VIDEO: RI’s Joe Bruce Teams Up With French Musician on International Record

VIDEO: RI’s Joe Bruce Teams Up With French Musician on International Record

Emerging Rhode Island music star Joe Bruce has gone international. 

Bruce, who in 2021 launched his locally-produced tour de force “The Story of Jacob” video, is now getting airplay in France — and attention from around the world. 

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“This past week, my first international record is a collaboration with a French artist named “Bloom Bat” ( Baba Le Singe). The dude is so dope, played all the instruments and sang the first verse,’ said Bruce. “I’m grateful for his professionalism. The track ‘Red Light’ is registered with the French PRO and playing on the radio out there right now.”

GoLocal caught up with Bruce, and "Bloom Bat" himself — Baptiste Ugo — about the collaboration. 

 

Bruce on Ugo

“I’m not sure how found out about me, but on my music page, there’s an inbox I rarely look at, and I saw what was an old message from him about wanting to work together,” said Bruce, of first hearing from Ugo. “I said definitely let’s stay in touch. He had a timeframe he needed to get it done. Once I heard [Red Light] I loved it.”

Bruce talked about how the overseas — and online — partnership on “Red Light” then proceeded. 

“For my verse, he gave me a few guitar loops,” said Bruce. "He had already recorded his portion — the beginning and the end — I come in at the second verse, where it starts with ‘staring at the red light.’ What I’ve learned as a collaborator is it’s good to send someone the start of the track, and then if they can add value, you just do your part."

“He’s super talented,” Bruce said of Ugo. “The hope is I can go out there the next year and perform. I haven’t really traveled a lot.” 

On his Facebook page, Bruce talked recently about his change in musical direction. 

"People ask me why I stepped away from rap," said Bruce. "One of the reasons is the proximity to the fakest attention-seeking people in the world. I love making music, I do not enjoy rat races. The sacrifices have not been worth it. There are some features I did a while back that will be dropping soon and I hope you enjoy them. I just want to thank everyone who reaches out concerned, me and the fam are doing very well and I have [zero] regret."

 

Ugo on Bruce

“I had the first tracks [for Red Light] but I didn’t really know where to go or what to do,” Ugo told GoLocal about teaming up with Bruce. “I saw him on one of his music promotion pages, and said, wow, this is really good.”

Ugo -- "Bloom Bat" -- is an artist-composer from the south of France. His music is part of the alternative movement and borrows sounds from jazz, rock, bossa nova, folk and hip-hop.

So Ugo said he reached out to Bruce, and the two teamed up. 

“He’s very nice,” Ugo said of Bruce. “I feel that the person you hear through his music is who he really is.”

And while the track is getting airplay in France, Ugo said that its international reach has been even further. 

“Someone sent me a message that 'Red Light' was the favorite song of his girlfriend, and he asked could I send her a birthday message,” said Ugo. “They were in Poland.”

Like Bruce, Ugo is eager for the duo to meet up in person — and perform live. 

“I always imagined myself as someone to get to work with other artists, and international artists like Joe Bruce,” said Ugo. “I’m still growing my network. In the near future, it will happen. It’s exciting for different artists to work together.”