corto.alto is a musical project formed in Glasgow by multi-instrumentalist and composer Liam Shortall. His debut album Bad With Names was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize "Album Of The Year" 2024, and he's been riding a wave of attention in the jazz world, but also through collabs with singers and rappers, his music has begun to cross over into other live music spheres.
Now you can pretty much catch Liam and the corto.alto band anywhere on the planet, especially in 2026, a year which has seen the group rip up the road with their signature high-tempo breakbeats and distinctively arranged modern jazz instrumentals.
Having been on tour for much of 2026 already, corto.alto also recently released the collab track “WHODIS” with Chicago-based rapper Mick Jenkins, which follows other collabs with French-Senegalese singer anaiis, and pianist/producer Moses Yoofee. I wanted to ask Liam about this new track, and how he prepares for his touring activities.
Here's our conversation. Follow Corto.Alto on Bandsintown and catch him live on tour in 2026.
Hypebot: Hey Liam, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. Congrats on “WHODIS,” that track is such a great combination of the jazz/breakbeat style you’re becoming known for, and what Mick does best in finding hidden grooves and flow. Tell me about this collab, how did it come about?
Liam: "Thank you, it was a really great opportunity to work with Mick on this track. Mick’s always been a dream collab for me, I’ve been listening to his music since 2016 when I was just getting into production."
We reached out to Mick at the start of the year, as I had a couple of demos in mind for him. None of them were feeling right so I wrote the beat for 'WHODIS' and it clicked."
H: How did this track come together with you living in separate locations?
L: "I’m based in Scotland and Mick’s based in Chicago so getting a session in would have been logistically challenging, so we decided to do everything remotely and just send stuff back and forth. Although saying that, there weren’t any revisions and everything Mick sent was great."
So this one came together way quicker than my usual tracks."
H: Do composers think about “voice leading” when collabing with a rapper versus a traditional singer?
L: "I don’t really think of it in those terms — I’m really trying not to intellectualize stuff too much when I’m making music. But thinking about it now, you’re right, working with rappers I’m always way more focussed on rhythmic ideas than harmonic and melodic. But for me I’m just tryna make music that I wish someone else made."
"I’m just tryna make music that I wish someone else made."
H: How do the arrangements change when you adapt them to the live stage?
L: "When I’m producing music I’m never really thinking ‘How are we gonna make this work live?’ I’m always confident that we’ll be able to figure it out later, no matter what challenges that might bring. But to answer your question, yes we add vamps and solos and we very much do come to it with a Jazz mindset, keeping things free and open so it’s different every show."
H: And in that vein, does it change whether you’re playing a jazz club versus a festival stage?
L: "In terms of how the music changes in different settings, I suppose it does. Live music is such a back and forth between the audience and the band. So if we’re in a more festival/big club setting maybe the show goes in a different direction to how it would in say a seated Jazz club."
H: What’s the toughest piece to play live with the touring ensemble?
L: "There’s nothing in the set that’s particularly harder than anything else. We’re touring all of the time so you get so used to playing everything and you get used to it. But I suppose the challenges come with being in the right mindset, making sure everyone in the band is engaged with what each other is playing, regardless of which track you happen to be playing at that moment."
H: What’s something you’ve learned about leadership by spending time on the road?
L: "Everyone I work with I’ve been long-time friends before I started this project. So the leadership thing is mostly making sure we’re organized enough to stop problems before they happen on the road."
H: Is touring hard on the body for you? What do you usually do to keep in shape or stay healthy?
L: "For me the hardest thing about touring is the lack of sleep, so I really try to prioritize that. If we have a few hours before or after soundcheck I’ll usually go back to the hotel to get some sleep in. Besides this it’s trying to be selective about which gigs you’re gonna party after, and making sure there’s no 4am flight the next day."
"There’s nothing else like connecting with people in a live setting."
H: Do you think touring is essential for artists today trying to build sustainable careers in music?
L: "Yeah definitely. It feels more important now than ever before. So much of the way people connect with music is online, but I believe real connection with your audiences happens in venues/festivals. There’s nothing else like connecting with people in a live setting."
It’s been pretty smooth-sailing for us so far. (Touch wood.) It’s always a really nice surprise going to festivals and meeting some of your favourite artists backstage."
H: On that note, who are some artists you’ve seen play live recently that have blown you away?
L: "We played at the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury last summer and Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso were on after us. They blew my mind. Also shout out to Hiatus Kaiyote and Moses Yoofee Trio, they’re always so incredible to watch live."
Aaaaaaalso I saw Geese in Idaho and they were sick."
H: What’s your favorite post-concert food to eat?
L: "Probably the second half of whatever I ate before soundcheck, microwaved up."
Corto.Alto 2026 Tour Dates
APR 25 — Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Germany @ Pop-Up Club "Die Sünde"
APR 26 — Cologne, Germany @ Stadtgarten
APR 27 — Berlin, Germany @ Gretchen
JUL 07 — Denver, CO @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Cervantes' Other Side
OCT 20 — Barcelona, Spain @ Piñata Barcelona
