Teens Rock a 'Refreshing' Sound

Don’t call them a blues band. MBL Trio has a style all their own.

Members Michael Lindo, 18, Lorenzo Lindo, 16, and Ben Kennett, 17, have background in blues and jazz, but don’t subscribe to a particular genre when writing their music.

“It’s refreshing,” Michael said. “We have a blues influence that you don’t hear on the radio every day.”

The Lindos met Ben at a fashion show event Michael played with his former band, and the three "hit it off," they said.

“It just worked,” Ben said. “I played a lot of jazz freshman and sophomore year. That made it easy to play with them because it clicked with their style influence.”

The popular Lutz-based trio has been together for about a year now, performing various venues and collaborating to write all of their original songs.

“We all write together,” Lorenzo said.

The process isn’t a quick one. The three invest a lot of time into each song, sometimes running into writer's block. But the boys of MBL don’t try to rush things.

“Usually the music comes first, then the lyrics,” Michael said. “I’ll write little words down just to hold on to. We’ll map out a song and work it out together."

“It just builds on its own,” Ben said.

And as far as what influences their music, the band said it’s not about sticking to one particular style.

“We mix it up,” Michael said. “We don’t let the genre define what we play. That element will always be there but that won’t limit what we can do."

The trio has a lineup that keeps them busy most weekends, and though they are used to performing, an occasional tussle with anxiety isn’t entirely off the table.

“Nerves get the best of us sometimes,” Ben said.

“You’re not human if you don’t get nervous,” Michael said.

But once MBL Trio hits the stage, that all goes away.

And for people not familiar with the band, the young group's sound and stage presence may take them by surprise.

“It adds to the shock value,” Michael said.

“Shows that go well, people are impressed,” Lorenzo said.

But for these young musicians, writing and performing is not about accolades or recognition.

“I just want to play music,” Ben said.

The band plays “for the sake of the music, not for the glory,” Michael said.

And just like you can’t put a label on their style, MBL Trio doesn’t have a stereotypical fan, either.

“The good thing about what we play is that it can appeal to everyone,” Michael said. “Every show we do, we try to make it different, unlike others, so it keeps people interested.”

Breaking into the music scene hasn’t necessarily been a challenge, but the band members’ ages create hurdles occasionally, they said.

It’s hard to get into some places, and there are some places their parents don’t want them to play.

The trio recently took home the earning $1,000 and 10 hours of recording time at Morrissound Studios.

They expect that title to help them get into venues that may not have been open to a high school band before.

The young musicians hope to continue to build their following in the next two years. Michael will be graduating soon, heading off to either Berkeley College of Music in Boston or the University of Central Florida. Both Ben and Lorenzo will graduate next year.

But the band plans to stay together, performing, writing and recording when they can.

MBL is now working on a new song that will take up most of the free recording time they won.  Playing in a recording studio is a lot different than playing a live show, they said.

All the little things count in the studio. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun, Michael said.

“We’re going to make sure we’re ready and enjoy the experience.”

MBL Trio will play at State Theatre in St. Petersburg on June 1. Check them out on Facebook to find out where else you can catch a show.