Steve Hensby Band
Mista Twista
Independent
The Steve Hensby Band have been hard at work and are really making a statement with their new single Mista Twista. The centre piece of the local eight-piece band’s upcoming album #3, Modern Music For Modern People, it follows the story of the band’s peculiar Mista Twista character and his interactions in the world in 2020 through their familiar bouncy and danceable music (horn section included).
The band describes the character as “a quirky man who enjoys the quiet life working in his barber shop and has brilliant stories to tell of his adventures and travels.” Hensby himself takes the frontman role and opens the video with the statement in character, and questionable accent: “There has been many hairdressers in my time but none have been quite so energetic and charismatic as Mista Twista.”
The track begins to introduce the character in just this way by taking us on a walk through a day in the life of Mista Twista. Partnered with a charming 1920s themed video (check it out below), it is busy featuring all eight band members – top hats, bow ties and all – in a collation of interchanging old-time styled film.
Minus the brilliant madness of the video the track itself is musically fantastic. The healthy-sized horn section and multiple musical elements ensure it is bursting with a combination of cabaret, jazz, funk and particularly circus-inspired sounds. Its fun nature and narrative aspect makes it hard to dislike – and an interesting concept to reel us in for the new album.
ANYA HARRIS
