Indie-pop quartet Humble Braggers return with their vibrant new EP Cycle, out on August 31st (2018) via Admirable Traits.
An uplifting collection fuelled by a dynamic energy, Cycle is propelled by driving beats and the soaring vocals of front man Tom Burtless. Inspired by bad decisions and the regret that follows having too much fun, lead single Reckless is an anthemic dance-floor hit, filled with funky basslines and sparkling synth-driven hooks that’ll have you up and moving to its ‘80s-reminiscent vivacity in no time. From the whirring hooks and sweeping vocals of ‘Am I Okay’ and the shimmering electro-pop tinge of ‘Moon’, to the colourful soundscapes of title track ‘Cycle’, the EP is filled with infectious anthems. The perfect accompaniment to long summer nights spent with friends, it interweaves an eclectic fusion of sounds with a sparkling energy akin to the likes of Empire Of The Sun or Passion Pit.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Humble Braggers about the latest project, motivations, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with music and links below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Tom Burtless: I think the band has taken on a few different forms, stylistically, since it started in 2013 but coming from a history of making rock music as a teenager I wanted to delve into incorporating pop and electronic elements into the music I was writing. I wanted to challenge myself to write music the likes of which I hadn’t attempted growing up and because of that it’s grown into a collection of my proudest work.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
Tom Burtless: The band has been around since 2013 when I released a solo EP, ‘Safe Haven’ on my own. But we’ve all been playing music since we were teenagers in various bands.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
Tom Burtless: The influences for this range from Daft Punk, Tears For Fears and Radiohead to M83, Foals, Wild Nothing…the list is pretty long at this point, and this is just mine. I think all four of us have a lot of different musical influences that we bring to the table that help make this newest release so unique. I think a genuine love for creating music and for having fun with what we make keeps us going.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Tom Burtless: I think this project stems from wanting to follow a voice or sound I hadn’t really pursued much in my teens or early 20s. It’s been about pushing myself to write music outside of my comfort level, either lyrically or sonically. I think though its been the most rewarding project I’ve been a part of.
What was the last song you listened to?
Tom Stoklosa: Me and Michael, MGMT. Extremely catchy song, and typical to MGMT, stellar production.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Bryan Zells: I have the best listening experience with vinyl. I won’t make the argument that it necessarily sounds “better,” but it is the ritual of removing a record from the sleeve, aiming it to the spindle, hearing the needle drop, and noticing the cracks here and there, having to flip the record; it requires a bit more attention than the other mediums, and I tend to delve deeper into the music as a result.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Bryan Zells: Frankly, I don’t think any of the streaming services have my preference yet. They all do a few things really well, but I don’t love any of them. On a day-to-day basis, I use Tidal largely because of what it stands for; they aim to be on the side of the artist, it’s artist owned, it pays generally higher royalties per stream (however small they might be), and who doesn’t love a good underdog? I’d love to see a more interactive experience via streaming that includes lyrics, all of the album artwork, as well as gapless playback– it drives me just a tad bit nuts when an album is meant to play seamlessly (think Dark Side of the Moon, etc.), and there’s the 1.5 seconds of silence between songs when streaming.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Tom Burtless: I think convincing people that there are bands they might like right in their own backyard still proves to be the hardest thing. I think there’s an unfortunate presumption of what a local music is and it’s not just a bunch of guys playing run of the mill rock songs. But with the support of our local scene and our local music blog, Buffablog, we’ve been able to reach a lot of listeners in our area. I think it’s great so much music is out there (digitally) but if you want to cut through the abundance of great music that exists you have to work harder, write better songs and be honest with what you’re putting out.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
Matt Chavanne: We’ve been on a few regional “tours”, we play a decent amount in Buffalo (our hometown). Never live streamed. I don’t imagine that we’d be ones to do something like that.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Bryan Zells: We are on Instagram, Twitter (Tom B. does great work managing this account), Facebook, Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Tinder, all of the rest…. I’d say the TInder account is where I’d go to connect on a more personal and entertaining level.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Matt Chavanne: Quantize the midi!
