John Butler Trio
Encyclopedia
The John Butler Trio are an eclectic
roots
and jam band
from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler
. They formed in Fremantle
in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith
on bass guitar. By 2009, the trio was Butler with Nicky Bomba
on drums and percussion, and Byron Luiters on bass guitar.
The band's second studio album, Three
(2001) reached the top 30 in the Australian album charts and achieved platinum sales. The band's subsequent studio albums: Sunrise Over Sea
(2004); Grand National
(2007); and April Uprising
(2010) all debuted at the number one position on the Australian album charts, with all three albums reaching platinum sales status. Living 2001–2002 (2003), the band's first live album, reached the top ten and also achieved platinum status in Australia. The band's second live album, Live at St. Gallen
(2005) also achieved gold record status. The band's releases since 2002 have been marketed independently by Jarrah Records
, which Butler co-owns with West Australian folk band The Waifs
and manager of both acts, Philip Stevens.
, Searching for Heritage
in 1996. Gavin Shoesmith
on double bass
and bass guitar founded Katamaran in Darwin
with Mark Hoffman on didgeridoo
and Grant Smith on percussion. With Butler, Shoesmith and Jason McGann on drums, John Butler Trio was formed in Fremantle in 1998 and independently released the John Butler
album in December. It was produced by Butler and included re-recorded versions of two tracks from his Searching for Heritage.
The trio toured throughout Western Australia in 1999, then The Waifs
invited Butler to perform solo on their Australian tour – he also performed his own gigs. The John Butler Trio then launched their own tour where Butler met his future wife Danielle Caruana in Broome
.
The John Butler Trio released the four-track extended play, JBT, in April 2000 with songs short enough to win radio play. It was produced by Butler and Shaun O'Callaghan. Radio station, Triple J
chose the track "Pickapart" to put on high rotation. The band began to develop a wider reputation with a performance at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
in Byron Bay
in 2000. Butler recalled that his first gig had about 50 people, the second gig started the same way when "it absolutely pissed with rain and 3000 people ran into our tent. And the show just went berserk. It was like a suffocated fire - you lift the lid and it explodes". The John Butler Trio has become a regular artist at the annual event.
and relocated to Melbourne to promote the record on the east coast. The track, "Betterman", was on high rotation by Triple J. Three peaked at No. 24 on the ARIA Charts
. It also remained on the alternative charts for nine months reaching No. 3. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001
the album won an award for 'Best Independent Release'. "Betterman" reached No. 5 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2001
.
Shoesmith left the trio to form his own band, The Groovesmiths
, Butler replaced him with 19-year-old Rory Quirk, who was on their first tour of the United States in 2001. Quirk, in turn, left in 2002 to pursue a career with his band, Quirk. Andrew Fry joined as the next bass player.
The success of Three led to its release in the US in 2002 and two tours of the US followed. The band supported the Dave Matthews Band
and John Mayer
as well as playing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival
and the South by Southwest Festival. The band also played at the Splendour in the Grass
Festival in Australia. Butler, his manager Phil Stevens and fellow Western Australian folk artists, The Waifs
, founded Jarrah Records
in July 2002.
As a result of intensive touring, the band developed a great live reputation in Australia. The band released Living 2001-2002
in February 2003, a double live album which had a top ten debut in the ARIA album charts and went on to achieve platinum sales. Butler took a brief break after five years of solid work since 1997 for the birth of his daughter Banjo.
in Melbourne owned by Joe Camilleri
, the leader of Jo Jo Zep
and the Black Sorrows
. He had a new band consisting of percussionist Nicky Bomba
and upright-bass player Shannon Birchall
. After recording the album, Bomba returned to his own reggae band and was replaced by drummer/percussionist Michael Barker
.
John Butler told the Australian edition of Rolling Stone released in April 2004 that he wanted greater freedom to pursue his vision. "Essentially what I learnt out of this process was, more so than ever, I'm the keeper of the music. I have the intuition and the foresight to pick the right players to my music. I've learned it's not always about having the same players for five, six or 10 years, it’s having the right chemistry for these songs at this time. Some of my favourite Jimi Hendrix
music is off-the-cuff stuff with Band of Gypsies."
