Bassel and the Supernaturals

About Bassel and the Supernaturals

Bassel Al-Madani’s sophomore effort, Submerged, was released in June 2010 at Used Kids Records in Columbus, Ohio. His first full-length album led to an array of interviews, write ups, and shows within the Midwest and Northeast regions. Shortly after the conclusion of his first four-week tour, Bassel was invited to perform at the Pelotonia opening ceremony with The Counting Crows & Augustana in the bike ride to end cancer.

Since his relocation to Chicago in the fall of 2010, Bassel’s style has taken on a fresh flavor combining his taste for indie-folk (Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens) and 60’s era soul music (Otis Redding, Al Green, The Temptations). His Chicago ensemble, Bassel & The Supernaturals, released an acoustic EP on January 7, 2012 at Subterranean. They are now recording a full band EP at Hinge Studios in Chicago, which will be released in the summer of 2012. The production will be supported with regional tour dates (Midwest & East Coast) that will extend through the end of the year.

Bassel grew up in Kent, OH. With extensive family in the Middle East and his childhood based in Ohio, his artistic influences varied quite drastically.

While spending his earliest years performing as a percussionist and violinist, Al-Madani began songwriting in 2003. His early ideas were inspired largely by the likes of Ben Gibbard, Mike Kinsella, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, and a multitude of notable indie rock & folk acts. After the completion of his full-length album (2010), his pallet adapted towards classic soul artists such as Al Green, Otis Redding, and The Temptations. His ideas have thus developed into an interesting hybrid that is best experienced in any live dynamic, where Bassel seems to feel as comfortable on stage as he does in his own living room.