John Butler Trio and Grand National

The band is currently in the throws of a four week promo tour through the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, here at home things are rolling along well with the album set up which sees ‘Good Excuse’ their second single from ‘Grand National’ to radio week commencing March 12.

Late last year, ‘Funky Tonight’, the first offering from ‘Grand National’, was well embraced by radio around the country entering the national airplay chart as the number two most added single in the week of it’s release to radio (pipped at the post by international heavy weights U2). The single debuted at number 15 on the combined singles ARIA chart and number 12 on the hard singles chart, achieving the band’s highest single debut to date. After only a couple of months in the marketplace it took out the number 12 spot in the Triple J Hottest 100 in January this year. ‘Funky Tonight’ is close to achieving gold accreditation and sits at number 28 on the ARIA singles chart and at number one on the national AIR singles charts.

‘Grand National’ is grand in name and nature and global in themes and vision. Legendary producer Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Beck, Jack Johnson) joined John and the band to co-produce and engineer ‘Grand National’, the first album John has recorded in full with fellow trio members Shannon Birchall (bass) and Michael Barker (drums and percussion). ‘Grand National’ sees a myriad of guests join the band including Money Mark on keys, percussionist Ray Pereira, jazz pianist Jex Saarelaht, soul singers Vika and Linda Bull, trad jazz band the Hoodangers, as well as Nicky Bomba and Michael Caruana. The thirteen new songs capture a diverse and broadened approach with varied topics and sounds delivering surprising new points of entry for newcomers, as well as inviting a legion of established fans deeper into John Butler’s worldly vision.

Of the new album, John Butler said, 

"It's moving more towards a universal kind of music. The whole thing, the way I look at the world, the way I see myself, the way I see the band, it's all becoming a bit more worldly and encompassing rather than being too specific. After the last ten or twelve years of doing what I do, my outlook is more open, so the palette opens as well, stylistically speaking, sound-wise, songwriting-wise. That's the direction I see the band going. More open. Always."

The John Butler Trio will tour ‘Grand National’ in the near future, in the meantime, fans can catch the band performing at the following Festivals:

Saturday March 31 - West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Perth WA -www.sunsetevents.com.au

Saturday April 7 – The Great Escape, Sydney NSW - www.thegreatescape.net.au

Sunday April 8 – The East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Byron Bay, NSW - www.bluesfest.com.au