Dave Baksh (born 26 July 1980)
also known by his stage name Dave Brownsound, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter best known as one of the guitarists of rock band
Sum 41. Baksh quit Sum 41 in 2006 (not counting a guest appearance on stage in 2008) to pursue his own career in his
heavy metal/
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
project
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
. He rejoined Sum 41 in 2015 and has released two subsequent studio albums with the band. He also plays guitar for
Organ Thieves
Organ Thieves is a southern rock, southern and soul music, soul-influenced experimental music, experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008. It has since become their mai ...
, with two of his fellow Brown Brigade members and the Canadian
deathpunk four-piece Black Cat Attack. In 2019, Baksh co-founded the merchandise company Loud & Immortal.
Early life
Baksh is a native of
Ajax, Ontario, along with fellow
Sum 41 bandmates
Jason McCaslin
Jason "Cone" McCaslin (born 3 September 1980) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, serving as the bassist and backing vocalist of the band Sum 41.
Early life
McCaslin began playing bass at the age of 14, as a member ...
and
Steve Jocz
Steve Jocz (born 23 July 1981) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the former drummer for the Canadian rock band Sum 41.
Early life
Jocz formed Sum 41 in 1996 alongside Deryck Whibley. Jocz graduated from Exeter High S ...
. His ancestry is
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese or Indian-Guyanese, are people of Indian origin who are Guyanese nationals tracing their ancestry to India and the wider subcontinent. They are the descendants of indentured servants and settlers who migrated from India beginnin ...
. In 2019 Baksh stated he was a fan of
English Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Newcastle United.
Career
Sum 41 (1998–2006; 2015–present)
Baksh joined Sum 41 as the third member in 1997, after
Deryck Whibley
Deryck Jason Whibley (born 21 March 1980), nicknamed Bizzy D, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, main songwriter, producer, founder and only ...
and
Steve Jocz
Steve Jocz (born 23 July 1981) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the former drummer for the Canadian rock band Sum 41.
Early life
Jocz formed Sum 41 in 1996 alongside Deryck Whibley. Jocz graduated from Exeter High S ...
formed the band in the summer of 1996. In addition to being the lead guitarist, Baksh also provided backing vocals. Baksh went by the name Pleasure in Sum 41's alter-ego band,
Pain for Pleasure
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason "Cone" McCas ...
. Baksh also goes by the names "Dave Brownsound" and "Hot Chocolate", playing off of his Indian heritage and
brown sound, the name Eddie Van Halen coined for his own guitar tone. He has stated his favorite Sum 41 songs are "Mr. Amsterdam," "Machine Gun," "Pain for Pleasure," and "The Bitter End", and his least favorite to play with the band is "
Pieces".
On July 23, 2015, Sum 41 played their comeback show at the
Alternative Press Music Awards
The Alternative Press Music Awards was an annual music awards show in the United States, founded by the music magazine '' Alternative Press''.
History
On April 24, 2014, '' Alternative Press'' announced they were organizing an award show to be ...
, which featured
DMC and Baksh himself as guests. On August 14, 2015, after rumors and speculation, it was announced that Baksh had officially returned to Sum 41, and would appear on the band's sixth studio album. The resulting album ''
13 Voices
''13 Voices'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41, released on October 7, 2016. It is the first Sum 41 album to be released through independent label Hopeless Records after the band fulfilled their contract with major label Isl ...
'' was released on October 7, 2016.
In 2019 during an interview with
Loudwire, Baksh confirmed that he regretted leaving the band after hearing the band's fifth album ''Screaming Bloody Murder''.
Brown Brigade (2006–2008)
On May 11, 2006, Baksh announced in a statement through his management company that he was leaving Sum 41 for personal reasons. He explained that he could not keep trying to express himself through guitar skills without being a pain to the band. During the post-''Chuck'' hiatus, he decided it was time to move on from Sum 41 and to focus on his side project
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
, his new band that he founded with his cousin Vaughn Lal and with which he currently plays lead guitar.
Brown Brigade's debut album ''
Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guita ...
'' was released September 18, 2007, in Canada and
Japan only and became critically successful, even though it was not released widely in the US and have not brought the band any outside attention, the band still continues to tour Canada in support of the album.
Baksh stated that the band is currently working on new and experimental songs to be released for free on the band's website. The new songs, unlike the band's traditional music, would feature varied music such as
punk rock,
funk and
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
and not
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
like the debut album.
In a show that took place on March 27, 2008, in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Baksh joined Sum 41 to play "Pain for Pleasure" at the end of the show. Some thought this was a hint of him returning to the band, however, Deryck Whibley said that Baksh's appearance was a one-off
cameo and that he would continue with Brown Brigade.
On September 12, 2008, Baksh announced on the Brown Brigade's
Myspace page that he would quit singing for the band, but would remain as the lead guitarist. The band was looking for a new lead singer to work on new material. On November 27, 2009, Baksh announced that due to his cousin
Vaughn Lal
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guita ...
