We Are Busy Bodies is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a five-day festival. This celebration coincides with the label’s 200th release: the third album by Saskatchewan ambient jazz group, Peace Flag Ensemble, set to be released in March 2025. The album, titled Everything Is Possible, is a fitting reflection of the label’s journey and achievements.
“We Are Busy Bodies has always been a labor of love,” says founder Eric Warner. “I’ve always believed that I could find an audience—whether a few hundred, a thousand, or more—that shares my passion for discovering new music.”
Established in 2005 by concert promoter Eric Warner, We Are Busy Bodies started as a way to release the final album of Warner’s own band. Over the past two decades, the label has grown substantially, releasing music from a wide range of artists including METZ, The Bug Club, and Kristen Roos. The label is also known for its extensive reissue projects, which explore global music genres such as South African and Japanese jazz, as well as early electronic music.
In addition to the main label, We Are Busy Bodies has launched several imprints including Record Record Label, dedicated to vinyl reissues of Canadian albums. Busy Buddies a children’s label already releasing music and set to begin publishing children’s books accompanied by music, and The Cylinder Project, a not-for-profit research initiative that focuses on preserving endangered languages using wax cylinder recordings as a medium.
The anniversary festival will run from March 25 to March 29, 2025, featuring five ticketed concerts and various other events. Highlights include reunion performances by The Elwins and Newfound Interest in Connecticut, as well as sets from The Bug Club (recent signees to Sub Pop), the debut performance of 10-piece soul band UWUW, and a live soundtrack accompaniment to the short films and animations of film pioneer Norman McLaren.
In addition to the festival, We Are Busy Bodies will host standalone anniversary events throughout 2025 and unveil a series of special releases and projects to mark the occasion.
Tickets are now on sale for the label’s anniversary events at the following link, with more events to be announced:
We Are Busy Bodies 20th Anniversary Festival:
March 25: The Bug Club w. No Frills @ Longboat Hall
March 26: Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren (Live) @ Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema
March 27: UWUW (Live 10-piece debut) w. Guests @ The Garrison
March 28: Newfound Interest in Connecticut w. Michael Scott Dawson & Colin Fisher @ The Garrison
March 29: The Elwins w. Vanity Mirror & Joe McLeod @ The Garrison
For more information, please contact hello@wearebusybodies.com.