Caz Gardiner & The Badasonics – Funky Soulsteady Beat! Interview

Redstar73 Blog: Please can you introduce your band. When was it started? What about your name?
Nico: The band started in 2016 with members from The Moon Invaders and The Caroloregians. Basically it’s the caroloregians riddim section and the moon invaders horns section together… The idea was to create a mix of Soul & Funk with a Jamaican feel and invite various singers to join us. I finally got in touch with Caz Gardiner (from Washington D.C.) and we decided to start the project with her. She really has the kind of voice we were looking for! The name of the band come from a contraction of ‘Badass’ and ‘Sonics’…

Redstar73 Blog: You have just released your debut EP. Tell us more about it! How is the feedback?
Nico: The first plan was to make an album but we needed a couple of tunes to present and promote the project so we recorded this EP in February and sent it to some labels, radios, etc. It’s only available on bandcamp in digital but we had some good feedbacks and some reviews and airplay here and there…

Redstar73 Blog: What are your plans for the future? I have read somewhere you have started to record an album
Nico: Yes, the recording sessions of the first album are done! We recorded 12 tunes (9 originals + 3 covers) and the mix is planned for this summer so hopefully it should be release before the end of the year… We took our time to record it the way we want and we also invite some friends to join us in the studio like Larry Mc Donald (percussion) and the Hardison brothers (moon invaders) for the backing vocals…

Redstar73 Blog: Any chance to see the project live in Europe?
Nico: Definitely! We are booking shows for 2018 to promote the album… Nothing is confirmed yet but the first dates will be announced after the summer.

Redstar73 Blog: Whats happening at the Pum Pum studio at the moment?
Nico: Different things actually… I’m recording a bunch of garage & r’n’r bands these days but I still have some ska & reggae projects coming like the albums I did for Grover Records recently (Rude Rich & the Highnotes, Arthur Kay, Winston Francis) and also the bands I play with like David Hillyard & the Rocksteady 7 and the Reggae Workers of The World with Vic Ruggiero and Jesse Wagner who recorded their 2nd album last year and that I will mix right after the Badasonics album.

Redstar73 Blog: Give us your Top5 Ska & Reggae songs.
Nico: Not really a Top5 but more a selection of 5 Top ska & reggae tunes with organ (among others)!

Winston Wright – Moon Invader
The Cyclones – My Sweet Lord
The Upsetters – Family Man
The Skatalites – Killer Diller
Byron Lee – Ska-Dee-Wah

Nico: Redstar73 Blog: Last words!
Nico: Thanks a lot for your support, really hope you will enjoy our album!

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Contact:
https://badasonics.bandcamp.com
http://www.badasonics.com
https://www.facebook.com/badasonics