Based out of Houston, TX, The Shrubs are a brotherly duo signed to Blossom Records. The project creates introspective music that usually takes the form of Psychedelia, while also experimenting in other genres. Josh and Miguel front The Shrubs, and have been playing together off and on for their entire lives -- Josh on percussion and Miguel on everything else. Their songwriting is generally introspective and surrealistic, with a psychedelic flavor. They record and produce it all themselves in their own studio they designed, which is essential to their sound; they consider the studio to be just another instrument to help create their sounds.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello The Shrubs. What has been going on with you since our last interview?
Josh: Practicing/Recording.
Laura: Work, play, and recording new music.
Miguel: Well, our fanbase/listeners has grown quite a bit since then, so that's something...Like the others said we have been recording even more than usual lately.
When you are working through problems in your work, who do you talk to?
Josh: My bandmates and my wife.
Laura: My band mates and a few close friends.
Miguel: Not really anybody to be frank, I spend a lot of time working things out musically in my head before I really even attempt to start the recording/rehearsing process, so when something ends up not sounding as good as I thought it would, which is fairly often, we just take things in a different direction. I think our music as a whole is pretty introspective, so even though the end result is something that is shared with anyone who wants to listen, when I'm actually in the process of writing and working through them, well, it's almost at a stage that is a bit too personal to really share or talk about with someone who is a "outsider."
Your latest song is 'Summer Sun'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Josh: For me I was just playing to a click track trying to come up with a groove that happened to get recorded. Later on I find out that recording is what became the backbone for this song.
Laura: The vocals for Summer Sun were recorded in a new space. The vocals on this track were pretty straight forward and didn’t require too many takes before we got the sound we were looking for.
Miguel: I think it is a bit of an outlier compared to our usual work, the genesis of it really was Josh's drumming, there are certain songs that really just seem to write themselves, this was definitely one of them. It was also really fun to work with other musicians to flesh out the sound. I also think it may be our only fully acoustic song...at least the only one that immediately comes to mind.
When is your favorite time of day to create?
Josh: The time of day that allows me to play the drums loud. Depending on where I am that could be any time of day.
Laura: I like to create whenever I have quiet, alone time. This is usually early in the morning or late at night.
Miguel: When I'm awake? Lol! I'm not really sure it works like that...like I said I am always kinda working on something in my head, I have to actually try to not think about music usually, like if I wanted to watch or read something...it's kinda always there in the corners of my consciousness.
How do you define success as an artist?
Josh: Being heard and appreciated/related with by artists/listeners.
Laura: When I am able to explore my creativity and put all of myself into the music and someone else out there can listen and connect to those same emotions, it definitely feels like success.
Miguel: I think that really all of us are born as "artists." For example, nearly every child likes to draw up until a certain point..I think some people may have a certain predisposition to hang on to that desire to create longer than others, but we all have it. So I would define it as someone who never lost that ability to escape reality and can still get lost in the joy of creation. To me retaining and maintaining that "flow" of creative energy is success on a level that would be devastating if I somehow lost it.
How has your style changed over time?
Josh: Less blast beats more dynamics. Less all black clothing.
Laura: My singing style has changed from more technical and structured to a much more relaxed, emotive style.
Miguel: I would probably characterize it as being more focused now.
Does music help you in other areas of your life?
Josh: Yes, it is a driving force for living day to day.
Laura: Absolutely. Music helps makes me feel the beauty and magic in this world and is a refuge from the stress of every day life.
Miguel: Most definitely not! I spend so much time involved in some aspect of it that I pretty much neglect the rest of my life. I find myself never getting to the list of tasks I have planned each day because I spent all day recording/writing/rehearsing. It is exactly like a hard drug in almost every way, It's expensive, the lifestyle comes with annoying stigmas and the euphoria is often offset by disappointments! lol. At least it's a drug that other people can enjoy with you without doing it themselves....
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Josh: Practice more and focus on the goal, softly.
Laura: Stop caring about what others think and learn to say no.
Miguel: I really like who/where I am in life, so I wouldn't really want to interfere with that at all. If it's going to be like a "Christmas Carol'' or "Faust" type of scenario, where I am invisible to those around me, but with the ability to dispense advice if I chose, I would probably instead just randomly throw things at my past self when he was alone just to mess with him/me lol!
Does drinking help with creativity?
Josh: IF we are talking about water yes it does immensely. Hydration is key. Whoever is asking this question.. I think it’s an odd question and may be indicative of alcoholism or logic that would lead to that maybe (if this is related to alcoholic bevarages). The only time alcohol (if that is the angle coming into play here) has “done” or “helped” anything ifor me s maybe “take away” nerves.. but nerves are just good indicators that you are alive, present, and probably give a sh** about what you are doing. So I prefer not to drink especially when thinking critically/creatively. Dulls too much of the senses.
Laura: Not usually. My best music is made with a clear head.
Miguel: Hmm, well, if you want my honest opinion, I think in a vacuum, yes. If you can eliminate the negatives that come with nearly all mind altering substances, which we can't, there logically has to be some positives right? I personally do believe that the right substances can increase creativity exponentially, I don't think that The Shrubs would even sound as we do or maybe not even exist at all if it weren't for mind altering substances being involved at certain points in our lives...On the other hand, it could all be a placebo right? Even things as "benign" as sugar cause a slight physiological change..maybe instead of getting drunk we should have just had some cookies...lol! Nah, go get loaded lmao!!
What are your plans for the future? What are you preparing for your fans?
Josh: The plans are to keep writing and releasing music, and we currently we are preparing/working on new music. The end.
Laura: Working on new songs, as always!
Miguel: I personally would like to write "stranger" material...but we kinda just go where the muse leads us it seems. We are going to start to focus more on our YouTube channel, it has a certain immediacy that is appealing. In terms of getting something out to people faster, on a large scale, it is something we haven't really been paying attention to before, so that's exciting!