“They do a great job paying homage to legends while carving out their own slice of the pie as well.”
“The band can play their asses off...[their] self-titled album Zuffalo is quite exceptional.”
Zuffalo
“The charisma of the vocals, confident guitars, and a taut instrumentation unite to make for an effort that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners.”
- James McQuinstan, NeuFuture Magazine
One night in Toronto, when conversations of their favourite live bands led to dreams of being their own favourite live band, Zuffalo was born. The members of the band are students of music, teachers of music, and continue to learn from their own songwriting every day. They started as a back-up band for local blues musicians and started to have long improvised jams in rehearsal rooms in downtown Toronto. Soon, songs were formed, and their unique funky psychedelic rock sound was established.
Zuffalo’s music is guitar-driven, uplifting psychedelic rock with folk- and pop-based melodies and harmonies. With funky beats and monstrous riffs that can enter realms of blues and hard rock, their songs consist of instrumental sections where the musicians communicate with each other to create unique stories in sound. Soaked in rich harmonies, the lyrics are about love but are also laced with quirky metaphors, and often touch on subjects of science fiction and nature. Since the musicians are always reacting to the vibe in the room, this makes the Zuffalonian audience essential, and Zuffalo always aims to keep their audience groovin’ down.
Some highlights on the road include Kaslo Jazz Fest in BC with Mavis Staples, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Shakey Graves, Grateful Fest in Nelson Ledges in Ohio, and Evolve Festival in Moncton, New Brunswick with Rising Appalachia. The band released their debut album on June 15th, 2018, recorded live off the floor in a barn. They are currently working on a new EP to be released in Spring 2020, and soon after are headed back to the barn to record their second album.
Current and Past Members:
Mikey Vukovich - bass, vocals
Sean Steele - guitar, vocals
Kim Manning - keys, vocals
Drew Austin - drums
Adam Bernstein - drums
Eddie Max - drums, vocals
Eric Vanier - drums
