Bad Bug are without a doubt
my favourite new band around, they’re creating a fun new sound whilst giving
off nothing but good vibes, their debut single Bad News is going to be the
soundtrack for the summer of ’18.
The 5 piece is made up of Immy Lamb (bass guitar), Georgia Murphy (guitar and backing vocals), Liz Mann (guitar and backing vocals), Rebecca Wren (drums) and Tom Bennett (lead vocals). They're based in Leeds and have
a garage, slacker pop sound with a light funk twist.
I first saw Bad Bug
alongside The Americas and Follow The Giant supporting Arcades in Leeds. I was
instantly hooked; their sound drew in the entire room straight away. You could
see everyone loosen up and begin to move. Since then I’ve been a huge fan, I
saw them on Friday night in Manchester and their performance was just as
incredible, if not better than the first time I saw them. They ooze confidence
on stage that engages the audience and invites you to dance with them. They’re
as fun to watch live as they are to listen to.
Their debut single Bad News
is a memorable track, when I was first sent the un-mastered demo after they had
been in the recording studio I instantly recognised the song as one of their strongest
tracks from their live performance. Immy’s bass is so compelling, it casts a
spell of funk on you and keeps you in a musical trance until the last note has
finishing ringing out.
Tom’s vocals are diverse
throughout the song which keeps you as a listener interested, constantly
intrigued by his voice. Vocally Bad Bug distantly remind me of The Velvet
Underground. Lyrically Bad News flows so well, much like Tom’s vocals, the
lyrics themselves are diverse. Their rhythm changing throughout the song, that
mirrors the instrumentation.
The chorus is catchy and the harmony of the
backing vocals adds something a little extra. The pitch difference in the male
and female voice creates a beautiful harmony not often seen, with all male
bands massively dominating the scene. Some of my favourite lyrics from the song
are ‘The lunatics escaped last night / they came to me, told me every single
thing is a lie / so honest and so broken’.
Instrumentally the drums and percussion are
heavily important in this track, the beat combined with the consistent tambourine
use are a big part about what creates Bad Bug’s distinctive sound. Meanwhile
the fuzzy reverb soaked leading guitar layered with the washy reverb rhythm
guitar create this intense yet simultaneously soft effect that float behind the
vocals and the drums. The main riff is so persistently smooth throughout the
song it’s as lovely to your ears as Tom’s melodic vocals.
They’ve released their debut track with a
groovy music video that features a lot of stars and dancing. Go and watch it to
see what Bad Bug are all about.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asR_hgeuERw
Review and live photography by Holly Beson-Tams.
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