BADBADNOTGOOD’s name downplays the talent of this extraordinary instrumental trio. Bassist Chester Hansen and drummer Alexander Sowinski met at the Humber College jazz program in Toronto, in 2010; bonding over a love of hip-hop music, namely Odd Future and MF DOOM; and so BADBADNOTGOOD was created. Saxophonist Leland Whitty joined the band later in 2016 and to date, they’ve released five solo albums, with the most recent, Talk Memory, dropping in October 2021.

The love for MF DOOM ran so deep that in the early days of the band, drummer Sowinski would wear a pig mask whilst playing. After releasing a YouTube video, ‘The Odd Future Sessions Part 1 - A Jazz Tribute to Odd Future’, BBNG caught the attention of Tyler, The Creator.

Their self-titled debut album, released in 2011, featured covers of A Tribe Called Quest, Waka Flocka Flame and Odd Future. BBNG have collaborated with artists such as Ghostface Killah, Tyler, The Creator and MF DOOM; they are far from traditional jazz artists.

Despite being trained jazz musicians, BADBADNOTGOOD avoid referring to themselves as a jazz band, breaking free from conventions and creating something completely unique and authentic. Utilising their high skill jazz training as a base when writing and composing, they then take influences from other genres including: hip-hop, rock, electronic, soul and Brazilian music.

In June 2021, their track ‘Time Moves Slow’ went viral after being sampled on VANO 3000’s ‘Running Away’ during the TikTok Adult Swim trend. To date, the #adultswim has been viewed an unbelievable 10.6 billion times.

Just when you think you’ve got BADBADNOTGOOD figured out they catch you off guard. Their recent EP in collaboration with hardcore punk band Turnstile, reimagines three songs from Turnstile's 2021 album, Glow On. Their most recent vibey single ‘Sleeper’ was released on October 18, 2023, with Charlotte Day Wilson. We can’t wait to have them headline Cross The Tracks 2024, Bank Holiday Sunday 26th May, and we’re certain there will be more musical surprises in store.