The title Sunrise Over Sea
is taken from the lyrics to the second track, Peaches and Cream. The album debuted at number one in the national album charts in 15 March 2004 and achieved gold record status in its first week of release.
The Zebra
EP was released in December 2003 and made the ARIA singles charts in early 2004. The song was voted #7 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2004
and also had significant airplay on commercial FM radio across Australia. John Butler would win an Australasian Performing Rights Association award for Song of the Year in March 2004. The track also appeared on the popular US Crime drama 'Numb3rs' as the opening music (Season 3, Episode 6).
In 2005 John Butler
and co-founder Danielle Caruana (his wife) inaugurated the JB Seed grant program. "The Seed aims to help Australian artists from any background, creating art and music across any genre, to establish themselves as self-sustained, professional artists." Caruana also plays independent music, she plays under the name Mama Kin.
Following the Boxing Day Tsunami, the John Butler Trio appeared at the Wave Aid fundraising concert in Sydney, to raise funds for aid organisations working in disaster affected areas.
The John Butler Trio played at all venues for the Big Day Out
music festival, starting in Auckland, New Zealand on 19 January 2007, and finishing in Perth Western Australia on 4 February.
, was released on 24 March 2007 in Australia and New Zealand, and released on 27 March in the United States and France. The first single off the album, titled "Funky Tonight
", reached a high of #15 on the ARIA charts and #12 on Triple J Hottest 100
for 2006. A second single, "Better Than
," was also released. In conjunction with the American release, the trio scheduled a small American Tour consisting of only five cities starting in Los Angeles and ending in New York.
In April 2007 Grand National was the initial album nominated for a J Award
by national youth broadcaster Triple J
. "Better Than" which was released as the first overseas single from Grand National, reached #1 on the Triple A format charts in United States in June 2007. It also reached the top ten international songs at Japanese Radio and has been a major radio hit in France where the video made MTV’s video of the week.
On 7 July 2007 they performed at the Australian leg
of Live Earth
in Sydney. On 31 July 2007 the John Butler Trio performed their song, "Better Than" on The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno
. On 4 August 2007 they performed at Newport Folk Festival
playing a set that included "Used to Get High
", "Better Than
", "Ocean", "Funky Tonight
", and "Good Excuse
".
In 2007, the John Butler Trio won Best Independent Release and Best Blues and Roots Album awards at the 2007 Aria Awards.
On 3 August 2008 they performed at Lollapalooza
in Chicago. The John Butler Trio concluded the summer of 2008 touring the U.S. with G. Love and Special Sauce.
In July 2009 "Betterman" was voted number 47 by the Australian public in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time
.
On 26 March 2009 John Butler announced that the current bass and drum musicians of the John Butler Trio, Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker are separating from the band. For purely artistic reasons, John feels that it is necessary to change the line up in an attempt by John to discover new inspirations with new members. John stated in his announcement;
Michael Barker went on to form Swamp Thing with guitarist/singer Grant Haua, based in New Zealand. Their first album Balladeer was released in May 2011
as the drummer and percussionist. Bomba, Butler's brother-in-law, has previously been a member of the John Butler Trio.
The new line-up has spent the last few months in a studio in Fremantle, recording the band's fifth studio album, which was released 26 March 2010. The album will be called April Uprising
, named after Butler's voyage to find his ancestors on SBS Television’s genealogy
series, Who Do You Think You Are?
. The recording process for the new album has been shared with fans via a special studio sessions page on the band’s website. The first single from the album, "One Way Road", was released on 4 December 2009. Butler described the song as being
The band, according to billboard.com
, recorded twenty two songs at Butler's home based studio in Fremantle, this was eventually cut down to the fifteen that appear on the album. The album was released in Australia, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands on 26 March 2010, in New Zealand and France on 29 March, in the UK on 5 April, and in the USA / Canada on 6 April.
April Uprising debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA albums chart
on 5 April and whilst the first two singles from the album, "One Way Road" and "Close to You", charted at #15 and #36 on the Australian ARIA singles charts they both reached the top five in the Spins radio airplay charts, the former reaching #1.
On 4 June 2010 John Butler Trio played a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
, which was streamed live to fans around the world at Livestream
.
In November 2010, April Uprising, was nominated at the ARIA Awards
for 'Best Blues and Roots Album' and 'Best Independent Release'.
