Busty and the Bass

Busty and the Bass is a Canadian electro-soul and hip hop band from Montreal, Quebec. The band is known for its unique brand of music, which incorporates two vocalists, a horn section, and a diverse range of musical genres.

Busty and the Bass
Busty and the Bass in 2017
Background information
OriginMontreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresElectro, soul, hip hop
Years active2011 (2011)–present
LabelsIndica
Associated actsFree n Losh, Heartstreets, Tora, Charlotte Day Wilson, Alistair Blu, Dringo Starr, No Cosmos, Scott Bevins Group, Thundermonks
Websitebustyandthebass.com
Members
  • Scott Bevins
  • Alistair Blu
  • Nick Ferraro
  • Eric Haynes
  • Milo Johnson
  • Louis Stein
  • Julian Trivers
  • Chris Vincent
Past members
  • Mike McCann

Having met while attending college at McGill University, eight of the nine founding members are still with the band: Nick Ferraro (vocals, alto sax), Evan Crofton a.k.a. Alistair Blu (vocals, keyboards, synths), Scott Bevins (trumpet), Chris Vincent (trombone), Louis Stein (guitar), Milo Johnson (bass), Eric Haynes (keyboards, piano) and Julian Trivers (drums).[1] To date, Busty and the Bass has put out two EPs, GLAM (2015) and LIFT (2016), and one full-length album, Uncommon Good, which was released on 8 September 2017.[2][3] The band was previously signed to Montreal's Indica Records, along with other notable acts such as Half Moon Run and Phantogram.[4]

In 2014, Busty and the Bass beat out hundreds of other musical acts to win CBC and TD Bank's Rock Your Campus competition, earning the title of Canada's Top University Band.[5] Since then, the band has toured extensively across Canada, the United States, and Europe, and performed at festivals including Osheaga, Pinkpop, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and Made in America.[6][7][8][9]

History

Background

With each member originating from different parts of North America, the band is composed of three Americans, three Canadians, and two Canadian-American dual citizens.[10] The band's Canadian-born members comprise Crofton (Victoria, B.C.),[11] Ferraro (Toronto, Ontario),[12] Haynes (Calgary, Alberta),[13] and Vincent (Mississauga, Ontario).[14] Those from the United States include Bevins (Hartford, Connecticut),[15] Johnson (Silver Spring, Maryland),[16] Stein (New York, New York),[17] and Trivers (Los Angeles, California).[18]

2011–2014: Formation and early years

All members of the band were students at McGill University's Schulich School of Music. The earliest iteration of the band formed for an informal jam session at a house party hosted on the shared patio of guitarist Stein's apartment a block away from the Mont-Royal Metro station.[19][10] Originally, Busty and the Bass performed exclusively instrumental compositions and covers of popular songs, embracing horn melodies in the absence of a lead vocalist.[10]

According to vocalist Nick Ferraro, the band's name stuck after it came up during their first week of playing together.[20] While the band once considered finding a more serious name, Ferraro says they enjoy the irony of a collective having a mystery front person, and the opportunity for all members of the band to be "Busty" at some point.[20]

In the fall of 2014, Busty and the Bass launched a bid to compete for the title of Canada's Top University Band. The band's first-ever song with vocals, "Tryna Find Myself," was also their entry to the CBC competition.[10] On 27 October 2014, CBC and TD Bank announced Busty and the Bass as the winners of the nationwide competition.[10] Busty and the Bass was awarded a $10,000 prize and a concert at Montreal's Corona Theatre opening for Arkells.[21]

2015: GLAM EP

Following the band's success in the CBC competition, Busty and the Bass began work on their self-produced debut EP with Los Angeles-based recording engineer Jesse String.[22] In June 2015, after signing to Montreal's Indica Records, the band released GLAM, an eight-track EP led by single "The Real".[23][24]

2016: LIFT EP

On 1 July 2016, Busty and the Bass released their second EP, LIFT, following the release of the single "Miss Judge".[25][26] The six-track extended play was intended as a precursor to the band's debut album, and was made over the course of two months in the basement of an apartment on Saint Urbain Street shared by four band members, and at the studios of Indica Records on Saint Laurent Boulevard.[10]

