BTTRFLY Quintet Is Denver's Newest Supergroup

Many memorable bands have formed from collaborations between musicians who'd already solidified their status in other acts, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Them Crooked Vultures, Oysterhead, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Journey, and Foo Fighters, to name just a few. And in a music community as tight-knit as Denver's, it's only natural that a new, local supergroup would pop up: BTTRFLY Quintet.

The five all-stars in the group are Grammy-nominated drummer Adam Deitch and Grammy-winning trumpeter Benny Bloom, both from Lettuce; Pretty Lights and Break Science collaborator Borahm Lee; Break Science bassist Hunter Roberts; and Big Gigantic producer and saxophonist Dominic Lalli. After releasing two singles, the band is playing a show for its debut album, Coast, at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox on November 4.

While it may mark the album's debut, this isn't the band's first show. As pandemic regulations eased, BTTRFLY Quintet debuted at Cervantes' when it welcomed back live music. "Scott Morrill, who owns Cervantes', is literally our best friend; he's the biggest proponent of us," Bloom says. "They opened up for music with the freakin' thirty feet along the stage that you couldn't be near, and it was weird. It was sit-down tables with pizza fucking service at Cervantes', which is amazing. We played the first gig, and we had everyone raging, and we kept on doing those gigs. I think we did about four to five gigs, and we started to get our sound together. Those gigs are so much fun. ... We've just gotten more dialed in with the original music and trying to find the sound."

And not only were the musicians finding a sound, they were also finding a name. "We were the No Name Band when we played at Cervantes'," Bloom recalls, and laughs. "It was so hilarious. Coming up with a band name is hard, and at one point, like idiots, we were like, 'Well, how about Mile High Five?' And Deitch was like, 'No.' I think I almost got fired for that suggestion."

Eventually Deitch suggested a name that won approval — after another member suggested dropping the vowels in "butterfly," to "make it hip," Deitch jokes.

BTTRFLY Quintet came together naturally, with each member yearning to create something new and fresh outside of regular touring projects. They can't pinpoint exactly when they joined up, or whose idea it was, but once they started playing together, they knew they had something special. "I remember I was playing a shit ton with Borahm; we were doing his livestreams. And Dom had just been chilling; he wasn't doing really anything. I think we just all decided to get together, and then with our friend Hunter," Bloom recalls. "We all have played together for years; we've all sat in with Big Gigantic."

Even when they were playing without a name, the musicians had an idea about the sound they wanted to capture. They had their first rehearsal at Deitch's house, and each member brought different ideas and compositions to try; with their longstanding friendships, unique skill sets and experience working with each other, the sonics flowed perfectly into an energetic blend of funk, soul, jazz and electronic. "It's so hard to even say what the sound is," Bloom says, "but that's really how it started: at Cervantes' and at that rehearsal at Deitch's."

"Everybody has a strong skill set as far as composing in what they bring to the table," says Deitch. "Benny, for one, brings a lot of New Orleans, a lot of straight-ahead jazz background, more than anyone else. And Dom also is a great writer and producer and mixer and all that stuff. He actually did some mixing on the record and some of the mastering. And Borahm, obviously, has years of production experience, and people haven't really heard him play like this yet. I'm really excited for people to hear him in this context and to really hear what he could do on the keyboard. ... Everybody brings something unique that brings us to where we're at sonically."

The result is a mix of all the best parts of the members' respective bands, rendered into euphoric, funky and danceable tunes that swing you straight out of the pandemic blues. While many bands released more morose and reflective records coming out of the pandemic, Coast looks to a bright future.

Bloom says that it's enjoyable to play music that's different from what they're usually grinding out with their other acts, and to focus on innovating new sonics that inspire even more forward momentum for the quintet.

"We all play dance music for a living, essentially," he says. "So it's nice to get a moment to still have that element in the music, but — I don't use the term 'jazz' — more open types of improvising, and just keep getting to express yourself in a different way, without having to play high-energy music all the time. You can still have the high energy without having to be just doing dance tempo, you know? We're professionals at bringing that element into it, but we also get to bring some more R&B, neo-soul, swing, modern harmonies."

According to Bloom, though, the best part of starting an entirely new project is the freedom. "We have no idea where it's gonna go, and I think that's so cool. There are no rules; we just want to express ourselves, which we obviously do with our other bands," he says. "But in this way, there's just no pre-existing conditions. It's like, just get out there and do what you do and express yourself. And the fact that we have an audience for this — I'm so lucky and happy."

With plenty of original music, BTTRFLY Quintet is ready to share its new album at Ophelia's, a place where the members are particularly excited to perform. "We think it's one of the coolest venues in town, for the layout, the sound, the vibe," Bloom says. "It's really reopened into a great place. We feel very at home there, and it's gonna be fucking awesome. I'm super-stoked."

Denver is filled with fans of the members' other bands, so the turnout is sure to be as enthusiastic as it was when BTTRFLY Quintet played Meow Wolf in February. Because the members have their own touring acts as well, they say that BTTRFLY Quintet concerts will always be special affairs, happening only a handful of times each year. "We don't want to fizzle out, though," Bloom clarifies. "We want to keep our music on the minds of the people in Colorado. We do well here; we have a great fan base here. We just want to give our fans who see us in our regular groups [the opportunity to] see us in this context, and see us bring the joy that we have to the stage."

They all have busy lives: Deitch, for example, not only recorded the quintet's album, but he's been a part of at least eight albums for other projects this year, including Lettuce's new album.

With everything going on with their other projects, Deitch and Bloom can't pinpoint exactly when they began recording Coast, but they say they're completely satisfied with it. "It was definitely at least six months ago, I could safely say," Bloom adds. "And then it was mastered. Everything happened pretty much around the same time. [BTTRFLY Quintet] is still really new for us, because we have so many other projects we do. It's not like we forget about it or anything, but it keeps it really fresh for us. We haven't played since the Meow Wolf performance, if I recall."

And the members continue to encourage new, outside work. "They're super-supportive of everything that we do," says Deitch. "It's one giant family. And we're just kind of creating a new little thing, and at least these are the Denver homies right here."

"It's a beautiful thing," Bloom adds.

And soon it could get more beautiful. Bloom and Deitch say they hope to incorporate visual art into the band's future shows: Bassist Roberts is also a skilled painter, and created the Coast album art.

They're amped up to be releasing their debut album, and to start thinking about what could come next.

"There are so many things you can do with this band," Bloom says. "I think the sky's the limit."

BTTRFLY Quintet, 8 p.m., Friday, November 4, Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th Street. Tickets are $33.