The Shrubs: an interview
When one thinks of Houston, it is easy to picture a city whose music scene is vast and difficult to define. Enter The Shrubs, a Texas-based lo-fi rock outfit that draws inspiration from the ‘50s and ‘60s and reshapes it into a distinctive strain of modern psychedelia that sits far outside the commercial mainstream. We spoke to the duo to find out how they do it.
UpToHear: Your psychedelic-tinged sound is what ultimately drew us in. How did you arrive on this particular flavor of indie?
The Shrubs: Well, I think like most musicians, we are an amalgamation of our influences… I think in particular, bands like Slowdive and The Raveonettes had an influence on some of the production aspects of what we are currently doing. I really love the atmosphere of Lust Lust Lust. I think our spin on that brand of “reverb drenched dream pop” is rooted in more of an obtuse and somewhat thinly veiled melancholia than The Raveonettes though… for better or worse!
UpToHear: It’s definitely for the better, as far as we’re concerned. How has being Houston-based influenced your sound?
The Shrubs: I’m not sure if Houston itself has really influenced our sound at all… I think the only advantage to being here is the absence of a specific indie “scene,” say like what has existed in the past in Seattle, Minneapolis, or even Athens, Georgia with R.E.M. and Flat Duo Jets… since that has never really existed here, I think it encourages the creation of original artists, sounds, etc. since there is no clear “path to success” so to speak, you don’t fall into the imitation trap. There is the downside of a lack of support and infrastructure for emerging artists, but to me it seems like a fair trade off. Houston reminds me of those mountainous countries where every valley has an entirely different culture, traditions and languages than the ones adjacent to it that you see in anthropological films, lots of isolation here artistically.
UpToHear: Does the Texas musical landscape have plenty of room for psychedelic indie rock?
The Shrubs: There is a lot of room in Texas, as a whole, for indie-psych rock to thrive… The Butthole Surfers and The Black Angels are pretty well known for sure! I mean, it WAS practically invented here by the 13th Floor Elevators out of Austin (lol)! I think Houston itself has only really produced Arcade Fire in the indie genre…The Suburbs was literally about growing up here in Houston.
UpToHear: We came here to learn about The Shrubs, but we’re getting our degree in Texas indie! We totally vibe with your deliberate lo-fi, not “radio friendly” production and your decision to primarily utilize analogue gear. There’s not really a question here; we simply want to acknowledge and applaud your desire to steer clear of digital bells and whistles.
The Shrubs: Well, thank you! Personally, I like the color and tone vintage gear gives to audio; there is a certain unpredictable element to recording onto tape also that I find really appealing and somewhat addictive.
UpToHear: Agreed. Whether it’s the warmth of nostalgia or just the smell of PET and magnetic particles, we truly cannot get enough of it!
The Shrubs: What you put into it isn’t always how it's going to sound coming out. It does take a lot of patience to work with, at least for me! Lots of trial and error. The lo-fi nature of it was a deliberate choice for sure, and it’s honestly what I like to hear aesthetically, I find music that sounds somewhat “damaged” much more interesting and engaging, especially compared to “pristine” production styles.
UpToHear: Yeah, we’re fans of it because it shows proof that the music was made by actual human beings. You also make use of gear that other musicians have thrown away? What is your favorite of these and can it be heard somewhere within the latest single, “Let Us In?”
The Shrubs: My favourite would probably have to be my Hurdy-Gurdy! I have used it on a few songs, but not “Let Us In” (lol). I think the world in general has thrown the Hurdy-Gurdy away! The acoustic guitar that you can hear throughout “Let Us In” was an old Seagull acoustic from the early ’90s. It had been sitting in its case in a garage for a few decades! It’s a long story, but when I inquired about it, the original owner just gave it to me!
UpToHear: Does the release of “Let Us In” indicate that there is a new LP on the way?
The Shrubs: There is one coming actually! It has been very slow-going though, we have lots of material and ideas to explore, but the downside of predominantly working in analog is a slower work-flow, which forces you to make “hard” choices, if that makes sense. We are shooting for the end of the year though, we’ll see!
UpToHear: Stay tuned for more information on The Shrubs’ future LP, but be sure to check out “Let Us In” in the meantime, available now via Blossom Records. You can connect with the duo here: Spotify | AppleMusic | Facebook | Instagram