BASSET Paint A Landscape Of Change In New Single “At My Feet”
Acoustic songwriters Sam Clark and Yasmine Shelton, who make up the folk duo Basset, often look out the window of their Toronto basement apartment, dreaming about returning to parts of the world they’ve fallen in love with. And it’s their appreciation for the natural world and its intersection with city life that can be heard in the freedom of their new single “At My Feet.”
The newest single from their album, In The Clay, is a meditative display that takes inspiration from Clark and Shelton’s travels around Northern Ontario, the Canadian and American prairies, and their lives in the bustling city of Toronto. Through their flawless harmonies and soft acoustic melodies, “At My Feet” explores the fears of a world holding on by a thread.
“We weren’t even planning to release it because it was so new, but that song felt like a release, an exhale of something we’ve been holding onto for years,” says Bassett of their latest single. “There was a freedom in that song that we had never been able to give to a performance before that moment.”
According to Basset, the freedom and rawness of “At My Feet” was a product of last-minute decision-making when they had a few hours left of recording the album. The song was only a few weeks old, and after previewing it to the production team, everyone knew it had to go on the album.
“We made a quick chart for the bass player and recorded it all live right off the floor with just guitar, bass, and vocals. It quickly became one of our favourite songs on the album.”
Songs that were captured for the album In The Clay, produced by Joshua Van Tassel, explore themes of change and the natural world that came to the forefront of their minds as Clark and Shelton transitioned from a life of academia into their passion for music. Basset’s true inventiveness comes from their vocal harmonies that create a unique partnership described as twin flames wrapped around each other in a warm fire.
Watch the video for “At My Feet” below, and learn more about Basset via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We are an acoustic folk group from Toronto, and we just released our debut album, In the Clay, a raw, meditative exploration of grit, rest, and the force of nature. We use a lot of close harmonies in our songwriting and have drawn comparisons with The Milk Carton Kids, Hozier, and Bon Iver.
What’s it like being a musician in Toronto?
It’s total chaos, and we dearly love it. One of our favourite things is that you never know where the next show will be and who you’ll be playing with. You could play a folk listening room one night, open for an R&B artist the next, and play with a Polish party band the next!
How did you two meet, and where did writing and performing music come into it?
We met while studying at the University of Toronto, and both happened to play the same open mic night on campus. We became friends over the next year until I (Sam) got offered a gig and needed a lead singer. I thought Yas was way too cool for us, so I never thought she’d say yes, and the gig didn’t go that well, so again I was sure she was going to just up and leave. But here we are!
Who was the first artist to knock you out?
Queen. One of our first big bonding moments was standing outside a store that was pumping Queen out into the street and realizing we both had a very deep connection to all of their music. That music is just so daring and authentic. They took risks in a way that invited people in, which we want to do more of as we move forward.
What’s the one album by a Canadian artist that everyone should have in their collection?
Wolastoqiyik Lintywakonawa by Jeremy Dutcher. We caught him at the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year, and he’s got to be one of the most exciting artists in Canada right now. He uses these old recordings made on wax cylinders as part of his music in the most beautiful and stirring ways.