Biography
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Members
- Alistair Blu (2012 – present)
- Chris Vincent
- Eric Haynes
- Julian Trivers
- Louis Stein
A funk-driven octet hailing from Montréal, Busty and the Bass brought together a diverse set of genres with their instrument-spanning lineup. Since forming at the Schulich School of Music, the group have moved from success to success, releasing the studio albums Uncommon Good and Eddie, and touring worldwide.
Busty and the Bass' roots started at Montréal's McGill University; the band's founding members met while studying at the institution's renowned Schulich School of Music, building a rapport and a wide-ranging sound through a series of informal jam sessions. Growing gradually over the course of a few years, the group’s original lineup settled with nine members: Nick Ferraro (vocals, alto sax), Scott Bevins (trumpet), Alistair Blu (vocals, keyboard, synthesizer), Julian Trivers (drums), Louis Stein (guitar), Milo Johnson (bass), Eric Haynes (piano, keyboard), Chris Vincent (trombone), and Mike McCann (trumpet). In late 2014, they made their first transition to national success – the group entered into the competition for Canada's Top University Band 2014, and were announced as the winners in October that year. Their success was followed with a debut EP, Bustified, described as a "retrospective of the development…over the last eight months."
With $10,000 of winnings behind them, the group set to work on recording a second EP. The ambitious GLAM was released in June 2015, after the group inked a deal with Indica Records. A third EP, 2016's LIFT, offered the band a surprising endorsement: after the EP's cover of Macy Gray's "I Try" found viral success online, Gray herself offered the group a resounding co-sign. With a smattering of smaller projects to their name, Busty and the Bass used the subsequent year to work on their debut studio album, Uncommon Good. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Neal Pogue (OutKast, Nicki Minaj, Earth, Wind & Fire), the June 2017 project demonstrated the group's layered melodies, affinity for genre bending, and collaborative creative process.
Having parted ways with McCann, the group moved into the later stages of the decade with the Live from London EP and loosie "Jimmy." The roll-out for their sophomore album began with 2019's "Clouds," before Busty and the Bass signed to new label Arts & Crafts (Japandroids, BadBadNotGood) in early 2020. After a string of teaser tracks, the band released their second album, Eddie, in September that year. With collaborators including George Clinton, Macy Gray, and Illa J, the project continued to flesh out the group's smooth genre fusions, with a more focused and studio-led writing process. Alternate versions of album track "ET" surfaced with the 2021 EP ET Suite, and they released the Eddie (Instrumentals) later that year.
Bio written by David Crone for allmusic.com.
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