Buster Shuffle: the outcome of musical inspiration
Jan 24 | Written By Sophia Wilkins
It’s not rare that a group of youths collectively come together to create a band, but sometimes there is spark which gives them the edge to establish a name for themselves-and Buster Shuffle have done just that. Formed in 2007, Buster Shuffle became a four-piece ska/punk/rock ‘n roll band within the area of South London. The group are dedicated to introducing high-energy tunes into the music world, with the aim that people will dance to and have fun with them. With Jet Baker on the piano, his lead vocals are exposed in the manner of authentic pub-music joy, the band’s energy springs into action from the first chord and guarantees a good performance, conducting an audience filled with passion.
Bassist Billy Wood explains that the inspiration for their tunes stems from a plethora of other genres and artists’ previous works. He has said that “obviously 2-Tone like Madness and the Specials, London pub rock such as Ian Dury, we all love Chas and Dave.” Although, the band have made it clear that they are all fan of punk music, with influences “from 1950’s rock ’n roll, to bands like Rancid.” It seems that all bands start off small, it is the impact of other artists which encourage young people to create something of their own to give back to the world of music, and really motivate them to distribute art with unique qualities.
The year of 2025 is looking bright for Buster Shuffle, they will be releasing their new album “Together” in March; this is due to be followed up by some huge shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and London in order to celebrate the launch over the months of March and April. The summer is also planned out, filled with big festival appearances in the UK and across Europe. Billy Wood has said there are other things to look forward to this year which are yet to be announced, “‘25 is going to be a blast!” The group have certainly made a splash in the depths of the music world, as they battled with Covid issues whilst recording their previous album “Go Steady”. However, as the restrictions unveiled, the band were thrown opportunities to support the likes of Madness and Neville Staple, they have simply been thriving in post-Covid times. The group have enjoyed seeing ska/punk bands having a new lease of life in the charts of the younger generations in the past few years; this fresh wave of upcoming ska bands have shifted their audiences to an extent, bringing in a higher ratio of young people into the scene.