Bassett are a culturally diverse and nomadic duo comprising multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Josh Bassett and bassist Taz Ozaki. Their search for identity, peace, and creative release led them to the Californian desert, whose vast landscapes served as inspiration for their newest EP and video of the same name, ‘Ghost Hwy’.
The pair came from different worlds but they found each other – Josh grew up in New Jersey, then pursued music in Miami and San Francisco, before finally settling in Los Angeles, where he began to develop his singing and songwriting style while working as a session musician. He crossed paths with Tak, whose story couldn’t have been more different: he grew up in Kobe, Japan, then spent time in Dublin, Ireland, where he played music and learned English. Eventually however he too was led to Los Angeles, and his musical kindred spirit, Josh.
Bassett have spent most of their time as a band on the road, performing in ever corner of the US, with their travels providing them limitless inspiration for their songs. It was a trip to Joshua Tree and the area around the California outpost which however provided the most fuel for their creativity: revealing itself in introspective, trance-like music, with an organic and vibrant sound, which blends the power and edge of rock, with an experimental mesh of moods, colours and textures. It’s a world away from Bassett’s debut, the Led Zeppelin-esque rock of ‘Vanishing’.
The video for ‘Ghost Hwy’, accompanied by beautiful acoustic guitar, sees Josh wanting to get away from the concrete jungle of Los Angeles which surrounds him on all sides. He gets a call from Tak, who sets off on foot towards the desolate Bombay Beach, at Salton Sea, a shallow saline lake on the San Andreas Fault. Josh in his vintage Mustang finds Tak and the pair continue on their quest for inner truth – this time together.
Gorgeous filming locations: the Highway 101 in California conveys Josh’s desire to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life; and the long deserted Carcineria (a Mexican butcher) in the township of Salton Sea provide rich and glorious contrasts. The beautiful scenery of the mountains around the Joshua Tree National Park area, and the starkly stunning salt lake provide a fitting backdrop to the duo’s quest for meaning.
Bassett’s EP, ‘Ghost Hwy’, is out on November 18. You can pre-order it from iTunes, Amazon, and find it on Apple Music. The single for ‘Ghost Hwy’ is available here.
Find out more about Bassett on their Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and their official website.
