With a notable string of hot anthems under their belt this past year, LA-based outfit Big Fun are back to their unusual ways as they drop the unconventionally brilliant single ‘Rubberband’.
Channelling the dexterous attitude of bands like Devo and Talking Heads, ‘Rubberhand’ is the loveably bonkers belter that needs to be heard to be believed. Jam-packed with vibrant aesthetics, shimmering textures, and foot-stomping hooks throughout, be prepared to be humming this one all day afterwards.
So with the new single doing the rounds right now, we sat them down to find out more about their influences and what inspired this new release.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) Hi guys, how are you today?
Big Fun) Heyy!! We are Rocking and Rolling to the Max today! Hope you're doing good too.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?
I’ve been using the blanket term ‘Rock’ lately, but it feels like a bit of a cop-out. We like to call our style ‘guttertech’ a phrase we came up with when we were formulating our sound back in 2017. But there are other good ones we fall under too like: Dance Punk, Surf Rock, Synth Rock, Experimental and stuff like that.
Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career in music?
Ahhh the first song we made was way back in 2nd grade (when we actually first met). We started jamming in Cody (the bassist’s) mom’s garage and recorded our first official demo in a church haha. Those tracks will probably surface one day (I hope) but that was the moment when we realized we were doing it for real.
And what was the first album you remember buying?
The first album I remember buying was the all time classic ‘Gorillaz-2001’
To this day I think it’s one of the greatest albums ever, I’m still inspired by the Gorillaz all the frikin time.
You have just released your new single ‘Rubberband’. Can you tell us how that track came about? Is there a story behind it?
Here’s the story behind how Rubberband was made:
I was at a friend's wedding and the song Suavemente by Elvis Crespo came on. I was blown away by how nasty and simple the bass line was. The groove seemed to circulate around this awesome simple 3 note bass line, and I knew I had to make a song that at least had a similar feeling.
The next day I was working as a valet in West LA and I was fiddling with a Rubberband wrapped around my wrist like a bracelet. Soon enough I started humming the words rubberband and the bassline appeared in my head. I had to put it in the phone voice memos and finally make it into a real song later.
And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?
I was trying to find that sweet spot behind the groove that Crespo himself had created and a nasty Dance-Punk feeling.
You are also set to release your new album ‘OOGLEY BOOGLEY’ later this year. Can you tell us what we can expect to hear on that?
Oogley Boogley is now officially out on all streaming platforms! I hope people look at Oogley Boogley as a step forward from the rougher edgier sound of our last album ‘Happy Scary’. It serves as the bridge between the raw sound that we started with and the newer more dance-centric sound we’re looking to create with albums to come.
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?
Oh yes Corona was no fun for anyone. But here in Southern California we actually have several shows booked this summer. We just played an amazing release show at our favourite venue in Costa Mesa on June 5th!
And finally, what is the best piece of advice you would give to others trying to create an album right now?
The most important thing I’ve learned after making these two albums is: put ALL of the emphasis on the things that come naturally to you. All of the things that happen randomly in practice, or in the spur of the moment are the things that truly represent you. Keep it as REAL as possible.