One thing that comes across clearly when talking to Nicky Bomba is his undeniable passion for creating and playing music.
Nicky was best known for drumming for the John Butler Trio, but since leaving on amicable and friendly terms, he has since had success with numerous other projects including Bomba, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and Bustamento. Having completed a record with Bustamento, 'Intercontinental Journal 7', Nicky is keen to hit the road and play some new tunes for audiences all over the country. “It's always great to take new songs on the road and share the babies, share the children with other people. All our songs are pretty danceable so it's always a physical workout. We do performances where people are kind of feeling happy and energised about music. We're just spreading the good vibes,” Nicky says.
Moving on from their last album, 'Intrepid Adventures Of The Lost Riddim Islands', Nicky explains: “Bustamento are all about the travelling ethos. The first album was us going to the Caribbean, paying homage to the old grooves and the old Calypso/ Mento Caribbean thing and with the new album it's like we've kind of gone on some world adventure. We're still wearing our tropical hearts on our sleeve but exploring new sounds and new grooves.”
The album also reflects the journey the band has been on since embarking on more international tours. “It's totally reflective of the real world situation where we toured Balta, the UK and Glastonbury and Canada. So it was kind of autobiographical, so we reflected that in the songs that we wrote for the new album.”
As a musician, Nicky is constantly fascinated with exploring the origins of the types of music that he plays. “That's where I draw my inspiration from with all my writing really. Roots music as a genre is a massive sound. There's so much ancient music that I haven't tapped into from ancient cultures with their own little twist. The more ancient music is the more there's a direct line to our emotions and the human psyche,” Nicky explains.Although the last album had a distinctly Caribbean flavour (which has certainly not been abandoned with 'Intercontinental Journal 7'), Bustamento were interested in expanding the horizons of their music. “With the new album, we've certainly tapped on the New Orleans vibe and jazz vibes and Middle Eastern stuff. We're exploring that musical journey. I think we're just scratching the surface, there's so many different places musically that we could have visited but these are things that came to me first with these songs.”
Nicky will be releasing 'Intercontinental Journal 7' on his own record label, Transmitter Records, as well as teaming up with ABC Music. “Having a label has always been a dream for me, not just having a label but having a working label that releases songs is another thing entirely. Self sufficiency has always been a big thing for me, that's why we have our own label so we can be in control of our own destiny,” states Nicky.
Working with many of the same musicians involved in his other projects – Bomba and Melbourne Ska Orchestra – Nicky is definitely not opposed to shaking things up and working with new people. “I think it's important to do both. It's a bit like when you've got a good soccer team and you know each other's plays and things come together quite quickly. There's also a language when you've been playing together for so long, maybe 20-odd years, there's a beautiful library of ideas to draw from and there's references you all kind of get. I also love working with new musicians to get inspired and get new energy.”
To avoid things getting stale, Nicky thinks it's important to push yourself as a musician and avoid complacency as much as possible. “We don't really let each other fall into the same traps of doing something just because it's easy. Keeping it challenging is what makes us enjoy the art in the first place, it makes us excited about writing new songs and doing new tours like this one.”
Although a decent amount of material is written before Bustamento enter the studio to record, Nicky believes in refining and reworking songs as much as possible. “Probably 50 to 70 percent of the songs were constructed but then we did a lot of jamming in the studio. With a band like that, you can. You can say, 'let's try this groove, turn it upside down and try other things,' because we know each other so well. Within ten minutes we know whether something is working or not and we can move on or develop it more. From a musician perspective and from a writing and recording perspective, that's fantastic. With Bustamento, it's like a well-oiled soccer team that's travelled the world and knows how to put on a performance and score goals. It's pleasurable, it's really good, all the musicians in the band are just magnificent and with this new album it still sounds fresh. Which is great, it means that there's a deep love for music and creating music,” says Nicky.
Bustamento's 'Intercontinental Journal 7' is out now.
Written by Peter Thrupp
Bustamento Tour Dates
Fri 27 March – Solbar (Sunshine Coast)Thurs 2 April – Soundlounge (Gold Coast)
Fri 10 April – Paddington Uniting Church (Sydney)
Fri 17 April – Williamstown RSL Club
Sat 18 April – Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh)
Thurs 23 April – Clancy's Fish Pub (Fremantle)
Fri 24 April – Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Sun 26 April – Clancy's Fish Pub (Dunsborough)
