Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards are running and old-fashioned bottle drive; a true grassroots method of financing grassroots music.

Fredericton, New Brunswick, November 15^th, 2009: Proud if its old-school method of making music, Fredericton based Blues/Rock band Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards are turning back the clock to finance a dream trip to Mississippi. The band is mobilizing new and old fans across the country in an old-fashioned bottle drive so it can record with two-time Grammy nominated Cody Dickinson. 

With more than $5,500 raised so far, fans and friends of the band are connecting one-on-one as they pick up empties from willing donors. For Neilsen, the fundraiser is about more than just money, it speaks to the kind of music he writes and plays. “Blues was born out of social gatherings.  I don’t think it was ever designed to be a big bank roll money maker.  It’s more of a kitchen or front porch kind of vibe.”

With people picking up bottles in locations from Moncton to Edmonton, Neilsen says response to the ‘Bastards Bottle Drive’ has been fantastic.  “People were e-mailing and calling, both people we knew and people we didn’t know as well.  The awesome part is we made a bunch of new fans and met some really cool folks.”

Nearly halfway to the goal of $12,000, the two-time East Coast Music Awards Nominee and two-time CBC Rising Star Award Winner plans to record the new album in Mississippi in January. The studio was built by the late Jim Dickinson specifically to record three piece bands live off the floor, as opposed to recording each track individually.  Neilsen says the result is an organic rootsy sound that stays true to the soul of the Blues.

Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards are currently on a national tour, their third this year. 

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About Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards:  With more than 80,000 kilometres and hundreds of shows in three national tours this year, Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards eat, sleep and breathe the blues.  Recently nominated for the Maple Blues Award for New Artist/Group of the Year, Neilsen is known for his soulful writing, growling vocal and pounding rhythm.  Whether you catch them at an intimate nightclub or a big festival tent, Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin’ Bastards will take you on an intense musical ride, blending traditional blues with heart pounding rhythm.  The music is honest and true, born out of real life and made for real people.