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA).
|-
| 2004
|| "Zebra" || Song of the Year ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2006
|| "Somethings Gotta Give" || Most Performed Blues & Roots Work ||
|-
| "What You Want
" || Most Performed Blues & Roots Work ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2008
|| "Better Than
" || Song of the Year ||
|-
| "Funky Tonight
" || Blues & Roots Work of the Year ||
|-
| "Good Excuse
" || Blues & Roots Work of the Year ||
are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA). The John Butler Trio have won five awards from twenty-one nominations.
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2001
|| Three
|| Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
|| Three || Best Independent Release ||
|-
|| Three || Breakthrough Artist - Album ||
|-
| John Butler Trio EP || Breakthrough Artist - Single ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2003
|| Living 2001-2002
|| Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| Living 2001-2002|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
|rowspan="7"| 2004
|| Sunrise Over Sea
|| Best Cover Art ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Engineer Of The Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Producer Of The Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Best Independent Release ||
|-
| "Zebra" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Album of the Year ||
|-
|| 2005
|| "Somethings Gotta Give" || Best Video ||
|-
|| 2006
|| Live at St. Gallen
|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2007
|| Grand National
|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
| Grand National || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| "Funky Tonight
" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Grand National || Album of the Year ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2010
|| April Uprising || Best Independent Release ||
|-
| April Uprising || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
.
|-
|| 2007 || Grand National
|| Album ||
Live albums
Eclecticism in music
Eclecticism is used to describe a composer's conscious use of styles alien to his nature, or from one or more historical styles. The term is also used pejoratively to describe music whose composer, thought to be lacking originality, appears to have freely drawn on other models .-Sources:* Kennedy,...
roots
Roots music
Roots music can refer to several styles or trends in music:* Americana * Folk music* Roots of hip hop, the conditions which led to creation of the hip hop genre* Roots reggae...
and jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler
John Butler (musician)
John Charles Wiltshire-Butler or John Charles Butler is an Australian musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer...
. They formed in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith
Gavin Shoesmith
Gavin Shoesmith is an Australian singer songwriter and virtuoso double bassist who rose to fame as bass guitarist in the John Butler Trio.He initially formed an organic dance music band called Katamaran, based in Darwin. Alongside Shoesmith on double bass, the band comprised Mark Hoffman on...
on bass guitar. By 2009, the trio was Butler with Nicky Bomba
Nicky Bomba
Nicholas Caruana aka Nicky Bomba is an Australian musician and singer. He is the frontman of his band Bomba as well as the drummer and percussionist of John Butler Trio and has also performed with several other artists. He is also a solo artist.-Biography:Bomba's family migrated to Australia late...
on drums and percussion, and Byron Luiters on bass guitar.
The band's second studio album, Three
Three (The John Butler Trio album)
Three is the second studio album of Australian jam band The John Butler Trio.All the music and lyrics written and arranged by John Butler. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Shaun O'Callaghan at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, Western Australia. It was mastered at Woodstock Studios by...
(2001) reached the top 30 in the Australian album charts and achieved platinum sales. The band's subsequent studio albums: Sunrise Over Sea
Sunrise over Sea
Sunrise Over Sea is the third album of The John Butler Trio and the fifth featuring John Butler. It was released in March 2004.- Conception and production :...
(2004); Grand National
Grand National (album)
Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea....
(2007); and April Uprising
April Uprising (album)
April Uprising is the fifth studio album by Australian Roots band the John Butler Trio. The album was recorded from late 2009-early 2010 in Fremantle, Australia. The album's name comes from Butler's appearance on the television documentary series, Who Do You Think You Are, where he journeyed to...
(2010) all debuted at the number one position on the Australian album charts, with all three albums reaching platinum sales status. Living 2001–2002 (2003), the band's first live album, reached the top ten and also achieved platinum status in Australia. The band's second live album, Live at St. Gallen
Live at St. Gallen
Live at St. Gallen is a 2005 live CD and DVD by The John Butler Trio recorded in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The two CDs included in the set were recorded live at St. Gallen, whereas the DVD was recorded at the Sydney Opera House in 2004. The cover art was designed by John Butler Trio regular Tom Walker...
