Shifting gears conceptually for another compelling deep-dive into the human experience, songwriter and producer Bad Bubble recently launched the new album All My Friends – exploring a different chapter to the usual Underscore series.
The collection turns with fearless conviction and honesty towards the pain and weight of isolation and loneliness. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking, heartbreaking and often all-consuming listen, and quite possibly his most captivating work to date.
We caught an interview with BB to dig into the project a little more. Here’s how it went.
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Hi BB – it’s been a fair while, congrats for the new album All My Friends – breathtaking, to say the least. How have you been in the run up to this release?
Thank you!! It’s awesome to be back!
I’m pretty good. It’s been busy. Really busy but that’s what we want. I’ve not been busy in this business and I’ll choose to be busy any day of the week!
I’ve been posting a lot of unreleased stuff in my down time on Instagram, YouTube, and a little on Twitter. Songs that have no home. I can either let them rot on a disc forever or get them out there. And since I could care less about algorithms, I’ve been releasing them like crazy.
What was your intention with this album, and where in the story that we’ve been engaged in for so long do these songs fit?
Good Question. Let’s start with intention. As much as I don’t like saying the phrase, “to bring attention to”, I suppose it does apply.
“Millions of people are in a similar situation I am in. I have been living completely alone for almost 10 years. I have no friends or family to speak of. My mom and dad are still around, and we speak from time to time. But that’s about it.”
It’s such a long story how I ended up this way. A horror show of events gripped me years back. I don’t know if I handled it well. Some probably could have done a better job, and I probably did a better job than some. But in the end, here I am.
After my daughter passed, I had a bad year to say the least. We’ll get into that next album. But as a result, I pushed everyone away. Friends are now long gone. I have a couple of friends but they’re in far away states and it has been so long, I doubt they would recognize me.
“Being alone for that long does weird things to your head. Each and every single day for coming real close to a decade…with no one to talk to. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
As in most books (at least ones I’ve read) there are at times shifts in time line. The fastest way to explain Bad Bubble is that the first two albums and EP’s (all releases) are about me. The third and fourth (EP’s and all releases) are Underscore.
Album 5, All My Friends, picks up where album 2, Socks Off left off, which was the beginning of my isolation roughly 10 years ago. Trying to stay positive at the time, I had the mindset I was about to enter a ‘fun” time in my life. I was “free” and could do whatever I wanted. I was wrong. I was terribly wrong. All My Friends is the reality of being alone.
I am speaking solely of myself here. Some people love living alone. Some people thrive. I am not one of those people. From my perspective, there has been no glamour or romanticism with living completely alone. All My Friends is my realization of the failure to adapt to my surroundings in this life. This is the heart of All My Friends.
Where in the journey did Regnant Pule arrive – there’s so much emotion and stillness that it quickly captivates. What was your process here?
Regnant Pule is one of my favorite LP intros. I’m very torn on which I enjoy hearing the most. Regnant Pule sounds like a realization. When I hear it, I always think of arrival. When you get somewhere and it is much different than expected. It is also very climactic. The entire song structure is not set up for the average 8 second attention span.
“By the way, what in the world is wrong with our attention spans? This is a new development. Never in history have they been that of a goldfish.”
This is also my number one enemy as an artist. Bad Bubble is not set up to grab you at the beginning. A lot of my videos have quotes at the beginning that surpass the 8 second mark, but I digress.
Regnant Pule is a process. It is a sensation which gradually leads to a climax. It is not a “quickie” which (only God knows why) your average music connoisseur seems to want more of. Which puts me at a great disadvantage.
However, like 99% of my music and videos, if you choose to stay with me, I’ll hook you up! I usually put my song climaxes ½-⅓ of the way through. So I do everything in my power to take you for a ride. And I just hope the scenic route I made to the destination is adequate enough. That is what I worry about a lot. However, Regnant Pule does nicely encapsulate this process. Which is why I wrote it specifically for this album. At this point in the story, this is where the climax would happen. More or less…
Then we move into Alone, a stunning track – perhaps one of your very best. How did you come to write this, why the more vulnerable clarity on the voice, and how difficult did you find it to write something so pure and painful?
