| Bass Drum of Death | |
| Origin: | Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 2007–present |
| Label: | Fat Possum Records, Muscle Beach Records, Innovative Leisure, Because |
| Current Members: |
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| Past Members: |
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| Alias: | John Barrett's Bass Drum of Death |
Bass Drum of Death is an American garage punk band from Oxford, Mississippi, United States, currently signed to Fat Possum Records.
The band's frontman, John Barrett, formed Bass Drum of Death in 2008 as a one-man-band, playing both his bass drum and guitar. The band's members are from Oxford, Mississippi, and they played in Oxford to its booming music scene for years (mainly 2008-2013) before John decided to move to New York City. The touring band consists of two guitarists and a drummer. Barrett recorded their first two albums by himself. Their debut LP, GB City, was released on April 12, 2011 by Fat Possum Records.[1] Inflated Records also distributed the vinyl edition. In April 2011, Bass Drum of Death performed live on Fuel TV with MellowHype, of OFWGKTA, playing the song "64". Their song, "Get Found", has been aired on Triple J, an Australian alternative music radio station and the group played the station's 2012 New Beginning's Festival.[2] In addition, Bass Drum of Death has performed at the Rock en Seine Festival in France.
From the time of their inception, Bass Drum of Death has toured the United States and Europe extensively. In August 2014, the band performed in Brazil for the first time.
In early 2013, the band was signed to Innovative Leisure Records. In two consecutive years, they released two full-length albums. On June 25, 2013, they released an eponymous album and, on October 7, 2014, they released Rip This, which featured drummer Len Clark as a new collaborative band member.
In May 2015, John Barrett announced through the band's social media accounts, that Bass Drum of Death would be going on a hiatus citing "personal issues", canceling their scheduled summer tour of Europe in the process. On September 5, 2015, the band returned playing the Made in America festival in Philadelphia, which was also seen on a webcast.
On November 3, 2017, Barrett, announced on Twitter that he had finished their fourth album and was released in 2018 as Just Business.[3] The group followed that album with a 7-inch single, "Too Cold to Hold" / "Wait", released on Muscle Beach Records. It featured Bass Drum of Death founder and frontman John Barrett collaborating with his younger brother, Jim Barrett. The pair started writing songs in Brooklyn in early 2020 and finished recording in Oxford, Mississippi during the COVID-19 lockdown. The band also readied a full-length album.
On September 14, 2022, the band announced their fifth studio album Say I Won't, along with the release of the single "Say Your Prayers". The album marked the band's return to Fat Possum Records and was released on January 27, 2023. A second single, "Find It" was released on October 19, 2022. In 2024, the band released a live album entitled "Live... and Let Die". It was released on June 8, having been recorded in Chicago in April 2023.