Busty and the Bass

Busty and the Bass

Busty and the Bass are a Montréal-based group formed by members who meet at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. The band begins as a series of informal jam sessions and gradually grows into a nine-piece line-up built around vocals, horns, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and trombone. The members named in the group include Nick Ferraro, Scott Bevins, Alistair Blu, Julian Trivers, Louis Stein, Milo Johnson, Eric Haynes, Chris Vincent and Mike McCann.

Style and personnel

The group is described as funk-driven, with a sound that draws on a wide mix of styles. Their listed genres include electro, hip hop, ska and soul. The line-up combines Nick Ferraro on vocals and alto sax, Scott Bevins and Mike McCann on trumpet, Alistair Blu on vocals, keyboard and synthesizer, Julian Trivers on drums, Louis Stein on guitar, Milo Johnson on bass, Eric Haynes on piano and keyboard, and Chris Vincent on trombone.

Career

In 2014, Busty and the Bass enter Canada’s Top University Band competition and win the title. Their first release is the EP Bustified, which reflects the group’s early development. They then sign to Indica Records and release the EP GLAM in 2015.

The band follow this with LIFT in 2016. Their version of Macy Gray’s “I Try” from that EP gains online attention, and Macy Gray later gives the group her support. After a period of smaller projects, they record their debut studio album Uncommon Good, which is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Neal Pogue. The album appears in 2017.

By the later part of the decade, the band release the live EP Live from London and the single “Jimmy”. Their second album campaign begins with “Clouds” in 2019. In 2020, they sign to Arts & Crafts and release Eddie. That album includes collaborators George Clinton, Macy Gray and Illa J, and follows a more studio-focused writing process. In 2021, they release the ET Suite EP, along with Eddie (Instrumentals).