The release included a cover of Macy Gray's "I Try", an audience favourite that the band was known to play live.[27] On 20 April 2016, Busty and the Bass posted a video of their "I Try" cover to YouTube, which was met with immediate acclaim. Music blog The Undiscovered wrote, "Taking on Macy Gray's smash hit, Busty and the Bass transform 'I Try' from a vocal-fueled r&b mega hit into a funky, horn-filled jam that will have you singing along and grooving with the beat".[28] The video was later shared by Macy Gray on Twitter, who endorsed the band's rendition of her seminal hit, saying "beeyooteefoh! WATCH DIS!!".[29]

In 2016, Busty and the Bass were announced in the lineups for the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival and the Quebec City Summer Festival.[6][30] The band's performance supporting Half Moon Run at Paris' Fête de la Musique was also praised by Rolling Stone France, which called Busty and the Bass "one of our favourite discoveries this summer".[31]

2017: Uncommon Good

Busty and the Bass' debut album Uncommon Good was announced by the band on 30 June 2017, via a Facebook post addressed to their fans.[32][33] The album, which took over a year and a half to make, was executive produced by hip hop producer and audio engineer Neal Pogue.[20][34] Perhaps best known for his work with Atlanta-bred hip hop duo Outkast, for which he won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Pogue has also worked with other notable acts such as Snoop Dogg, Earth Wind and Fire, M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Aretha Franklin, and Lil Wayne.[6] Pogue travelled to Montreal on three occasions to work with Busty and the Bass after their manager shared the band's demos with Pogue's manager.[35]

The album's ten tracks were developed through the band's collaborative composition process, through which a combination of 1-3 band members begin composing a song, bringing it to the rest of the group for input and experimentation later on.[20] The majority of the record was recorded at the Indica Records studio, in the Plateau neighbourhood of Montreal.

On 19 January 2017, the band released the album's lead single, "Up Top," which was received favourably by fans and critics, with HuffPost remarking, "Discovering this kind of musical chemistry with such a large group in a short span of time is more than just luck—it's a calling".[36] On 14 September 2017, Busty and the Bass released a dance video for the track, which was directed and choreographed by Kate Ramsden.[37]

Uncommon Good's second single, "Memories and Melodies," was released on 5 April 2017.[38] The album's third single, "Common Ground," was released on 30 June 2017, with a music video filmed during the band's spring European tour and directed by Greg McCahon released on 6 July 2017.[33][39][40] The album's final single, "Closer," was released on 25 August 2017, and was included in Spotify Canada's New Music Friday playlist.[33] The full album was released on 8 September 2017 at a sold-out show at the New York venue Mercury Lounge.[2][3][41]

Busty and the Bass continued touring throughout 2017, including performances at Pinkpop,[7] Made in America,[9] SXSW,[42] The Great Escape,[43] Ottawa Bluesfest,[44] and Rifflandia.[45] On 8 July 2017, Busty and the Bass opened for Anderson .Paak at the Montreal International Jazz Festival for a crowd of over 80,000 people.[8][19]

2019–present

On 5 November 2019, Busty and the Bass returned with a brand new single, "Clouds", which premiered on BBC Radio 1Xtra.[46] The release also contained "Summer", a B-side track that later received a music video filmed in Montreal's St. James United Church.[47]

In early 2020, Busty and the Bass signed to Arts & Crafts. The news, announced by the Canadian record label in a press release, was accompanied by a new song, "Baggy Eyed Dopeman".[48] Featuring funk pioneer George Clinton of Parliament and Funkadelic, the song premiered on the Billboard Magazine website. In a comment to Billboard on the release and how the collaboration with George Clinton came to be, Ferraro stated, "We sent it to him and we had the vocals kind of set. He sent his shit back and I was like, 'Oh shit -- I've got to redo everything I did!' So I went back in and was trying to close my eyes and pretend we were in there together -- which was easy, 'cause he's such a strong presence on the record. I was happy we did that, 'cause we all felt like we had to take it to another level with him on there."[49]

