Interview: Bubbatrees

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
My family has always had a strong musical influence on me, my Dad and Uncle both play guitar and I was played a lot of different styles when I was younger. My uncle then gave me a guitar when I was about 10 which I began to teach myself and afterwards my mum got me a drum kit which I done the same with. I honestly don’t enjoy anything like I enjoy music so it’s hard to say what kind of thing I’d be doing, but I love the outdoors so I’d probably have a job working in nature.

What do you like to do when your not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
Being out in nature and going on long walks. I’m lucky enough to stay relatively near countryside areas with a lot of options to walk and get away from things. I also like going to the gym. I feel like both of these things create a positive feeling mentally and allow me to think clearly which in turn helps with creativity.

How long has your band been around?
Bubbatrees has been around since the end of 2016. We were still pretty infantile at that stage however. I have been playing in bands since 2011 when I was still in school.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
We are based in Glasgow but all of us come from the outskirts so not directly in the center. I think the way I write, especially lyrics, is influenced by my surroundings in the sense that they are usually quite introspective. I write almost exclusively in a shed in my back garden, and although Glasgow is relatively close I feel like when I’m home I am able to step back from the madness and look inwardly.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.
It is a very personal name to me. I used to call my grandad Bubba, and I was with a friend drinking one night not long after he had passed away. I was looking for a new band name as we had just recently started playing again and at the time we had been discussing a story involving my grandad and a tree. My friend suggested Bubbatrees and it stuck ever since.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.
The best show we have played so far would probably be headlining King Tuts summer nights. The worst show would be a gig we took on where there were definitely a few wires crossed in the organisation of it. It turned out to be a summer fair type thing with families and kids, it was outside a care home.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?
I always like playing at King Tuts, it has a great sound and good team of people behind it. I’d love to play a big festival or stadium like the hydro. I can always dream!

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?
The 1975, Third eye blind, Lil peep

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?
Think about where you want your music to go and really spend time working out how to get it there. And have fun at the same time.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
Not to rush things.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
Regression, it is the most personal song I’ve written to date.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
Daddy’s little evil is fun and probably gets requested the most. My favourite to play from the old songs is regression, but I have a lot of favourites from the new ones, such as Sweeter than water and Chaos 25.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
The majority of the time I write everything in my shed in the back garden and then show it to the guys, Cameron also writes this way for us. I get inspired by experiences, thoughts and philosophies or just hypothetical situations. It comes from a lot of places.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
Some songs are very personal and introspective so don’t necessarily have a message, but a theme I have followed with some songs is to do with the technological age we live in. I am a self confessed technophobe and I try to get the message across that we need to remember who we are as humans. I don’t like the way technology dictates our life and the message I put across is be weary of how much you absorb yourself in that way of life.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
Of course, that’s part of life no one agrees with each other all the time, but we talk things through and usually come to an understanding.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?
Lots of releases and gigs this year. Our next release is called ‘Living inside of me’ coming out on the 18th February. We also have a music video coming out with it so keep an eye out.