Jimmy Brown: Bassh & Pop
by Daniel Coston
Jimmy Brown has seen his share of changes. A native of Ireland, Brown had traveled the world before moving to Charlotte, NC, and forming the popular band Matrimony with his wife Ashlee Hardee. Brown’s latest change involves a new band, a new sound and location. Last year, Brown and brother-in-law (and Matrimony bandmate) C.J. Hardee made their way to Nashville, TN for a new project with Band Of Horses bassist Bill Reynolds. The resulting sound, now under the moniker of Bassh, is miles away from the sound of Matrimony, and allows Brown to further delve into the role of frontman. Now living in Nashville, Brown and Bassh will debut in Charlotte on January 23rd with a show at the Neighborhood Theatre. Brown checked in via email to talk about his new band, and his future plans.
Daniel Coston: How did Bassh come together?
Jimmy Brown: C.J. [Hardee] and I had been writing tunes together more and more and they weren't sounding like "Matrimony" tunes so we decided to make a record.
Coston: What was it about the sound that the three of you (with Bill Reynolds) made that excited you?
Brown: The timing felt right for all three of us and the energy was there. We worked long days and nights and really put our guts into this one. When we listened back, the work sounded surprisingly good. I remember looking around the room asking the others if I played that part or if they did. It was swirly few weeks but a healthy dose of chaos seems to lend itself well to these types of things.
Coston: How would you describe the music of Bassh?
Brown: Druggy emmo indie rock pop type stuff.
Coston: How do you think that the lyrics that you’re writing for Bassh is different than what you wrote for Matrimony, or any of your other creations?
Brown: I'm in a new place in life, new city, new friends, new outlooks, etc.. It's only natural to write from that existence.
Coston: How are Bassh’s new songs translating to a live setting?
Brown: We shall see Jan 23 & 24, as those are our first shows. Five piece band, but you may not see all of us due to the amount of smoke on the stage.
Coston: How is being a frontman for Bassh different than any other band that you’ve been involved with?
Brown: I love the challenge of morphing into a new thing. I think we should be always evolving and pushing ourselves beyond what we've done so this is unchartered territory for me, and I fucking love feeling scared and excited at the same time!
Coston: What are Bassh’s touring plans?
Brown: US nationwide tour dates TBA soon!
Coston: How are things in Nashville? You moved out there in the past several months.
Brown: Been here a year now and I honestly can't imagine living anywhere else. Cool spot.
Coston: What plans are there for Matrimony in the future? We got a show May 28 at The Fillmore in Charlotte to help raise money for the homeless folks of Charlotte. Aside from that we've no "plans" but Ashlee and I have written a few songs together recently, and we've been toying with the idea of cutting them, but honestly Bassh and her solo project are our focus for now.
Coston: Finish this sentence. The future of Bassh is….
Brown: Release music, tour the world putting on crazy shows, write, record.
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