(2005) also achieved gold record status. The band's releases since 2002 have been marketed independently by Jarrah Records
Jarrah Records
Jarrah Records is an independent Australian record label that releases albums by The Waifs and The John Butler Trio. Jarrah is co-owned by The Waifs and John Butler. Jarrah was founded in July 2002 as John Butler's and The Waifs' record label for the territory of the USA....
, which Butler co-owns with West Australian folk band The Waifs
The Waifs
The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...
and manager of both acts, Philip Stevens.
Searching for Heritage - the early years
John Butler Trio is fronted by John Butler on vocals and guitars. He started his career as a busker in Fremantle, Western Australia and released a self-recorded cassetteCompact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, Searching for Heritage
Searching for Heritage
Searching for Heritage is a cassette tape that John Butler recorded and sold while he was busking on the street of Fremantle in 1996. It is a collection of instrumental songs, some of which were re-recorded on the debut self-titled album John Butler. During this time, Butler was usually playing on...
in 1996. Gavin Shoesmith
Gavin Shoesmith
Gavin Shoesmith is an Australian singer songwriter and virtuoso double bassist who rose to fame as bass guitarist in the John Butler Trio.He initially formed an organic dance music band called Katamaran, based in Darwin. Alongside Shoesmith on double bass, the band comprised Mark Hoffman on...
on double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and bass guitar founded Katamaran in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
with Mark Hoffman on didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
and Grant Smith on percussion. With Butler, Shoesmith and Jason McGann on drums, John Butler Trio was formed in Fremantle in 1998 and independently released the John Butler
John Butler (album)
-Release history:-Personnel:* John Butler - resonator [Dobro] guitar , guitar [11 string], vocals* Gavin Shoesmith - bass guitar and double bass* Jason McGann - percussion-Credits:* Arrangements, Artwork, Producer - John Butler...
album in December. It was produced by Butler and included re-recorded versions of two tracks from his Searching for Heritage.
The trio toured throughout Western Australia in 1999, then The Waifs
The Waifs
The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...
invited Butler to perform solo on their Australian tour – he also performed his own gigs. The John Butler Trio then launched their own tour where Butler met his future wife Danielle Caruana in Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
.
The John Butler Trio released the four-track extended play, JBT, in April 2000 with songs short enough to win radio play. It was produced by Butler and Shaun O'Callaghan. Radio station, Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
chose the track "Pickapart" to put on high rotation. The band began to develop a wider reputation with a performance at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
The East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest, is an annual music festival held for five days over the Easter long weekend at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia...
in Byron Bay
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a...
in 2000. Butler recalled that his first gig had about 50 people, the second gig started the same way when "it absolutely pissed with rain and 3000 people ran into our tent. And the show just went berserk. It was like a suffocated fire - you lift the lid and it explodes". The John Butler Trio has become a regular artist at the annual event.
Three - an evolving band
In April 2001, John Butler Trio released ThreeThree (The John Butler Trio album)
Three is the second studio album of Australian jam band The John Butler Trio.All the music and lyrics written and arranged by John Butler. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Shaun O'Callaghan at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, Western Australia. It was mastered at Woodstock Studios by...
and relocated to Melbourne to promote the record on the east coast. The track, "Betterman", was on high rotation by Triple J. Three peaked at No. 24 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. It also remained on the alternative charts for nine months reaching No. 3. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001
ARIA Music Awards of 2001
The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre.-Awards:...
the album won an award for 'Best Independent Release'. "Betterman" reached No. 5 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2001
Triple J Hottest 100, 2001
The 2001 Triple J Hottest 100, announced in January 2002, was the ninth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J...
.
Shoesmith left the trio to form his own band, The Groovesmiths
The Groovesmiths
-Demonstrations Of Intent:The band's debut EP features 5 original songs, written by Gavin Shoesmith.# "Bushranger" – 3:51# "Lonely" – 4:05# "Rebirth" – 5:04# "Viva La Revolution" – 3:33# "Oh The Sun Is Shining" – 4:35...
, Butler replaced him with 19-year-old Rory Quirk, who was on their first tour of the United States in 2001. Quirk, in turn, left in 2002 to pursue a career with his band, Quirk. Andrew Fry joined as the next bass player.
