Burt Hussell Shares 'Wicked Wagu' From Tim Lefrebvre-Produced 'High Desert' LP

In March, the Dallas, Texas-based multi-instrumentalist and singer Burt Hussell announced his forthcoming, debut album High Desert, due for self-release on June 16, 2023, and since then, has shared “Silver Surfer,” the album's title-track and “Home.”

Today, Hussel is thrilled to share a new song from the upcoming LP, called “Wicked Wagu,” an exhilarating, funky instrumental, accompanied by a hilarious music video featuring an alien grooving to the song.

The album was produced by Tim Lefrebvre (David Bowie, The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks Band), who also plays on the album. Sonically, the LP features a grab bag of loop-based funk and psychedelic synth rock, tinged with comedic elements.

Speaking on “Wicked Wagu,” Hussell, (neé Marek Stanislaw Kafel) said, “This song was the only song that I had prepared in advance of recording. During the pandemic, my wife had found out that you could order Fogo de Chão meats to grill at home. I was smoking and grilling all this tasty ass wagyu steak.

Big fing tomahawk cuts and ribeyes, Naturally, I would post that s on the gram and Tim’s like “Damn, I bet that’s tasty!” So I was like, “Bruh, wait till we get to the ranch. I’m filling the Yeti with meat!” So, I started to lay down these tracks, then Monty, our studio tech, went and made this big ass fire out of pecan wood in the hacienda courtyard at the studio.”

Marek goes on, “It was cold as s, so we were going back and forth from the studio to the fire. I would take a turn on something, then Tim would add something, all while we got this fire super hot. The track uses a lot of subs and a lot of the Eventide H9.

I was using my bass more as a synth by the time the song was done. We seared these epic wagyu ribeyes on a cast iron, right on the fire and the pecan smoke. It was like 11:30 at night and we were having this epic grill n chill, and the tune kinda encapsulated that vibe for me. When I listen to it I can almost smell the pecan.”

Burt Hussell is a multi-instrumentalist based out of Dallas, Texas, and is getting ready to release his first full length studio album, High Desert. Recorded in the secluded studio complex Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas and produced by legendary bassist Tim Lefebvre, the album is a full on exploration into what a bass guitar can really do. The album is essentially a by-product of an epic “grill ‘n chill” that Burt and Tim always planned on throwing.

“We had a lot of fing badass gear to set up, In a super badass studio with one of the most badass bassist in the world. I was kinda like how the f did I get here?!” The team almost instantly got to work. “We had like a 30 minute head scratching session on how we were gonna do this but once we got the formula down the music wouldn’t stop. From the first notes we all kinda knew what to do, it was like an epic battle but with basses instead of swords.”

Photo Credit: Daven Martinez