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 [group's] 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.
Models
Busty and the Bass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And turn on that smile just give a little more
Do you think you're perfect?
You know it ain't that easy
Do you think you're worth it?
Face up in the screen, it hides all the broken seams
Float your own weight
This place is now your grave
We'll go be models now
Pick up those clothes from off the floor
And slip up, you know that face can't leave the door
These nights will leave you dead, and you know
That these big lights, all of those eyes are all in your head
Do you think you're perfect?
You know it ain't that easy
Do you think you're worth it?
Expect no sympathy, don't think this comes for free
Float your own weight
You gon' be famous now
This place is now your grave
We'll go be models now
Let's go be models now
We'll all be models
Let's go be models now
Climb up and get our crown
Float your weight
You gon' be famous now
This place is now your grave
We'll go be models now
We'll go models
Let's go be models now
We'll go models now
So high we lost the ground
The lyrics to Busty and the Bass's "Models" explores the pressures, expectations, and the overall effects of societal norms and beauty standards on people. Through the use of rhetorical questions, the song highlights how difficult it is to feel confident in one's own skin and to believe in one's self-worth.
The first verse opens with an instruction to pick the phone up from the floor and turn on a smile, which gives a glimpse of the performative nature that comes with the struggle to conform to societal expectations. The line "Do you think you're perfect? You know it ain't that easy, Do you think you're worth it?" highlights the self-doubt that comes from this pressure. The phrase "Face up in the screen, it hides all the broken seams," refers to the way we use social media to present a perfect version of ourselves, even when our lives are quite the opposite.
In the chorus, the phrase "Float your own weight, You gon’ be famous now, This place is now your grave, We'll go be models now" directly juxtaposes the idea of success and the price one must pay to get there. The song reinforces the notion that nobody receives anything for free without a catch.
In conclusion, Busty and the Bass's "Models" touches on important themes about how we perceive ourselves and the pressure we face in modern society. It encourages listeners to appreciate their worth beyond societal expectations and beauty standards.
Line by Line Meaning
Pick up, your phone from off the floor
Retrieve your phone that has been dropped on the ground
And turn on that smile just give a little more
Put on an artificial smile and try to be more expressive
Do you think you're perfect?
Are you under the impression that you are flawless?
You know it ain't that easy
It is not a simple task
Do you think you're worth it?
Do you believe you are deserving of it?
Face up in the screen, it hides all the broken seams
Your face is shown on the screen, concealing all the imperfections
Float your own weight
Be confident in yourself
You gon' be famous now
You will achieve popularity soon
This place is now your grave
This place will be the reason for your downfall
We'll go be models now
Let us become models
Pick up those clothes from off the floor
Collect the clothes lying on the ground
And slip up, you know that face can't leave the door
Dress properly, because your face is going to be displayed in public
These nights will leave you dead, and you know
You will be completely exhausted because of these long nights
That these big lights, all of those eyes are all in your head
The flashing lights and the staring eyes are all messing with your mind
Expect no sympathy, don't think this comes for free
Do not anticipate compassion from anyone and be prepared to pay the cost
Let's go be models now
We should commence our modeling career
We'll all be models
All of us will become models
Climb up and get our crown
Work hard to acquire the title
So high we lost the ground
We are so overwhelmed that we have lost touch with reality
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cornball2112
Coolest band I've seen in a while!
Julien lefebvre
vraiment cool
nancyisgold
Awesome
Genevieve Belanger
Nice!! :)
Genevieve Belanger
+nancyisgold You ARE gold! 😍
nancyisgold
+Genevieve “DjiDji” Belanger ;)
Jai Sab.
Shoutout to HanniePlays for bringing me here