The success of Three led to its release in the US in 2002 and two tours of the US followed. The band supported the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
as well as playing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
and the South by Southwest Festival. The band also played at the Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
Festival in Australia. Butler, his manager Phil Stevens and fellow Western Australian folk artists, The Waifs
The Waifs
The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...
, founded Jarrah Records
Jarrah Records
Jarrah Records is an independent Australian record label that releases albums by The Waifs and The John Butler Trio. Jarrah is co-owned by The Waifs and John Butler. Jarrah was founded in July 2002 as John Butler's and The Waifs' record label for the territory of the USA....
in July 2002.
As a result of intensive touring, the band developed a great live reputation in Australia. The band released Living 2001-2002
Living 2001-2002
-Personnel:* John Butler — electrified/acoustic 11 string guitars, vocals and percussion on "Take"* Rory Quirk — electric bass, double bass and percussion on "take"* Jason McGann — drums, percussion, backing vocals...
in February 2003, a double live album which had a top ten debut in the ARIA album charts and went on to achieve platinum sales. Butler took a brief break after five years of solid work since 1997 for the birth of his daughter Banjo.
Sunrise Over Sea
In late 2003, John Butler entered Woodstock StudiosWoodstock Studios
Woodstock Studios is a recording facility owned by Australian musician, Joe Camilleri, leader of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows, and is located in East St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. It has been used by Australian artists: Augie March, John Butler Trio, The Cat Empire and Paul Kelly....
in Melbourne owned by Joe Camilleri
Joe Camilleri
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Camilleri, aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is an Australian vocalist, songwriter and saxophonist. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows...
, the leader of Jo Jo Zep
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were an Australian blues and rock music band which featured singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri . The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do"...
and the Black Sorrows
The Black Sorrows
The Black Sorrows are an Australian band founded by Joe Camilleri, the group's only constant member. Founded in 1983, The Black Sorrows are still active today, and are best remembered for their top 40 Australian hits of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "Hold On To Me", "Chained To The...
. He had a new band consisting of percussionist Nicky Bomba
Nicky Bomba
Nicholas Caruana aka Nicky Bomba is an Australian musician and singer. He is the frontman of his band Bomba as well as the drummer and percussionist of John Butler Trio and has also performed with several other artists. He is also a solo artist.-Biography:Bomba's family migrated to Australia late...
and upright-bass player Shannon Birchall
Shannon Birchall
Shannon Birchall is an Australian born musician, probably best known as the bassist for jam band the John Butler Trio. Birchall is often labeled a virtuoso by different music experts. He is also known for composing and conducting the string sections of the John Butler Trio's...
. After recording the album, Bomba returned to his own reggae band and was replaced by drummer/percussionist Michael Barker
Michael Barker (drummer)
Michael Barker is a New Zealand percussion musician best known for performing with many Australasian acts, including The John Butler Trio and Split Enz.-Early musical education:...
.
John Butler told the Australian edition of Rolling Stone released in April 2004 that he wanted greater freedom to pursue his vision. "Essentially what I learnt out of this process was, more so than ever, I'm the keeper of the music. I have the intuition and the foresight to pick the right players to my music. I've learned it's not always about having the same players for five, six or 10 years, it’s having the right chemistry for these songs at this time. Some of my favourite Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
music is off-the-cuff stuff with Band of Gypsies."
The title Sunrise Over Sea
Sunrise over Sea
Sunrise Over Sea is the third album of The John Butler Trio and the fifth featuring John Butler. It was released in March 2004.- Conception and production :...
is taken from the lyrics to the second track, Peaches and Cream. The album debuted at number one in the national album charts in 15 March 2004 and achieved gold record status in its first week of release.
The Zebra
Zebra (John Butler Trio album)
"Zebra" is the first single released from the John Butler Trio's album Sunrise Over Sea. Featuring the Sunrise lineup of John Butler on guitar/vocals, Shannon Birchall on double bass and Nicky Bomba on drums/percussion, it blends the genres of roots, funk, rock, and a bit of blues.Zebra is...
EP was released in December 2003 and made the ARIA singles charts in early 2004. The song was voted #7 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2004
Triple J Hottest 100, 2004
The 2004 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 26 January 2005. It was the twelfth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J....
and also had significant airplay on commercial FM radio across Australia. John Butler would win an Australasian Performing Rights Association award for Song of the Year in March 2004. The track also appeared on the popular US Crime drama 'Numb3rs' as the opening music (Season 3, Episode 6).
