On Friday, April 24, Brandeis’ WBRS hosted SHEBAD for their annual spring concert. The Guelph, Ontario-based band played a setlist of 16 songs, a combination of their most recent album, “Music is the Answer,” their Extended Play “Inner Openings,” single “Inner Rise” and their upcoming album set to come out next spring. The band describes itself as an “indie soul, jazz, fusion, funk band” and is led by singer Claire Voy and instrumentalist Ciccio Spagnolo. The band also features Emil White on keys, sax, bass and vocals; Bella Tian on keys and vocals and Emmitt Leacock on drums. 

The first half of their setlist was jazzy and soulful before they transitioned into a more electronic, experimental vibe that their second album is going to encompass. On their Spotify page, the band cites influence and inspiration from artists like Stevie Wonder, Hiatus Kaiyote, Joni Mitchell, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk and Erykah Badu. They describe “Music is the Answer” as “explor[ing] music’s power as a life-affirming guide, [with] … 10 new tracks that reflect their dedication to their art.” Their first three songs of the night, “Learning to Un,” “Time Takes Time” and “Vernal Pool,” started the set off with calm, beautiful melodies that had students swaying along gently. Voy then introduced the song, “Terra,” as one of the first ones that she wrote alongside Spagnolo. The song is about losing your sense of home and finding it within yourself, which Voy said helps the band feel at home on the road. A similar theme is found in the song “Brother,” which is about chosen family. The musicians’ talent and prowess were evident in the sheer number of different instruments that each member played across the setlist. Apart from drums, bass, guitar and keys, the band also featured a synth, saxophone, maraca, bongos and a flute. Time signature changes in many of their songs made them each feel fresh and exciting, and the audience was full of energy to match the band onstage. 

In a post-show interview with lead singer Voy and keyboardist Tian, I learned a little more about the band’s history. Voy and Spagnolo started writing music together in 2019 after taking a music class together at the University of Guelph. Spagnolo, who played biweekly jazz shows at their campus cafe, the “Bullring,” followed Voy on Instagram, realized she was a singer and asked her to jam with him. A few months later, they wrote their first song together. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Voy and Spagnolo spent a lot of time writing and recording their music together. “As soon as we were able to play live, we gathered as many people as we possibly could,” Voy said. She continued, “We just want[ed] to play music with everyone.” The band originally had 10 members, but has slowly gotten smaller over the years. “We had members get big boy jobs and have to leave,” Voy shared. Despite the many changes the band has undergone, they are hopeful that their group will remain as is for the foreseeable future. All of the members have day jobs and make time for SHEBAD, but eventually want to play music full-time. 

This summer, SHEBAD will be playing at jazz festivals across Canada and then traveling down the East Coast from Saranac Lake, New York, all the way to Chattanooga, Tennessee, before looping back up towards Ontario. “It’s an amazing thing to be able to just meet people that you would never meet otherwise. … Music brings everything together,” said Voy. She also told me how excited she was for their next album, which she described as “dance-forward acid jazz.” When asked about the role that SHEBAD has played in her life, Voy said, “It’s really what made me choose music for my life. Like I just knew, within the first few years of playing in the band … [that] this is what I want to do forever. It just means so much to me.” She continued, “Music is so healing. It’s the most powerful tool for change and unification, and so it’s my mode of connecting with people in life. … It’s just the way.”

Tian, SHEBAD’s newest band member, shared a similar love for the band and their impact on her life, saying, “Ever since I joined, I feel like there’s been a huge boom in my life of creativity and love and new friendships … I feel like this project gave me a lot of direction in my career.” She continued, “I just didn’t really know where I was going until I got this opportunity and I joined this band … and it’s like I can see it and it’s amazing.” SHEBAD’s love for music and each other is evident in the cohesiveness and beauty of their sound. 

I also got the opportunity to interview Isi Bustos’28 WBRS’s music director and the mastermind behind this event. As music director, Bustos plans the fall and spring concerts alongside discovering and archiving new artists who send promotions for their music to WBRS. Bustos first joined WBRS in the fall of her freshman year. “It was always my dream to join a college radio … it’s so Pitch Perfect,” Bustos shared in an April 25 interview with The Justice. “I love music … [and] I like people that like music. I feel like it’s such a good way to connect with people. And I thought [WBRS] was the perfect thing for me.” Finding new artists and working for a label is something Bustos is interested in pursuing after college. 

She also elaborated on her process for planning this event, which began back in late December and early January. Bustos starts by looking for bands and artists that she feels Brandeis students would be interested in. She delves into their music and previous live performances before choosing her favorite artists, and then she emails labels and proposes the concert and date. After receiving a budget proposal, Bustos can do more work to figure out the logistics of the band’s performance. If the band is out of budget, she asks the label for their roster and can use it to check out other potential artists for the concert. The process involves months of communication with the band’s manager and the Department of Student Engagement to book the concert venue, pay for travel and food, and plan other essentials for the band’s arrival. In the last few weeks leading up to the concert, WBRS focuses on advertising and finalizing any last requests or details for the band. “It was plenty of work, but it’s definitely rewarding,” Bustos said. 

When asked about her thoughts on the event, Bustos said she was very happy with how it went. “The band was amazing. I think it was a perfect fit … they were super engaging with everyone [and] people were really loving it.” The event had a great turnout and was full of energy despite the cold as the sun set. She added, “Despite … being the person that organized the event, I think that the [WBRS] e-board is such a good team” and played a huge role in the success of the event. Bustos is going to be the music director for WBRS again next year and has already started to email labels for the fall semester’s concert.