Fuzz drenched 90s influenced noise pop rockers Bugs have recently dropped their stellar new EP titled Too Fast For Satan.
Solidly building momentum over the last six months, the band consisting of Connor Brooker and Brock Weston have scored national airplay on triple j for their last three singles and supporting local legends Hockey Dads on the QLD leg of their national tour.
To celebrate the release of their killer new EP, the guys behind Bugs have given us a track by track run down of the LP, which you can check out below (with an accompanying stream). If you like what you hear, be sure to visit the band’s Facebook page for more info on upcoming shows and releases.
Heal
The opening track of the EP ‘Heal’ is a high energy, heart break ballad. The lyrical content deals with the overwhelming emotions associated with separation, and the reluctant acceptance of moving past the pain of rejection. The song is still laced with a sense of resolution, hope and promise for tomorrow though, implying all is not lost with the closing line “but I’m starting to feel okay.”
We tried to emphasise the passionate nature of the theme with big half time changes, bundling sections and a relatable croak in the throat of the strained vocals. The guitar tones sweep from jangly to punk influenced throughout to add impact to the dynamic aspect of the production.
Tinnies
Second cab off the rank ‘Tinnies’ is an Aussie belter, inspired by many nights spent sinking (you guessed it) tins with mates. If you’ve ever hung a goon sack off a hills hoist then I think the bogan suburbia poetry of this one will speak to you, as it is meant to be a lighthearted take on the juvenile experiences of young adulthood and moving out of home.
To say this was written in with the intention of being a sing along tune is an understatement. The driving guitars and bouncy drums keep the track energetic and fun for the jumpy three minute yell fest.
Everything I Said
The whole EP is largely centred around personal experiences that are quite close to me, and also pretty raw. Processing the memories and pain into a relatable whole being was the intention of writing these songs and ‘Everything I Said’ is in my opinion one of the easier songs to draw personal parallels with. We are all guilty of making mistakes in the heat of the moment, but being defined by those bad choices is wrong. I was learning the lesson that nothing in life worth having comes easy whilst writing this song, something I think is a valuable experience in retrospect.
It is a broody, moody song and the melody dances from sad and soppy in the verses, to upbeat and melancholic in the chorus. We tried to leave a bit more space in the early parts of this song for little ambient guitars and percussion parts to make the first chorus a powerful slap in the face of positivity. A huge ray of sunshine bursting through the clouds.
Self Conscious
We had a lot of fun experimenting with tones on the track ‘Self Conscious’. Taking some influence from post-punk and grunge aspects of songwriting and production, we have really tried to find our own sound throughout the EP and feel this track is a good representation of the more mature side of songwriting we want to continue to show.
I drew from a lot of different memories and experiences throughout my life to verbalise the insecurity of growing up that everyone knows the challenge of overcoming. And we also wanted to have a track of more self involved substance amongst all the sunshine and rainbows of the other songs.
Best Friend
The final song on the EP ‘Best Friend’ was actually the first written out of them all, with the chirpy, present tense lyrics representing a different stage of my life. It is nice to look back on where this song was born out of and who i wrote it for. The cheesy reason it ever existed was to show my love for a girl, and listening to the lyrics now fill me with so much joy for all the happiness that time bought me.
It is a fast, Noise/Pop tune with buzzing guitars and lo-fi production elements used to create a wall of fuzz. The sunny harmonies used throughout the EP are one of the tying elements that all the songs share, and were largely due to this song being the first written.
