Bloomington duo begins tour

After releasing its latest album “A Long Goodbye” in April, Bloomington band Busman’s Holiday says farewell to Bloomington as it starts its biggest tour.
The band is made up of Bloomington brothers Lewis and Addison Rogers.
The trip begins today in Columbus, Ohio, and includes stops in Washington, D.C., Athens, Ga., and Minneapolis before wrapping up June 2 in Toronto.
“It will be a totally different experience, but it will be exciting,” said Lewis, who sings and plays guitar.
The second half of the tour will pair Busman’s Holiday with Kishi Bashi.
Both bands are on Joyful Noise Recordings, an Indianapolis-based record label that began in Bloomington.
Lewis met Kishi Bashi frontman Kaoru Ishibashi on a previous tour.
Ishibashi, who has toured previously with Of Montreal and Regina Spektor, asked Lewis if he knew anyone from a label.
Lewis said he did and helped deliver Ishibashi’s demo to Joyful Noise.
“That flourished, and now we’re touring with him,” Lewis said. “We’ll be on a tour bus for the first time, and we’re playing bigger shows, so it’s nice to do that.”
Though Lewis said he hasn’t been on a tour this size, Addison, a drummer and singer, previously toured with Swedish musician Jens Lekman.
Lewis said Addison got a taste of a bigger tour with Lekman.
“A Long Goodbye” took the duo four years to complete before releasing it April 1.
Lewis said the latest album involved him bringing songs he had started writing to his brother.
“Addison finishes songs,” Lewis said. “He helps me get through them sometimes.”
Lewis said he likes the feeling of releasing an album and seeing what it becomes once it’s out in the world.
“It’s nice that it has its own life, and it lives with people,” he said. “You don’t get that sharing element of music if you haven’t released an album in a while.”
Even though Lewis has been a part of other projects, such as the local band Sleeping Bag, he has played with Busman’s Holiday since he was 15 years old, and he said his band with his brother has always been the one he feels most passionately about.
“Addison and I see eye to eye on a lot of things,” he said. “That has a lot to do with being brothers.”
Overall, Lewis said they’re looking to have a good time on this tour. He and Addison will head back to the studio in September to begin working on a new album.
He said he’s trying to sustain the band and make a career out of it, and it seems to be happening slowly but surely.
“We’ll do it until we can’t play anymore,” Lewis said. “We’re in it for the long haul.”