I found Badbadnotgood (BBNG) tucked away backstage in the UTM Student Center, casually playing a round of Super Mario Smash Bros. before taking the stage. For a band with such an unusual sound, their ordinary disposition is deceiving. Since the their inception, they’ve been given labels such as “Jazz-Hop,” “Post-Bop,” “Jazz-Trap with a hint of Hip-hop,” and pretty much any other combination of musical terminology that could potentially shed light on their unparalleled sound. “We all call it different things,” says drummer Alexander Sowinksi, referring to the band’s genre, “but usually the word ‘weird’ comes up.”
Last Thursday night, the musical trio brought their ambiguously categorized music to the UTM Student Center as an extension of their current North American tour. Their most recent album, Sour Soul, marks their fourth album to be released, and adds another chapter in the group’s ever-progressing success story.
Having grown up in Toronto, the band’s three members, Alex Sowinski (drums), Matt Tavares (keyboard), and Chester Hansen (bass) all met at Humber College before forming as a band. After a series of YouTube videos that showed them performing Jazz renditions of Odd Future songs, BBNG found themselves garnering attention from popular musicians such as Tyler The Creator, MF Doom, and Danny Brown. Before long they had developed a prominent fan base and were playing sold out shows across North America.
Now, the band finds themselves back on a university campus, but this time for different reasons. Backstage, Hansen quietly directs his attention towards the video game at hand, while Tavares leans back against the red sofa, spewing out information on early French cinema. The best thing about playing in Toronto, he points out, is that he can crash at his parents’ place after the show.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE DOPSA/CFRE
The band collaborated on Sour Soul with Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah to develop 12 tracks of jazz-oriented instrumentals combined with a series of vigorously executed verses. The rapper has been active for over two decades, almost tripling BBNG’s career. “The experience was definitely intimidating,” says Tavares, recounting their collaboration with Ghostface Killah. “I mean, the guy is such a legend. When we play these songs with him, we want to make sure they feel good, sound good, and have an energy fit for a live setting. Each performance, we’re kind of nervous but excited.”
The band is calm and collected on stage, and can easily transition their audience from casual head bobbing to sporadic bursts of jumping and flailing about. Sowinski, a master of rhythmic coordination, shouts out instructions to the audience while simultaneously keeping track of the beat. Tavares whirls his fingers up and down the keyboard, occasionally rising out of his seat, while Hansen leaps into the air at the mark of every bass drop. Together, they create a whirlwind of energy and awe-inspiring noise — made especially noticeable at their recent Opera House show, when Ghostface Killah, dumbstruck by what he was hearing, turned around and declared to the audience, “This shit is amazing!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE DOPSA/CFRE
This time, Ghostface Killah wouldn’t be joining them, but that wouldn’t stop them from entertaining their crowd. Putting their jazz knowledge to the test, BBNG uses their instruments to create a slightly different sound every time, so that no two BBNG concerts will sound the same. “We want to bring whatever we can to get the right feeling to our sound,” notes Hansen. “When we play a song, we’ll try to let it breathe, and not play it the same way each time. That’s the jazz side to our music.”
Badbadnotgood’s success can be seen as a victory for aspiring musicians hoping to make it in the seemingly distant realm of the music industry. The band sprung to fame from a few viral YouTube videos, fueled by nothing but raw talent. Sowinski, reflecting on the band’s unexpected success, gives advice for other musicians trying to gain recognition from labels and record producers.
“The number one thing is not to stop,” he says. “We’ve busted our ass to go play with other musicians and groups, and keeping a network of people to play with is definitely worth it.”
Tavares chimes in as well, noting the importance of listening to new music: “I try to listen to something new everyday. It’s good to have favorite records and whatnot, but if you keep listening to the same thing, then you’re only going to draw inspiration from the same music. Listen to music from every era, and keep an open mind. Just because an album got a bad Pitchfork review, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to it.”
Editor’s note (March 24, 2015, 3:39 pm): BadBadNotGood performed as part of CFRE Radio’s event “The Afterschool Special.”
