Brass Band · Rock · Horns
The Hugs
Album 42 · Best Musicians Haizetara 2024
Groove · Brass Band
Album 42 · Best Musicians Haizetara 2024
Groove · Brass Band
Six trashers, brass on full blast, somewhere between Punk-Land and NOLA.
The Hugs (Hot Universal Groove Squad) bring something fresh to the brass scene. A bold six-piece brass band, lean and punchy, drawing as much from punk as from New Orleans. Trombone, tenor sax, trumpet, sousaphone, snare and bass drum: a line-up built for solos galore and raw, unfiltered groove.
Formed in late 2022 in southwest France under the name Universal Groove Squad (UGS), the band was brought together by Nicolas Benedetti, the project's instigator and composer, around fellow travellers met along the touring road. Two years on stage and some thirty shows across France have tightened the crew and sharpened a set of original compositions.
In 2024, The Hugs took home the Best Musicians prize at the Haizetara competition in Spain. Hot on its heels came their debut album, '42', released in late 2024 and celebrated with a release party in 2025. On stage and on record alike, the Groov' Squad owns a sound that is direct, generous and gloriously alive.
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