Anna Butterss // Activities LP

He has played bass for Jeff Parker, Aimee Mann, Phoebe Bridgers, Makaya McCraven, and more.Anna Butterss, a multi-instrumentalist/bassist born in Adelaide, Australia and living in LA, USA, released her debut record in March 2023 on LA's contemporary jazz label Colorfield Records.

Contains 12 pieces of contemporary jazz, in which she performed not only bass and guitar, but also keyboard, flute, and percussion by herself. Comes with DL code. 

with Jeff ParkerCo-productionIs also recommended.

Below is a commentary by the label.

"Anna Butterss' Activities was born out of a chance studio invitation, and a day's session gradually evolved into the overarching electro-acoustic work she ultimately crafted. Label Colorfield Records. Along with Pete Min, 's trusted co-producer and mixer, the bassist-turned-songwriter welcomed collaborators Josh Johnson, Ben Lumsdaine and Christian Euman to flesh out her compositions. Created through a layering process, these songs are deeply personal to Butterss, a compilation of reflections on life in a foreign land, grief and family.

The number of instruments Butterss brings to this album is a marvel in itself. Best known as a bass player for Aimee Mann, Phoebe Bridgers, Makaya McCraven, and others, "Activities" includes upright and electric bass, guitar, piano, Rhodes, analog and digital synthesizers, drums, drum programming, percussion, flute, and vocals. played.

The charm and power of this album lie in the boundless scope Butterss explores. "Super Lucrative" is a brooding synth ring that fits right in with Radiohead's Kid A era, while "Blevins" is a flamboyant chamber jazz with arena-ready drums and descending guitar lines that weave delicately between instruments. It's ode.With its avant-garde bass, "Do Not Disturb" is perhaps the most raw song on the album, a meditation on grief and loss, a way of thinking for Butters through the loss of a friend.

Butterss entered the studio after Min invited her to play for a day, but she quickly realized that she had a lot to say through music.The weight of time spent in the United States, impossibly far away from friends and family in Australia, started to weigh more during the pandemic. "It's mid-1 and I've just entered my ninth year of living in America. I will always remember it," she explained. "Last year, when the anniversary came around, I was just like, 'Oh my God, I've been here for nine years. "

The album deals with the joys and sorrows that come with making such a big decision to leave your hometown.Sure, Butterss had a career here and she was the much-needed bassist for some of the greatest musicians on the planet, but her world was a world apart.It felt like the gap was getting bigger. "I thought a lot about the implications and weight of her decision. But as the years went by, she was like, 'Oh, I haven't met her family.'"

This, along with two tragic deaths of close friends, plays into the heartbreaking core of Activities.Its title alludes to many things, but perhaps none more important than the power of music when we are at our lowest.Music is always there, one of the few constants in a world that is moving in scary ways too quickly.But instrumental music was an outlet for Butterss to explore when words were too much or not enough.

"I'm a little scared to put myself into words, but I'm comfortable with the bass," says Butterss.

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12 "black vinyl. Includes DL code.

Colorfield Recordings:

"Anna Butterss' Activities was born out of a chance studio invitation, a one day session that slowly evolved into the encompassing, electro-acoustic opus she eventually crafted. Alongside her trusty co-producer and mixer, Pete Min of the label Colorfield Records, the bassist turned-songwriter recruited collaborators Josh Johnson, Ben Lumsdaine, and Christian Euman to flesh out her compositions. These songs, created through a process of improvisation, processing and layering are deeply personal to Butterss, a collection of reflections on life in a foreign country , grief, and family.

The array of instruments Butterss brings to the album is staggering in its own right. Though famous for her work on the bass with Aimee Mann, Phoebe Bridgers, Makaya McCraven, and more, on Activities, she plays upright and electric bass, guitar, piano , Rhodes, analog and digital synths, drums, drum programming, percussion, flute, and vocals.

The album's charm and power exists in the limitless scope Butterss explores. “Super Lucrative” rumbles with brooding synths that could fit into Radiohead's Kid A era, while “Blevins” is a gorgeous chamber jazz ode with arena-ready drums and descending scales of guitar lines that delicately weave between the instruments. avant-garde bass exercise of “Do Not Disturb” is perhaps the album's rawest track, a meditation on grief and loss, Butters' way of thinking through the loss of a friend.

Though Butterss only hit the studio after Min invited her to mess around for a day, she quickly realized she had many things she needed to say through music. The weight of her time in America, seemingly impossibly far from her friends and family in Australia, “In mid-2021, I had just hit nine years living in the United States and I have always found dates to be very important. I always remember them,” she explains. When that anniversary came around last year, I was just like, 'Oh my God, I've been here for nine years.'”

The album deals with the joy and pain that comes with such a monumental decision as leaving home. Sure, Butters made her career here, became an in-demand bass player for some of the best musicians on the planet, but her world was a world It felt like the gap was growing even bigger. “I was thinking a lot about the implications and the weight of that decision, that at the time when I decided to move, I was 21,” she says. t really thinking very far ahead, but as each year goes by, I think, 'Oh my gosh, I haven't seen my family.'”

This, alongside two tragic deaths of close friends, informs the mournful core of Activities, whose title alludes to a number of things, but perhaps none more important than the power of music during our lowest points. It is always there, and is one of the few constants in a world that is moving far too quickly in scary directions. But instrumental music has always been an outlet for Butters to explore when words were too much, or not nearly enough. with language,” Butterss explains, before adding, “...but on the bass, I feel at home.” "

Artist: Anna Butters

Label: Colorfield Recordings