's involvement in his business, they intended to keep
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
strictly a studio act, releasing single songs and collaborating in the studio with many different artists, with a small chance of playing live. Baksh's main focus will be
Organ Thieves
Organ Thieves is a southern rock, southern and soul music, soul-influenced experimental music, experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008. It has since become their mai ...
and Vaughn's main focus will be his new business.
Organ Thieves (2008–2015)
In mid-2008, Baksh started recording and producing his fellow
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
member
Chuck Coles
Chuck Coles (also known as Chuut Coles) (born 20 March 1980 in Oshawa, Ontario) is a Canadian musician. He was the guitarist for heavy metal band Brown Brigade and the lead singer, guitarist, and "band leader" for the band The Organ Thieves ...
' new project
Organ Thieves
Organ Thieves is a southern rock, southern and soul music, soul-influenced experimental music, experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008. It has since become their mai ...
. By November 2008, Coles has asked Baksh to join the band for a few live shows, resulting in Baksh joining as a full-time member. He recorded the band's first EP ''
God's Favorite Sons'' in January 2009. The EP was released for free on the band's Myspace page and was later released into physical copies in March 2009. On the same month, Baksh also joined Canadian
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
outfit
Blackjacket for a short UK tour.
In October 2009, Organ Thieves began pre-production for their first full-length studio album, with former longtime
Sum 41 producer/manager
Greig Nori
Greig Andrew Nori (born November 21, 1962) is a producer and musician from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and is well known as the frontman, co-lead vocalist and guitarist of the pop punk band Treble Charger. In the late 1990s, he began working as a ...
. Organ Thieves has since become Baksh's main focus as he intends to keep
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
strictly a studio act.
On April 24, 2012, their first full-length studio album, ''
Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves
''Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves'' is the first full-length studio album by Canadians, Canadian hard rock band Organ Thieves, released on April 24, 2012, through MapleMusic Recordings, through the Canada iTunes service, later followed by a ...
'', was released through
MapleMusic Recordings
Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include Gary Slaight ...
.
Equipment
He generally plays a
Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith (born February 18, 1956) is an American luthier and the founder and owner of PRS Guitars, a high-end guitar maker.
Early life
Smith graduated from Bowie High School in 1974. He also attended St. Mary's College of Maryland wh ...
McCarty Double Cut Solid body, but he also plays Paul Reed Smith Single Cuts and
Gibson Les Pauls and also a
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, whi ...
Studio (Alpine White). He uses
Dean Markley strings. For his pedals, he uses
MXR Effects, a
Digitech Whammy
The DigiTech Whammy is a pitch shifter pedal manufactured by DigiTech. It was the first widely used effects pedal that could do foot-controlled pitch shifting effects. The pedal emulates sounds that a guitarist normally makes using the vibrato ...
, and
Dunlop wah Pedals. He uses
Marshall Amplification.
Discography
With
Sum 41
* ''
Half Hour of Power
''Half Hour of Power'' is the debut extended play by Canadian rock band Sum 41. It was released on June 27, 2000 on Big Rig Records, a subsidiary of Island Records (United States), and Aquarius Records (Canada). The cover features the band's th ...
'' (2000)
* ''
All Killer No Filler
''All Killer No Filler'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41, released on May 8, 2001. It was certified platinum in the United States, Canada, and in the UK.
Despite mixed reviews, the album was a commercial success, peaking ...
'' (2001)
* ''
Does This Look Infected?'' (2002)
* ''
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
'' (2004)
* ''
13 Voices
''13 Voices'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41, released on October 7, 2016. It is the first Sum 41 album to be released through independent label Hopeless Records after the band fulfilled their contract with major label Isl ...
'' (2016)
* ''
Order in Decline'' (2019)
* ''Heaven and Hell'' (TBA)
With
Brown Brigade
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guit ...
* ''
Appetizer for Destruction
''Appetizer for Destruction'' is an EP released by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade in October 2006.
It was released before the release of their debut album, mainly to give fans a taste of the band's sound, while the band is working on th ...
'' (EP) (2006)
* ''
Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh. The band's final lineup was Baksh (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass guitar, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guita ...
'' (2007)
With
Organ Thieves
Organ Thieves is a southern rock, southern and soul music, soul-influenced experimental music, experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008. It has since become their mai ...
* ''
God's Favorite Sons'' (EP) (2009)
* ''
Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves
''Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves'' is the first full-length studio album by Canadians, Canadian hard rock band Organ Thieves, released on April 24, 2012, through MapleMusic Recordings, through the Canada iTunes service, later followed by a ...
'' (2012)
With Black Cat Attack
* ''Brightside of the Moon'' (EP) (2014)
* ''Edraculation'' (2016)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baksh, Dave
Brown Brigade members
Canadian musicians of Indian descent
Canadian people of Guyanese descent
Canadian people of Indian descent
Canadian punk rock guitarists
Indo-Guyanese people
Lead guitarists
Living people
People from Ajax, Ontario
Sum 41 members
1980 births