“We write the songs together, [but] there is not really a set formula. Once we have the riff, which serves as the anchor, we start writing melodies and all of these ideas get kicked around. The riff then evolves and gets harmonised,” guitarist Tommy Brenneck says.
Brenneck is one of the founding members of the Staten Island Afro-funk outfit, who met during an after school jazz ensemble.
“The band was started by myself, the bass player, Daniel Foder, our drummer, Brian Profilio, and [Dame] ‘Damos’ [Rodriguez], our percussion player, after we finished high school.
“We initially began as a band called Dirt Rifle and the Funky Bullets. We made a series of records that we gave to our now-record label, Daptone Records. Dirt Rifle eventually evolved into The Budos Band after we found horn players and got interested in Afrobeats.”
The Budos Band consists of nine members but sometimes up to 13 if there are special guests on the record. There’s also a significant age gap, spanning a decade between the youngest and oldest member of the band.
“There is a real collective sound and a lot of personality within the group. I work amongst eight other guys to make something cohesive. Sometimes, I have to sacrifice something for the better of the group.”
Since their debut in 2005, The Budos Band have released three albums and an EP. Following the release of their last self-titled album, The Budos Band III,the instrumental group went a four-year hiatus. However, in November last year, The Budos Band returned to the music scene with their latest record, Burnt Offering.
“We hit a few unexpected bumps in the road while writing the album. We became stronger because of it and ultimately produced a record that we are all proud of,” Brenneck reflects.
Burnt Offering is a considerable departure from the bands initial combination of Latin soul and jazz.
“The sound on the album is a bit more grittier and distorted to our previous work,” he says.
Brenneck emphasises that The Budos Band haven’t abandoned their Afro-funk roots, but are instead incorporating sounds reminiscent of musicians who inspire them.
“The album is still in line with our previous work. The funk, soulful stuff is still there underneath. Afrobeats are part of our makeup, but we are past that now. We are now trying to embrace the music that we grew up on, rather than the music we got turned onto when we began the band.
“Each of us grew up with different types of music: heavy metal, grunge, rock, you name it.”
Next month, The Budos Band will be touring Australia on their Burnt Offering tour. Brenneck says the group is excited to return to Australia after only brief visit last year.
“We have only been to Australia once and that was for a single show in Sydney. We were playing the new record at that time, which was a lot of new music that no one had ever heard of before. This time it’s different. Our fans are more familiar with the sound of our latest record.”
The nonet will begin their Australian leg of the Burnt Offering tour with an appearance at the Perth Music Festival, followed by performances in Melbourne and Sydney.
“We play almost the whole new record,” says Brenneck. “[But] we also play a couple of songs off previous records and some cover songs. As a band, we aim to mix it up. It’s all about what the audience is into.”
The international following that The Budos Band has gained over the years amazes Brenneck and it’s something for which he’s extremely grateful.
“It’s incredible that we have fans from different countries that listen to and appreciate our music. One of our strongest fan bases overseas is in Australia. We can’t wait to return but are not overly excited about the flight ahead.”
BY JACK LACY
