Busby Marou (pronounced buz-bee ma-roo) are an Australian musical duo consisting of Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou, from Rockhampton, Queensland. At the APRA Music Awards of 2012, the duo won "Blues & Roots Work of the Year" category for their single "Biding My Time", and they have gone on to win several other awards.
Background
In 2007, Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou met in Rockhampton. Jeremy is of Torres Strait Islander heritage, and both performers come from musical families.[1] With similar musical interests, the two combined to perform and write music under the name Busby Marou.
Career
Busby Marou's debut EP, The Blue Road, was recorded at Pete Murray's personal studios in Byron Bay and produced by Anthony Lycenko who had worked with artists such as Murray, David Bowie and Shifter.[2][3] The EP had a limited release. Busby Marou supported Pete Murray during the Toowoomba leg of his 2008 Australian Tour.[4]
In 2009 saw the duo as one of five successful applicants for "Breakthrough" – A Federal Government initiative supporting emerging indigenous contemporary musicians. The award assisted in the production of the band's debut, self-titled album, which was released in August 2010.[5][6][7]
In September 2010 at the Deadly Awards 2010 Busby Marou won the award for "Most Promising New Talent".[8]
Late in 2010, Busby Marou featured on the He Will Have His Way – Finn Brothers Tribute Album.[9] The album went Gold within a month of release. Their contribution was a cover of "Better Be Home Soon".[10] On 12 February 2011, Busby Marou performed at the Rugby League All Stars match at the Gold Coast.[citation needed]
In 2011, Busby Marou were signed to Warner Music Australia's indie imprint, Footstomp Records, and in June 2011, re-released their debut, self-titled album.[citation needed]
In October 2013, Busby Marou released their second studio album, Farewell Fitzroy which debuted at number 5 on the ARIA charts. In May and June 2014, the duo supported James Blunt for the Australian leg of his Moon Landing World Tour. In October 2014, "Days of Gold" became their first charting single, debuting at 82.[citation needed]
2019, saw Busby Marou release album The Great Divide. The album featured ambient sounds and traditional music recorded by the duo when they visited Mer Island in the Torres Strait Island region. While there they listed to stories from the community regarding the impacts of climate change on the area and how it's affecting Torres Strait Islanders.[11]
In March 2023, Busby Marou announced the forthcoming release of Blood Red.[13] The album was their fifth studio album, and was released in July 2023.[14][15]
Influences and views
Their musical influences include elements of Crowded House, Elvis Presley, Pearl Jam and Willie Nelson.[2] Busby has said that Paul Kelly and John Farnham provided him with inspiration, while Marou says that his love for music stems from his Torres Strait Islander culture, in which "everyone's self-taught and there's three, four, five-piece harmonies everywhere you go". The music of the islands has also played a big part in the development of Busby Marou's style.[16]
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Busby Marou have been nominated for three awards.
The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004.
The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.[69]
^"2012 Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ ab"Blues & Roots Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
^"Full List of Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
^"Blues & Roots Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.