Fight Song
Hot 8 Brass Band
Released: 23 Jan 2025
Label: Tru Thoughts
Grammy-winning Hot 8 Brass Band kick off the new year with Fight Song, a powerful anthem about standing up and speaking out, “We stand up for you, we speak up for you,” say the band. The track is featured on their upcoming album Big Tuba (out Friday, February 28th), which pays tribute to the late Bennie Pete, co-founder and sousaphone player.
Hot 8 Brass Band also recently released a live version of Fight Song, recorded at their second-line parade at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in 2023, which you can see on the Hot 8 YouTube channel
The song began with a bass line from trombonist Larry, which he was experimenting with in the studio. As the band jammed, the track evolved into an anthem for speaking out. “It’s always important to stand up for the right thing and keep pushing forward,” they add.
The album will feature the previous single and title track, Big Tuba, and their cover of the Bill Withers’ classic Ain’t No Sunshine, marking the band’s first new music since 2019 and paying tribute to the late Bennie Pete, co-founder and sousaphone player.The singles have already garnered significant attention, earning a spot on Craig Charles’ “Funkiest Releases of 2024” with a BBC 6 Music interview, recognition as KCRW’s “Top Tune of the Day,” Jazz FM’s ‘A’ List playlist and high praise from Asim Chaudhry (aka Chabuddy G) in The Guardian, where he described their track ‘Sexual Healing’ as “the song that gets me up in the morning.”
The album includes nine tracks on vinyl, with an additional track, Let’s Stay Together, available digitally. The release comes on 3-Colour A-Side/B-Side vinyl, along with a 12” poster insert and an exclusive 7” featuring covers of Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing” (Bossman Edit) and Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together, both making their vinyl debut.
The band will be touring the East Coast, Europe, the UK, and Ireland this year as part of the Big Tuba Tour, following a series of dates along the US West Coast. This tour builds on the success of their previous sold-out tours, including the Bossman Tour (2023), Mardi Gras (2020), and Take Cover (2019), which featured sold-out shows at venues like London’s Roundhouse and Brighton Dome.