Style

The band's oeuvre is marked by pronounced horn lines, rich melodies, and a seamless blend of disparate genres. Compositionally, Busty and the Bass skew toward dance-centric music, incorporating elements from radio-friendly pop, modern jazz, and hip hop.[50]

Labels, agencies & management
  • Managers - Michael Sayegh, Lighter Than Air[51]
  • Labels - Arts & Crafts (Canada)[48]
  • Agents - Preste Spectacles (Quebec), The Feldman Agency (Canada), Paradigm Talent Agency (USA), Coda Agency (Europe)[52][53][54][55]

Band members
  • Scott Bevins – trumpet
  • Alistair Blu – vocals, keyboard, synthesizer
  • Nick Ferraro – vocals, alto saxophone
  • Eric Haynes – piano, keyboard
  • Milo Johnson – bass
  • Louis Stein – guitar
  • Julian Trivers – drums
  • Chris Vincent – trombone[1]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays
  • GLAM (2015)
  • LIFT (2016)

Singles
  • "Tryna Find Myself" (2015)
  • "The Real" (2015)
  • "Models" (2015)
  • "Miss Judge" (2016)
  • "Stages (Don't Know Why)" (2016)
  • "Up Top" (2017)
  • "Memories and Melodies" (2017)
  • "Common Ground" (2017)
  • "Closer" (2017)
  • "Jimmy" (featuring Pierre Kwenders) (2018)

