The Mannequin is an EP that showcases the band's timeless evolution,oscillating between the soulful dancefloor mastery they are known for, and more sparse, exposed moments of expansive, layered soundscapes. The EP spotlights a new sonic direction for the band as they embellish their experimentations with genre and texture.

“Being in a band can be a surreal experience, especially being in one that’s existed for over twelve years,” the band explains of the EP. “It’s a chosen family of sorts, in this case, a boisterous group of brothers, an interpersonal constellation replete with neuroses, heartbreaks, dreams, triumphs, and meaningless inside jokes. Somehow the group holds itself together through the unforgiving economics of touring and streaming and everything else life throws at it. We think maybe it’s because of the camaraderie we’ve built over time, and maybe because of a shared idea of what we want to do: We want to make music that makes your ass move and that opens up your heart and that lights up your brain too. The Mannequin is our latest step toward that.

“As artists, we see a landscape that’s dominated by flash and celebrity and surface appearance – getting big social media numbers and sponsorships and playlists as an artform unto itself, and maybe the most valued artform of this time and place. It reminds us of being a mannequin in a mall - an advertisement of what is supposed to be hot and cool now, with only an interchangeable, vague shape of a human under it. We called the EP The Mannequin as an indictment of that, while at the same time acknowledging that we too are playing the game – and breaking the fourth wall to say so. We want to appear glamorous too, but all we really care about is hanging out, making dope tracks, and putting on a crazy live show where we can connect with people.

“How did we make these songs? The details are always kind of fuzzy to remember. Living in at least three different cities means that any time we have together is precious, spent in frenzied hyperfocus, constantly bouncing between recording sessions of two or three of us at a time. Chris Vincent (trombonist / bassist / producer), Alistair Blu (née Evan Crofton, vocalist / keyboardist), and Julian Trivers (drummer) made a bunch of demos. Alistair and Jordan Brown (vocalist) usually write the lyrics together. Scott Bevins (trumpeter) and Chris cut the horn parts. Chris learned how to play bass for this project and is playing all the bass parts. Chris also did all the recording engineering, and all the mixing – Chris is a madman. Each song sits in a related but not entirely similar stylistic world; There’s hints of 60’s folk psychedelia in “Over Under” alongside “Lucky (Song 7)”s nu-disco, an improvised instrumental jazz thing (Fourth Wall, Heads Talking) and “I’m Not Here”, a kind of downtempo funk rock tune with an anthemic falsetto hook by Jordan Brown, the Philly-based newest member of the group.”

For the sprawling soul-funk collective, Busty and the Bass, collaboration has always been at the forefront of their art. Formed in Montreal over a decade ago, the band’s two studio albums, both produced by Grammy Award-winner Neal Pogue, have been praised in equal parts by tastemaker press (Complex, OkayPlayer) and established media (Billboard, American Songwriter). Over the years, they have collaborated with legends George Clinton, Macy Gray, Earth Wind & Fire, members of Slum Village, and exciting new voices like Polaris Music Prize winners Cadence Weapon and Pierre Kwenders. After an original member left the band during the pandemic, the collective expanded their ranks for the first time in years, invigorating the band with a newfound creative energy and approach. Along with these new voices come new ideas and influences that inspired the collective's most dynamic and expansive album yet, 2023's Forever Never Cares.