We’re thrilled that our latest interview is with Scots four-piece hailing from Glasgow, Bubbatrees. They’re a synth-led force to be reckoned with, so they’re an outfit worth getting to know.

RECORD WEEKLY’S INTERVIEW WITH BUBBATREES

Hi guys, how are you keeping?

Hey! We have all been keeping well, making music and chilling out, so couldn’t ask for more!

How have you fared in 2021 so far?

It’s been a slower start to the year than we are used to. This time last year, we had a string of gigs and other things lined up but, in all honesty, we’re continuing to enjoy the break and the time it has given us to work on new material. This is something that can be hard to fit in normally. It’s been going well!

That’s great to hear. Tell us, how did you form the band and settle on the name?

Myself (Andy), Kyle, and Martin have played in a few bands together since we were 16 (quite a while ago now!) and, in around 2015/16, I decided to start Bubbatrees as a solo project. The way things worked out, we all became involved and decided to really expand our sound, experimenting with more influences than we had in the past.

We started off playing acoustic open mic nights in local bars and eventually added Cammy in 2018. This meant we could build upon both our songwriting and live performances, headlining King Tut’s summer nights in 2019.

The name was a bit of a drunken creation, I was struggling to think of what to call this new solo project and, one night. I was sitting with a friend enjoying a few beverages, we started talking about my Grandad, who I called ‘Bubba’, and we got onto a story that involved him and a tree. My friend suggested I call the project Bubbatrees and I stuck with it ever since that night!

There are so many incredible bands hailing from Scotland. Who are your favourite local artists?

The Ninth Wave, Kamora, Acrylic (now Humour), and Zoe Graham, to name a few. There’s a lot of amazing talent about at the moment.

As we all know, 2020 didn’t go to plan. Across the industry, gigs and festivals were cancelled — how did this impact on your schedule?

We did have a lot of shows either postponed or cancelled completely, which is a shame. Like many other artists, we were looking forward to live performances, but I think that when this is over, the resurgence of live music will be so electric and alive. It will be a great experience to play again after all this waiting and it’ll be worth it, we can guarantee that!

If you could host your own fantasy festival, who would the three headliners be?

Miley Cyrus, Lil Peep, The 1975.

Talk us through your latest release…

Our latest release is a double single, which we decided to do because the subject matter of both songs we felt grouped well into the one release.

The first track, ‘Club Kids’, is about the New York Club Kids who were a group of creatives and eccentrics in New York in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, who totally embraced a hedonistic way of life. A lot were part of the LGBT community and, as the name suggests, they were common sights in New York clubs, hosting massive and extravagant parties.

One night, I was down the rabbit hole on YouTube and stumbled across a video by a guy called Nelson Sullivan, who was part of this group and was one of the first people to vlog his life on an old video camera. Eventually, I watched more and more and really liked the style and vibe of the whole scene, as it seemed so carefree and it looked like a time to be alive. I think the song really encapsulates that.

In contrast, our second track is ‘Millennial’. I wrote this as a lament to the way I feel things are in the world we live in today. In the Club Kids era, people seemed so free; nowadays, I think a lot of people are trapped by technology and social media, specifically the ‘millennial’ age group. This song has a darker and grittier edge to it, and maybe more of a futuristic or contemporary sound. The lyrics are more philosophical and I wanted to give the message ‘Don’t turn into a robot, don’t get sucked into the screen!’, to put it plainly.

The two songs are a contrast of different time eras, but I think they complement each other. Both also have a unique Bubbatrees sound but with a twist that’s unlike our previous releases.

While we’ve got you, can you tease anything else due out later in the year?

From our old material to our very new material, ‘Club Kids’ and ‘Millennial’ present the gap that will bridge a change in our sound from what people are maybe used to from Bubbatrees. We plan on releasing our debut album this year, which is something we have worked hard on since the first lockdown. We have around 11/12 songs and, right now, we’re working on final recordings, which is something we are very excited about.

Expect Bubbatrees but with a bit more of a pop influence in our new material. We don’t have a date set for releasing the album as of yet but it will definitely be out this year!

You can catch up with all the latest from Bubbatrees on their website and social accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. Their tracks are available on Spotify and other streaming services, and their upcoming single releases will be there from 26th February, too. You can also reach out to their management at Chilato Music here.