References
  1. Kevito (19 January 2017). "Busty and the Bass Takes Us To The Dance Floor w/ "Up Top" [Premiere]". Okayplayer. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. "Busty and the Bass Set to Release Debut Full-Length LP "Uncommon Good" September 8, 2017" (PDF) (Press release). Listen Harder. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  3. "Busty and the Bass Set to Release Debut Full-Length LP "Uncommon Good" September 8, 2017" (Press release). Orcasound. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  4. "Busty and the Bass - Indica Records". indica.mu. Indica Records. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  5. "Busty and the Bass Wins CBC Music and TD'S Rock Your Campus Competition" (Press release). Montreal, QC: CBC. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  6. "Osheaga 2016: Fans ecstatic about lineup that includes Radiohead, Lana Del Rey". CBC. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  7. "Programme - Pinkpop 2017". pinkpop.nl. Pinkpop. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  8. "Festival international de Jazz de Montréal - Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals". montrealjazzfest.com. Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  9. DeLuca, Dan (28 August 2017). "'Made in America' schedule announced". Philly.com. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  10. Leijon, Erik (26 July 2016). "Osheaga: Busty and the Bass graduate from McGill to Montreal band". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  11. Wung, Regina (10 November 2014). "Campus Cutie: Evan Crofton of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. Wung, Regina (10 December 2014). "Campus Cutie: Nick Ferraro of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  13. Wung, Regina (29 October 2014). "Campus Cutie: Eric Haynes of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  14. Wung, Regina (17 November 2014). "Campus Cutie: Chris Vincent of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  15. Wung, Regina (26 November 2014). "Campus Cutie: Scott Bevins of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  16. Wung, Regina (28 October 2014). "Campus Cutie: Milo Johnson of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  17. Wung, Regina (3 November 2014). "Campus Cutie: Louis Stein of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  18. Wung, Regina (5 November 2014). "Campus Cutie: Julian Trivers of Busty and the Bass". Her Campus. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  19. Trefor, Cai (27 September 2017). "Busty & The Bass on supporting Anderson .Paak, Montreal's nightlife, protest culture and more". Gigwise. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  20. Damoui, Yasmin (17 October 2017). "How A Nine-Piece Band Came To Defy Genre & Tour The World: A Q&A With Busty & The Bass". Ones to Watch. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  21. "Hey Canada, Thanks for voting. Meet your top campus band!" (Press release). TD Music. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  22. Bolger, Katrya (23 October 2015). "Busty and the Bass". Laval Families Magazine. Laval, QC: lavalfamilies.ca. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  23. Vain, Madison (19 May 2015). "Busty and the Bass premiere 'The Real', announce new EP". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  24. Begrand, Adrien (18 June 2015). "Busty and the Bass - 'Glam' (album) (premiere)". Pop Matters. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  25. Harris, Gerrod (6 July 2016). "Review – Busty and the Bass". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  26. Zorgel, Aaron (28 April 2016). "Premiere: Listen to Busty & The Bass' "Miss Judge"". Complex. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  27. Schneider, Jason (12 July 2016). "Five Questions With... Eric Haynes of Busty and the Bass". FYI Music News. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  28. "Macy Gray – I Try (Busty and the Bass Cover)". The Undiscovered. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  29. Macy Gray [@MacyGraysLife] (20 April 2016). "beeyooteefoh! WATCH DIS!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. "Festival d'été de Québec - Previous Line-up". feq.ca. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  31. Bouttier, Louise-Camille (23 June 2016). "Découverte – Busty and the Bass, quand le jazz joue" [Discovery - Busty and the Bass, when jazz plays] (in French). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  32. "Busty and the Bass Facebook Post". Facebook. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  33. "Busty and the Bass". Facebook. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  34. "Moir Entertainment - Talent - Neal Pogue". moirentertainment.com. Moir Entertainment. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  35. Maxwell, Owen (15 July 2017). "Busty and The Bass Puts the BIG in Big Band". Ottawa Life. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  36. Duwe, Morena (23 February 2017). "Busty And The Bass Release The First Single From Forthcoming Album". Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  37. Murray, Robin (14 September 2017). "Premiere: Busty & The Bass - 'Up Top - Dance!'". Clash Music. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  38. "#DXclusive: Busty & The Bass Get Down On Bubbly New Single "Memories & Melodies"". HipHopDX. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  39. Kevito (6 July 2017). "Busty and the Bass Deliver Soul-Infused Goodness On "Common Ground" [Premiere]". Okayplayer. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  40. Busty and the Bass (6 July 2017). Busty and the Bass - Common Ground (Official Video) (YouTube). Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  41. Blais-Poulin, Charles-Éric (20 September 2017). "Prise de son: Busty and the Bass, Sarah Bourdon et les Hay Babies" [Sound recording: Busty and the Bass, Sarah Bourdon and the Hay Babies] (in French). La Presse. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  42. Slingerland, Calum (22 February 2017). "M for Montreal Brings out Busty and the Bass, Heat, Duchess Says for SXSW Showcase". Exclaim. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  43. Smith, Thomas (27 March 2017). "The Great Escape 2017: the lineup in full and how you can be there". NME. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  44. Murphy, Sarah (13 April 2017). "Ottawa's RBC Bluesfest Expands 2017 Lineup". Exclaim. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  45. "Busty and the Bass at Rifflandia 2017". rifflandia.com. Rifflandia. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  46. "Busty and the Bass Tracks". rifflandia.com. BBC. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  47. Matt Micucci (9 December 2019). "New Music Monday: Busty and the Bass, Swatkins & More". jazziz.com. JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  48. "MONTRÉAL OCTET BUSTY AND THE BASS SHARE NEW SINGLE "BAGGY EYED DOPEMAN" FEATURING FUNK LEGEND GEORGE CLINTION" (Press release). Toronto, Ontario: Killbeat Music. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  49. Gary Graff (26 February 2020). "Busty and the Bass Team With George Clinton for 'Baggy Eyed Dopeman': Premiere". billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  50. Weir, Peter (23 March 2016). "Cheer Up, Alistair Blu: A Beer with Evan Crofton". Bondar Digital. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  51. "Michael Sayegh - M for Montreal". mformontreal.com. M for Montreal. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  52. "Busty and the Bass - Preste - Spectacles et tournées". preste.ca. Preste Spectacles. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  53. "Busty and the Bass - The Feldman Agency". feldman-agency.com. The Feldman Agency. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  54. "Busty and the Bass : Paradigm Talent Agency". paradigmagency.com. Paradigm Talent Agency. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  55. "Busty And The Bass - CODA Music LTD - Booking Agent". codaagency.com. Coda Music Agency. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
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