History Uncle Father

Uncle Father is Lawrence Bathurst (vocals and drums) and Wilbur Q. Bufferson (guitars) two musician/songwriters who have created their own super group to rock you into a catatonic stupor. Huh? Stupor? What do you mean? Let’s put it this way, if you have ever woken up in someone else’s clothes not knowing what day it is, deep down, it is because of Uncle Father.

What type of music does Uncle Father play? If you could borrow their Sony Walkmans, you would hear bands like Ween, Deep Purple, Frank Zappa, Radiohead, Funkadelic, and the Meters. But at their core, Uncle Father is a rock n roll band. That’s right honeys, get your black jeans on and fly those lighters high!

Bathurst hails from a suburban community and made a modest living singing with a popular local wedding quintet. Being a drummer that sings, he also fronted a one-man Phil Collins solo act, Sussudiosis, mostly playing homes for the aged. In the mid 1990s, when DJs became the go-to choice for event music, Lawrence returned to the family business. But he soon found out that broadloom and upholstery was “…really meant for someone who gave a shit about that shit,” so he dumped the tack strip for a drum kit and began installing complex rhythms on analog tape with Bufferson. Just before his arrest for decent exposure, Bathurst explored his reggae roots in the short-lived, Downsview band, Dread Lox.

Bufferson followed an academic career, which culminated in a Doctorate degree in Rhinometrics — a new medical science combining plastic surgery, robots and crayons. He contends the industry has to catch up to his futuristic ideas, although he remains committed to “making a better nose than Mother Nature.” His early influences include blues legends Bobby Blue Bland, Blue Man Group and Blue Peter and international folk singer Nana Mouskouri. Like Bathurst, Bufferson also fronted a one-man act but instead focused on entertaining people at the other end of the age spectrum. Critically reclaimed Nickels and Dimes went on to sell over 17 albums worldwide. Spandex Magazine described his guitar playing as “like Steve Vai, but with only three fingers, tops.” Guns and Ammo music critic, Shrane Grizzells, recently remarked, “Make no mistake, his wall of guitars will hit you like an airbag.”

Over the years, these two quite attractive men compiled hours of demo recordings. Last year, they decided to assemble them and, essentially weaving gold from straw, recorded an album that will reintroduce the world to rock and roll music. What originally began as a humble, low-key project, quickly became a bold professional studio recording once word got out and friends jumped aboard. The self-titled album includes stellar musicians, Jamie Shields of the massively popular live house, dance music, jam band, The New Deal, and rock/pop artist, William Rottman, who recently returned to Toronto after over a decade in NYC as a solo artist and gun-for-hire session guitarist and vocalist.

Uncle Father live is best described as well-rehearsed unpredictability. Their fans come for the banter, but they stay for the music. Uncle Father is fierce rock n roll with a toothless smile. You are well advised to bring an extra belt because you will have trouble keeping your pants on.

They have a devoted fan base in Toronto, but their debut album is the first time the world at large is invited into the mind of Uncle Father. Come inside. Why?

Because Uncle Father loves you.

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