In 2005 John Butler
John Butler (musician)
John Charles Wiltshire-Butler or John Charles Butler is an Australian musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer...
and co-founder Danielle Caruana (his wife) inaugurated the JB Seed grant program. "The Seed aims to help Australian artists from any background, creating art and music across any genre, to establish themselves as self-sustained, professional artists." Caruana also plays independent music, she plays under the name Mama Kin.
Following the Boxing Day Tsunami, the John Butler Trio appeared at the Wave Aid fundraising concert in Sydney, to raise funds for aid organisations working in disaster affected areas.
The John Butler Trio played at all venues for the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
music festival, starting in Auckland, New Zealand on 19 January 2007, and finishing in Perth Western Australia on 4 February.
Grand National
Their fourth studio album, entitled Grand NationalGrand National (album)
Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea....
, was released on 24 March 2007 in Australia and New Zealand, and released on 27 March in the United States and France. The first single off the album, titled "Funky Tonight
Funky Tonight
"Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
", reached a high of #15 on the ARIA charts and #12 on Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs...
for 2006. A second single, "Better Than
Better Than
"Better Than" is an alternative rock single/extended play by Australian jam band The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National...
," was also released. In conjunction with the American release, the trio scheduled a small American Tour consisting of only five cities starting in Los Angeles and ending in New York.
In April 2007 Grand National was the initial album nominated for a J Award
J Award
The J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill...
by national youth broadcaster Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
. "Better Than" which was released as the first overseas single from Grand National, reached #1 on the Triple A format charts in United States in June 2007. It also reached the top ten international songs at Japanese Radio and has been a major radio hit in France where the video made MTV’s video of the week.
On 7 July 2007 they performed at the Australian leg
Live Earth concert, Sydney
The Live Earth concert in Australia was held at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney on 7 July 2007, in front of around 45,000 people. It was the first of the Live Earth concerts to kick-off the day-long event & promoted by Michael Chugg, Amanda Pelman of Chugg Entertainment, Joe Segreto of IMC /...
of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in Sydney. On 31 July 2007 the John Butler Trio performed their song, "Better Than" on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
. On 4 August 2007 they performed at Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
playing a set that included "Used to Get High
Used to Get High
"Used to Get High" is a radio promotional single by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National. It was released by Jarrah Records in November 2007...
", "Better Than
Better Than
"Better Than" is an alternative rock single/extended play by Australian jam band The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National...
", "Ocean", "Funky Tonight
Funky Tonight
"Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
", and "Good Excuse
Good Excuse
"Good Excuse" is a promotional only release by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National."Good Excuse" was released in March 2007 in Australia by Jarrah Records and in the United States by Atlantic Records....
".
In 2007, the John Butler Trio won Best Independent Release and Best Blues and Roots Album awards at the 2007 Aria Awards.
On 3 August 2008 they performed at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
in Chicago. The John Butler Trio concluded the summer of 2008 touring the U.S. with G. Love and Special Sauce.
In July 2009 "Betterman" was voted number 47 by the Australian public in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time
Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009
The Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time was a music poll conducted in 2009 amongst listeners of Australian youth radio network Triple J. Over half a million votes were compiled, with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" collecting the highest number of votes. Voters could submit a list of up to ten...
.
On 26 March 2009 John Butler announced that the current bass and drum musicians of the John Butler Trio, Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker are separating from the band. For purely artistic reasons, John feels that it is necessary to change the line up in an attempt by John to discover new inspirations with new members. John stated in his announcement;
Michael Barker went on to form Swamp Thing with guitarist/singer Grant Haua, based in New Zealand. Their first album Balladeer was released in May 2011
April Uprising
On 30 June 2009 John Butler announced the new bass and drum musicians of the John Butler Trio to be Byron Luiters as the bassist and Nicky BombaNicky Bomba
Nicholas Caruana aka Nicky Bomba is an Australian musician and singer. He is the frontman of his band Bomba as well as the drummer and percussionist of John Butler Trio and has also performed with several other artists. He is also a solo artist.-Biography:Bomba's family migrated to Australia late...
as the drummer and percussionist. Bomba, Butler's brother-in-law, has previously been a member of the John Butler Trio.
