rock music with a pop sensibility.”
As a part of the People's Park concert series, this show will be free and open to the public.
The group’s most recent recorded album, “College Ruled,” was released April 2022. Kyle Fulford, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the group, said he won the studio time in an IU songwriting competition.
“There was a student songwriting contest and I entered that and one of the awards was recording time at Russian Recordings, so I recorded a couple songs there and I really liked the experience,” Fulford said.
Until their most recent album, Fulford was the sole member of Witness Protection. In 2020 and 2021, the band released five albums, which Fulford said he recorded primarily at his home.
“At Russian, I ended up playing drums on the recording,” he said. “I’m not a drummer, well, I’m a drummer like Paul McCartney is a drummer. I can keep the beat and give a real drummer a sense of what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Fulford attended IU for his undergraduate degree in the recording arts program, and returned to the graduate program to study Folklore and Ethnomusicology. He earned his master’s degree in that field and is now working towards a doctorate.
Because of their participation in the People’s Park concert series, Witness Protection was also asked to open for Busman’s Holiday’s Switchyard Park concert on July 8 at Pavilion Lawn.
“Busman’s Holiday is a Bloomington institution, so we’re super psyched to open for them and play at Switchyard,” Fulford said.
Fulford indicated that Witness Protection’s set may be more intense than what People’s Park attendees are used to.
“It’s going to be loud, maybe not the typical entries that you might see at People’s Park concerts,” Fulford said. Witness Protection takes inspiration from ‘90s punk rock and grunge such as Nirvana. Fulford said their sound is nostalgic for a lot of people his age who grew up around that music.
“We wear our influences on our sleeve and I think that resonates with a lot of folks, especially in this community where there’s always been a thriving underground rock and punk scene,” he said. “As a Bloomington native, I have a good idea of what the community is all about, so I encourage anyone in the community who might like that kind of music to come out.”
