Bullfrog’s music evolving, attracting following along Grand Strand

It’s a connection that’s made almost immediately: Jeremiah the bullfrog and Jeremy J. Dunham of Bullfrog, the band.

“My parents almost named me Jeremiah,” said Dunham, 35, singer, guitarist and songwriter for the group that’s been playing 100-plus shows a year along the Grand Strand and beyond.

“Typically, we play more local shows than out of town, depending on the time of year,” Dunham said. “We travel throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia primarily. We played a few shows in Connecticut and New York last summer.”

Dunham moved to Myrtle Beach “on a whim” in 2001, coming to the Grand Strand from Canaan, Conn. In 2005, he embarked on a project with another musician who would later leave the area, but it was a passion project named Bullfrog that would later turn into a six-song EP called “Fables.”

John Spulka joined Dunham in 2008, when they turned Bullfrog into a full-time band. Spulka, 35, had moved to the area two years earlier from Schoharie, N.Y., and is the band’s bassist. The rest of Bullfrog’s lineup includes singer, guitarist and songwriter Shaun Brown, 35; keyboardist Tommy Brady, 28; and T.J. Mark, who recently turned 21, on drums.

The Bullfrog name came from the original music project, with its folkie and often swampy sounds, Dunham said, along with the obvious link to South Carolina.

“South Carolina has lots of swamps,” Dunham said.

But these days, their music is evolving from those original swampy sounds into something Dunham calls “more of a world sound.”

“I’m not really sure what you’d call it,” Dunham said with a laugh. “Sometimes, I’ll just say ‘rock.’”

With “two singers and two songwriters who all like different kinds of music,” Dunham said the result often comes out as an “eclectic Latin mix.”

“(But) we’re good about adapting to a different genre,” he said. “Every song has its own sound.”

Whether a genre is clearly defined or not, the group that is occasionally joined by musician Kerrine Gifford of Sweet Sweet, has created an inviting mix of musical sounds that keeps the gigs coming.

“I’ve been booking Bullfrog for several years through Scott at Songbyrd Productions here in town,” said John Powell, general manager at Pirates Cove Lounge in North Myrtle Beach. “They are absolutely one of my favorite acts to book — extremely talented, great song list and very cool and down-to-earth people.

“Shaun Brown and Jeremy Dunham also play solo gigs upstairs on our rooftop deck stage for me throughout the summer,” he said. “One show was a big turnout; their best here so far. They definitely seem to be building a name and fan base up here on the north end, which is very encouraging.”

Dunham said he didn’t start off trying to “make money playing music.”

However, “most of us are full-time musicians and pay the bills by playing tunes all year long,” he said.

With the band’s first five-song EP, self-titled “Bullfrog,” released early last year and “Aloft Live!” released in March, another EP is planned for release this fall, and future plans for Bullfrog include Sirius, XM and Internet radio.

“We have our own recording studio, but we’ve been known to take our time,” Dunham said. “These days, though, the record industry has become a ‘do-it-yourself market.’”

Dunham is undaunted by the growing number of musicians that can be found in Myrtle Beach.

“I think there’s a lot of talent in this town,” he said, “but it’s a matter of being proactive and going after what you want.”

That formula is working for Bullfrog, as well as accepting whatever comes their way, said Dunham, adding, “We’ll play anywhere.”

Using a booking agent helps, too.

“Booking your own shows is a full-time job in itself,” said Dunham, who gave credit to Songbyrd for keeping them playing in places throughout the Grand Strand.

Bullfrog stays busy, booked with local gigs and traveling throughout the Southeast. There are future plans to increase the band’s travels north, as well.

“Not a bad job at all,” said Dunham, who is a graphic designer by day who still finds time to take on freelance work, mainly in winter when other work is scarce.

“John does various part-time jobs, if need be, that are flexible with the Bullfrog calendar,” he said. “Tommy is a freelance computer tech and videographer; T.J. is a drum teacher at Dino’s School of Rock.”

Mark, the youngest in the group, joined Bullfrog when he was 17 and has been playing at open mic sessions since he was 15.

“His dad took him out to places telling him, ‘You can be a professional drummer,’ and when I first heard him play, I thought ‘Wow, this kid is amazing,’” said Dunham, adding that Mark possesses what he calls “Latin flair.”

Mark became part of the band after Bullfrog’s drummer abruptly departed.

“T.J. helped us out in a pinch, but, at first, I was like, 17? Wow, that’s young,” Dunham said, “but once I heard him play, well, he’s been with us now for about 3 1/2 years.”

Bullfrog’s shows consist primarily of playing cover music, but “we’ll throw in an original or two here and there,” Dunham said, adding the tricky part often is knowing when to throw one of their own songs into a set.

“People come out to have a good time, have fun and hear songs [that are familiar], and that’s why we’re there,” he said. “You can’t play upbeat, fun songs the audience knows, then throw in a ballad, but when we have added the occasional original song, our audiences are usually very receptive to it.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bullfrog’s music evolving, attracting following along Grand Strand."