The new line-up has spent the last few months in a studio in Fremantle, recording the band's fifth studio album, which was released 26 March 2010. The album will be called April Uprising
April Uprising (album)
April Uprising is the fifth studio album by Australian Roots band the John Butler Trio. The album was recorded from late 2009-early 2010 in Fremantle, Australia. The album's name comes from Butler's appearance on the television documentary series, Who Do You Think You Are, where he journeyed to...
, named after Butler's voyage to find his ancestors on SBS Television’s genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
series, Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are? (Australian TV series)
Who Do You Think You Are? is an Australian television documentary series, based on the BBC series of the same name, airing on SBS One. SBS first aired six episodes of the BBC series in late 2007, followed by six Australian episodes beginning 13 January 2008, and then six more from the original BBC...
. The recording process for the new album has been shared with fans via a special studio sessions page on the band’s website. The first single from the album, "One Way Road", was released on 4 December 2009. Butler described the song as being
The band, according to billboard.com
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, recorded twenty two songs at Butler's home based studio in Fremantle, this was eventually cut down to the fifteen that appear on the album. The album was released in Australia, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands on 26 March 2010, in New Zealand and France on 29 March, in the UK on 5 April, and in the USA / Canada on 6 April.
April Uprising debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA albums chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
on 5 April and whilst the first two singles from the album, "One Way Road" and "Close to You", charted at #15 and #36 on the Australian ARIA singles charts they both reached the top five in the Spins radio airplay charts, the former reaching #1.
On 4 June 2010 John Butler Trio played a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
, which was streamed live to fans around the world at Livestream
Livestream
Livestream, formerly known as Mogulus, is a live streaming video platform that allows users to view and broadcast video content using a camera and a computer through the internet...
.
In November 2010, April Uprising, was nominated at the ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2010
The 24th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards are a series of award ceremonies which included the 2010 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine Arts Awards and ARIA Awards. The latter ceremony took place on 7 November at the Sydney Opera House and was...
for 'Best Blues and Roots Album' and 'Best Independent Release'.
APRA Awards
The APRA AwardsAPRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA).
|-
| 2004
APRA Awards of 2004
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2004 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards ceremony occurred on 24 May at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, they were presented by APRA and the...
|| "Zebra" || Song of the Year ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2006
APRA Awards of 2006
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2006 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards ceremony occurred on 5 June at the Sydney Four Seasons Hotel, they were presented by APRA and the...
|| "Somethings Gotta Give" || Most Performed Blues & Roots Work ||
|-
| "What You Want
What You Want
What You Want is the second commercially available single/EP by Australian jam band the John Butler Trio from the album Sunrise Over Sea...
" || Most Performed Blues & Roots Work ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2008
APRA Awards of 2008
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2008 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards ceremony occurred on 16 June at the Sydney Hilton, they were presented by APRA and the Australasian...
|| "Better Than
Better Than
"Better Than" is an alternative rock single/extended play by Australian jam band The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National...
" || Song of the Year ||
|-
| "Funky Tonight
Funky Tonight
"Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
" || Blues & Roots Work of the Year ||
|-
| "Good Excuse
Good Excuse
"Good Excuse" is a promotional only release by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National."Good Excuse" was released in March 2007 in Australia by Jarrah Records and in the United States by Atlantic Records....
" || Blues & Roots Work of the Year ||
ARIA Awards
The ARIA Music AwardsARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA). The John Butler Trio have won five awards from twenty-one nominations.
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2001
ARIA Music Awards of 2001
The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre.-Awards:...
|| Three
Three (The John Butler Trio album)
Three is the second studio album of Australian jam band The John Butler Trio.All the music and lyrics written and arranged by John Butler. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Shaun O'Callaghan at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, Western Australia. It was mastered at Woodstock Studios by...
|| Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
|| Three || Best Independent Release ||
|-
|| Three || Breakthrough Artist - Album ||
|-
| John Butler Trio EP || Breakthrough Artist - Single ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2003
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
|| Living 2001-2002
Living 2001-2002
-Personnel:* John Butler — electrified/acoustic 11 string guitars, vocals and percussion on "Take"* Rory Quirk — electric bass, double bass and percussion on "take"* Jason McGann — drums, percussion, backing vocals...
|| Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| Living 2001-2002|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
|rowspan="7"| 2004
ARIA Music Awards of 2004
The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney Superdome within the Sydney Olympic Complex...
|| Sunrise Over Sea
Sunrise over Sea
Sunrise Over Sea is the third album of The John Butler Trio and the fifth featuring John Butler. It was released in March 2004.- Conception and production :...
|| Best Cover Art ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Engineer Of The Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Producer Of The Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Best Independent Release ||
|-
| "Zebra" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Sunrise Over Sea || Album of the Year ||
|-
|| 2005
ARIA Music Awards of 2005
The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the previous year's innovation of televising the awards on Sunday evening...
|| "Somethings Gotta Give" || Best Video ||
|-
|| 2006
ARIA Music Awards of 2006
The 20th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 29 October 2006 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex...
|| Live at St. Gallen
Live at St. Gallen
Live at St. Gallen is a 2005 live CD and DVD by The John Butler Trio recorded in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The two CDs included in the set were recorded live at St. Gallen, whereas the DVD was recorded at the Sydney Opera House in 2004. The cover art was designed by John Butler Trio regular Tom Walker...
|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2007
ARIA Music Awards of 2007
The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of the event...
|| Grand National
Grand National (album)
Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea....
|| Best Independent Release ||
|-
| Grand National || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
|-
| "Funky Tonight
Funky Tonight
"Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Grand National || Album of the Year ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2010
ARIA Music Awards of 2010
The 24th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards are a series of award ceremonies which included the 2010 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine Arts Awards and ARIA Awards. The latter ceremony took place on 7 November at the Sydney Opera House and was...
|| April Uprising || Best Independent Release ||
|-
| April Uprising || Best Blues & Roots Album ||
J Awards
The J Awards are presented annually from 2005 by the Australian national youth radio broadcasting station, Triple JTriple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
.
|-
|| 2007 || Grand National
Grand National (album)
Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea....
|| Album ||
Discography
Studio albums- John ButlerJohn Butler (album)-Release history:-Personnel:* John Butler - resonator [Dobro] guitar , guitar [11 string], vocals* Gavin Shoesmith - bass guitar and double bass* Jason McGann - percussion-Credits:* Arrangements, Artwork, Producer - John Butler...
(1998) - ThreeThree (The John Butler Trio album)Three is the second studio album of Australian jam band The John Butler Trio.All the music and lyrics written and arranged by John Butler. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Shaun O'Callaghan at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, Western Australia. It was mastered at Woodstock Studios by...
(2001) - Sunrise Over SeaSunrise over SeaSunrise Over Sea is the third album of The John Butler Trio and the fifth featuring John Butler. It was released in March 2004.- Conception and production :...
(2004) - Grand NationalGrand National (album)Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea....
(2007) - April UprisingApril Uprising (album)April Uprising is the fifth studio album by Australian Roots band the John Butler Trio. The album was recorded from late 2009-early 2010 in Fremantle, Australia. The album's name comes from Butler's appearance on the television documentary series, Who Do You Think You Are, where he journeyed to...
(2010)
Live albums
- Living 2001-2002Living 2001-2002-Personnel:* John Butler — electrified/acoustic 11 string guitars, vocals and percussion on "Take"* Rory Quirk — electric bass, double bass and percussion on "take"* Jason McGann — drums, percussion, backing vocals...
(2003) - Live at St. GallenLive at St. GallenLive at St. Gallen is a 2005 live CD and DVD by The John Butler Trio recorded in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The two CDs included in the set were recorded live at St. Gallen, whereas the DVD was recorded at the Sydney Opera House in 2004. The cover art was designed by John Butler Trio regular Tom Walker...
(2005) - Live At Red RocksLive at Red Rocks (The John Butler Trio album)Live at Red Rocks is the fourth live album of The John Butler Trio. It was released in July 2011 .-Track listing:Disc 1# "Introduction" – 0:57# "Used to Get High" – 4:27# "I'd Do Anything" – 3:46# "Betterman" – 8:31...
(2011)
External links
- John Butler Trio official website
- John Butler Trio collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Blender Interview
- Patrol Magazine Live Review
- John Butler Trio, "April Uprising" by Billboard