Branzino is bassist Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie, Blackstar), drummer JJ Johnson (Gary Clark Jr), and songwriter Jason Robert Blum (Glorietta). Tim and JJ also formed their incredible musical bond as the rhythm section of the Tedeschi Trucks band for many years.
During the pandemic, Branzino teamed up with producer / engineer, Jason Kingsland at Arlyn Studios in Austin and embarked on an album that is both nostalgic for 90's rock and roll and contemporary at the same time. Arlyn Studios & Antone’s Nightclub owner Will Bridges calls Blum's lyrical writing somewhere between Kurt Cobain and John Prine, while the music travels a rich landscape of time and space, both familiar and exploratory.
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From a serendipitous jam in Berlin to the sun-drenched plains of El Paso, Whose Hat is This? has woven a sonic tapestry fueled by improvisation, flavor and unhindered talent.
Their story begins, fittingly, with a question. JJ Johnson, the band’s enigmatic drummer, found himself staring at a ten gallon cowboy hat perched on a tom during a late-night jam session at Berlin’s A-trane. “Whose Hat is This?” he called out, the question becoming their moniker, an apt symbol for their embrace of the unplanned and the unexpected.
That night, two hours of untamed musical exploration unfolded, captured unknowingly on tape. The raw energy, the fearless interplay, it begged to be shared. Thus, their self- titled debut, a vinyl-only gem, was born.
KOKAYI was weaved into the fabric of their improvisations, leading to “Everything’s Ok,” a second live album recorded at Baltimore’s 8×10 club. With KOKAYI on board, the musical conversations came vocal as well, and the band’s East Coast tour cemented their reputation as pioneers of sonic spontaneity.
Ponyboy, their debut studio album, released in April 2024 on Heartcore Records is a snapshot of their current journey, a testament to the electrifying spark that ignites when musical minds collide without a map, an homage to the days when the innocence of not knowing birthed innovations and a passion for discovery.