For Edmonton’s Bad Buddy, it was about time.
After nearly a decade of honing their Motown-inspired surf-punk into razor-sharp records and live shows, Bad Buddy took the show on the road this year. So far in 2025, they’ve completed a successful tour across Japan and featured prominently at multiple new music showcases in the UK. This September, they’ll be heading off to Germany for the Reeperbahn Festival.
“More than anything, it’s been super exciting,” says guitarist/vocalist Emily Bachynski. “We kind of set our sights on international touring awhile ago. It feels like we’re achieving our goals, all over the place.”
The wave of international success shouldn’t be surprising for those who’ve heard Bad Buddy before. Their self-titled 2020 debut effortlessly blended genres ranging from wartime boogie-woogie, golden-age R&B, and echoes of riot grrrl punk, all held together with poignant lyrics rooted in real-life inspiration. Although the global pandemic put a damper on touring, the album and its singles garnered multiple Artist of the Year nods and over 32,000 streams on Spotify.
2024’s Bad Buddy II further refined the formula, showcasing songwriters Emily Bachynski and Andi Vissia’s masterfully crafted pop songs complete with immaculate three-part harmonies, a tight-as-can-be rhythm section, and some of the catchiest surf guitar licks you’ll hear on a non-surf album.
So, how does it feel to take Bad Buddy’s barely-controlled chaos to new fans on distant shores?
“A lot of time changes, a lot of jet lag,” Bachynski says. “None of us realized it could be so bad.” Fair enough; Bad Buddy’s live show is an electrifying affair, with Bachynski, Vissia, bassist Chloe Yakymyshyn and drummer Geoffrey Hamdon-O’Brien putting out enough raw energy to power an Osaka city block for the evening. Bad Buddy brought that power to the stage every night during their 12-city romp through Japan, followed by more shows in the UK, including Brighton’s Great Escape Festival.
As far as surviving day-in and day-out, in Bachynski’s words, “adrenaline goes a long way in making things happen for you.” Beyond that, however, Bad Buddy is powered by real human-to-human connection, whether they find it at home in Alberta or abroad.
“It means a lot to have somebody show up to your show and bear witness to your existence,” Bachynski says. More than validation, though, it’s about contributing to a community; veterans of the Edmonton music scene, Bachynski and company know firsthand the mutual, collective support it takes to thrive as an artist. “It’s everybody helping each other up and uplifting each other as one big group of humanity,” she says, “as opposed to being like ‘I have to make it on my own,’ because you don’t and, honestly, you can’t.”
As they continue with their globetrotting 2025, Bad Buddy continues thriving through chaos and connection. Whether it’s Japan, the UK, Germany, or Alberta, the goal remains the same: show up, play hard, and leave with a few more friends than you had the night before.
Bad Buddy will hit the stage at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival’s Music Series at ATB Park on Friday, August 15 at 10pm. Learn more and view the whole schedule at fringetheatre.ca.
