The Enemies-to-Bandmates-to-Best Friends Story behind Anabelle and the Desert Scrubs
By Caydie Tampac
Photos by Ava Covington
Stepping into the secluded intimacy of the Black Rabbit on a windy night, I was suddenly embraced by the soothing melodies of an acoustic guitar, the resonant plucking of a bass and steady, rhythmic drumming. Unlike the drab shrubs in the Nevada desert, the harmonious music of Anabelle and the Desert Scrubs gives life to any stage.
The indie-rock band is led by vocalist and guitarist, 17-year-old Anabelle Forshee, with 19-year-old Milo Henning on bass guitar and Forshee’s father, 42-year-old Clay Forshee, on drums.
Their newest EP, “The Bella Empire”, was released on May 8th and ranges widely from rustic country to story-driven folk to punchy rock.
Growing up in a music-loving family, Forshee has always wanted to be in a rock-and-roll band. She’s been songwriting since she was 10 years old.
”I wrote a song called ‘I Only Party with my Church Friends’ when I was 10,” she laughed, reminiscing how she was caught partying in the church’s nursery and stealing snacks late at night. “They [the church] weren’t mad-mad, but they did put photos of me on the huge screen the next day from the party.”
She began playing folk music on her acoustic guitar when she was 11and soon formed her own band at 14. As a child, she dreamt up an infinite number of band names. Her current band name came about while Forshee was on a drive from Fallon to Reno. Looking out the window, her view was flooded with scrubs across the desert.
“And that’s what we are,” she said. “We’re just desert scrubs. And I yelled, ‘Band name!’”
Since the birth of Anabelle and the Desert Scrubs, their style has changed drastically. In the beginning, they were a modern folk band. But then, Henning stealthily made alterations to their music.
“I just kept sneaking in, like ‘Here's my high-gain electric guitar, here’s my amp, here’s my pedal board, my distortion pedal,’” Henning said.
After a few adjustments that were to everyone’s liking, the sound of the band had transformed. When watching the band bantering and fooling around on stage, the audience not only absorbs their melodic tunes but also the familial warmth of their kinship. However, they didn’t always hit it off at first, with Forshee referring to it as an “enemies-to-bandmates situation.”
Forshee and Henning first met in theater class and frequently encountered each other. Later, however, conflict and hostility between the two began to grow. Forshee described how “from that moment on, I absolutely despised Milo.”
For Henning, they actually first knew of Forshee from their mother, who appreciated Forshee’s musical talent and suggested that Henning join her band. They were against this idea, however, because of their displeasure towards Forshee. But as time went on, they grew closer as Henning borrowed Forshee’s guitar from backstage and Forshee flaunted her musical skills during plays.
“After that, I was like, ‘Maybe Anabelle’s not so bad.’ After the play ended, we kind of became friends,” Henning said.
In the summer of 2024, Forshee’s previous bassist left. Forshee knew that Henning knew many musicians and asked if they knew anyone who could step in. To her surprise, Henning picked up a bass for the first time, learned how to play in a week and then officially joined the band.
“I very arrogantly said, ‘My uncle gave me a bass. I bet I could figure it out,’” Henning said. “And Anabelle called my bluff.”
Henning then showed up with a dirty, old bass they had never played before, and after facing the challenge of learning difficult songs for the first time, grew to love not only bass guitar, but the band itself.
With the release of “The Bella Empire”, Forshee paints a picture of her lived, raw experiences from childhood to now through song as if it were her own diary.
“‘I Can’t Move’ is about the time that you broke your foot, and ‘Sorry’ is about how you apologize too much, and ‘Whispers’ is about a really uncomfortable interaction with a douchey guy,” Henning said to Forshee.
The EP also includes “Strawberry Girl”, which is considered the anthem of Anabelle and the Desert Scrubs and is based on a real person named Sydney Bassinger.
“The Strawberry Girl is a real girl, but she symbolizes every girl, every woman that’s beautiful, especially of our generation,” Forshee said.
From bubbly to brooding, the versatile music of Anabelle and the Desert Scrubs is infinitely down-to-earth thanks to the genuine bonds of friendship between the band members, whose warmth extends outwards to the audience.
