Brassroots District releases new single “Aim High” ahead of debut album

After a year that saw them tear up a record contract on stage, make headlines in Jet, and bring parking lots to a boil from Crenshaw to the Strip, Brassroots District is back with a new single, a full-length album on the way, and an album release residency at Jewel’s Catch One this February and March, 1974

Their latest single, “Aim High,” out today via For The People Records, pulses with searing horns, thumping bass, and an infectious groove. Delivered with the playful call-and-response vocals of co-leads Ursa Major and Copper Jones, it’s a dance floor sermon for anyone who’s ever been told to stay in their lane. “Take a risk. Bet on yourself. Leave your cares behind,” says Major. “And get your ass on the floor.”

The track is the fifth release from the District’s long-awaited debut album Brassroots District, which drops January 29th via newly formed For The People Records, founded by Ursa’s brother Gil Williams. The album includes the fan-favorite single “Together,” which has been climbing the charts on KTNQ and KHJ with its message of unity across race, religion, and rhythm. The release marks a new chapter for the band and the label alike - a DIY family operation, built on vision, values, and volume.



Formed in mid-1972 after a chance meeting on the streets of New Orleans, Brassroots District began when Ursa Major invited a then-unknown Copper Jones to sit in with her band, Ursa Major and the Constellations, during a gig at Preservation Hall. A van breakdown in Joshua Tree turned into a month of music, soul-searching, and desert romance - and the band was born under the stars.

Since then, the group has become a fixture of LA’s underground funk scene, selling out shows from Crenshaw to the Sunset Strip. Their 9-piece lineup is a multiracial, multigender ensemble with a message - and a movement - to match. Comparisons to Sly and the Family Stone are common, but ultimately misguided: Brassroots District has a soul and a sound all their own.

It’s been a year since the band opened the parking lot tailgate for Sly & the Family Stone’s concert at the Fabulous Orbit Arena, where they famously turned down a deal from Epic Records. The label had been courting Brassroots for months, but only under the condition that they cut Ursa Major from the lineup. Instead, Copper Jones ripped up the contract on stage in front of a sold-out crowd, triggering an explosive confrontation between Epic execs and manager Nancy Parker that LA Weekly later dubbed “the Funky Flameout.”

Now, the band is doubling down - on each other, on the music, and on the dream. The full album arrives January 29th. The release residency hits Jewel’s Catch One on this coming February and March, 1974. And with “Aim High,” the District invites you back where it all started: the floor.