Your Safe Haven

Bonnie and the Clydes are known to create soulful country tunes that tap into their fans’ hearts. Their music offers fans a safe haven where it’s completely socially acceptable to cry, scream, or jump up and down. That’s what their performances are about. Feel along or sing along. You can join them in that space.

Collaborator and guitarist Taylor Sims credits the band’s musical constitution and commitment for that reputation. At the core, all the members of the band are dedicated to the song and none of them are ego-driven. They are always looking for ways to improve the songs. Rather than seek ways for the song to showcase their talents, the band seeks ways to apply their talents to showcase the song.

Married in 2006, Taylor and Bonnie Sims complement each other, in art and life. Both share a commitment to the music craft: Bonnie Sims has been onstage since childhood and was inspired by her father Mike Cruciger who was a career musician. Taylor’s impressive resume on the other hand includes years of leading the award-winning band Spring Creek and touring as a musician.

Since coming together to form Bonnie and the Clydes, the unique product amounts to more than the sum of the parts. Although Taylor and Bonnie co-write tunes for Bonnie and the Clydes, every tune evolves in a different way. Sometimes they write together and sometimes independently, but they are each other’s first ear from the writing process to when they present it to the band.

Every member brings a complementary and unique skill set to the creative process. For example, Bonnie has an excellent ear for framing and melody, while Taylor has a talent for applying structure, perspective, and chord theory to the songs. Taylor writes almost every day, while Bonnie works on songs here and there in addition to her role as band manager and promoter.

However, this does not imply their songs come easy. For example, when creating the song “Mockingbird” Taylor and Bonnie spent over a year in contemplation before coming up with a full-baked product. That process was extremely rewarding. “Mockingbird”, originally released under the Spring Creek band, won the Americana Song of the Year award during the 2011 Independent Music Awards.

Glen Taylor also played a very instrumental role during the band’s early days. The pedal steel guitar player acted as a music director for the band and offered them a lot of insight. Glen brought a lot of creativity to songs and helped mold and shape ideas to band songs. Once presented with a potential song, Glen would often say that he likes the song, but is going to fix it. Drummer Tod Moore and bassist Berg Wilson have also played significant roles in the band’s success. While you can hear and see the lead musicians, the drums and bass are what you feel.

This talent combination comes out in a music style the band dubbed “Rocky Mountain Country Soul.” The style is a unique blend, a healthy dose of bluegrass, equal parts classic rock and roll and vintage Texas country, and more than just a little crowd-amping visual and theatrical spectacle.