As is with most of my songs, I had no idea this was going to be as well received as it is. I say this because at the time of this interview, it has been released for roughly 48 hours. I wasn’t going to go with this one. I gave copies of All My Friends to a selected group of artists to view. I asked one thing…Which song grabbed them. For most, it was People at the Table. I had expected that.
Artists have a different view than a lot of listeners. But there is a difference between “your favorite track” and “the track that will do the best as an album flag”. I had originally wanted Stumbled Recently to carry the flag. I wanted that more than anything. That is a very special track and possibly my favorite song of every song I have written. I absolutely love that track and am overjoyed to finally release it. But again, there is a big difference between “fav” and “which one will grab the most people”.
As to the content of Alone, I ask the question to God or to the Creator, whichever label you wish to give, or to the Void itself, how much am I to carry? When is this going to break? How much until I finally lose my mind?
It also mentions Underscore. Very few songs on this album reflect Underscore. This is the most self reflective of all the albums. I am in my own head during All My Friends. A very dangerous place if there is no one there to pull you out. Alone is the end result of being “left to your own devices”.
Again, it is not a place to glorify. It’s sad. And millions of people are going through it and it is painful to think about. It is heartbreaking to think that people we know and see everyday are going through it. And we don’t even know it.
You quote Neil Gaiman at the start of the video for Alone. What role do books, fiction and otherwise, play in your life and creative approach?
There’s no big reason behind the quote. I just like English writers. I think Gaiman is relatable and intelligent. I’m a huge fan of pretty much all things English.
Anyone who knew me from a long time ago knows I have an extremely dry sense of humor. No one ever knew if I was serious or not. English humor is very dry and intelligent. Not to say mine is intelligent, but it sure is dry. Anyway, we don’t really have that in the States. And if it does exist, it doesn’t get much air.
America is rather low brow. Sad but true. I say this as an American who thinks we can do better. With Gaiman, Wolfe, Orwell, Dickens, Wilde, and yes, Shakespeare, You get a ton of input per page. It’s hard to find that in the States. Unless (as always) you go to the independent circuit. As with music, so are books. The best stuff is self published.
I’m a huge reader. I wasn’t always, though I wanted to be. Years ago, I was too busy. Now, I find the time. I haven’t turned my television on for anything other than Youtube for a very long time. Years…
Books do play their role. When writing Underscore, I made sure to re-read Catcher in the Rye. I wanted to be in that mindset. The naive and the odd. I remember that well. So yes, they do play a role.
Tell me about the artwork for this project – how did this idea come to you, and how does it feel to look in and reflect on that situation now?
I wanted the artwork to portray the entire story. If you haven’t noticed by now, each album has a house or a room of the house. The first two albums it was the man in the window, me. The third and the fourth, it was Underscore. Number 5, you’ll notice a man in every widow. But they’re all the same. They’re all me.
As stated earlier, when alone to this extent, you WILL talk to someone. This is covered in the song, Tuesday. In fact, Tuesday is the most prophetic and the most telling. That was a very dark time for me. I had to invent people to talk to. I had to. I’m not proud of it. It’s embarrassing and humiliating. But in this case, it’s very honest.
I’m not out to make myself a hero. I’m not the hero of the story. Far from it. I’m the pathetic one who couldn’t negotiate the world so instead, became self isolated. This is the result. From here on out, the album covers are very prophetic to where the story goes. Wait until you see album 6…
The art and the music hit with such evocative impact perhaps exclusively because of these struggles and the escapism or embrace that creativity offers. The best art comes from hard times, so they say. The question is, would you rather the authentic artistic legacy, or the simple joys of friendship groups and nine-to-fives?
I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve said it before, I do not relate to the guy with a fist full of cash. I do not relate to someone who has so much, he or she brags about the things they have. I do not know that person.
Not saying there is something wrong with that. Apparently, a ton of people do relate to that person. But personally…
“I do not relate to stories of success and happiness. I relate to struggle. I relate to someone who has had his head kicked in. Because I have. Many times over. More than I care to count.”
I am not a successful guy. I am however a very hard worker and I put the time in. But I’ve never had it turn successful. That’s why I talk about these things because I cannot be the only one.
I’ve been accused of being sad and depressed in my music. I fully acknowledge that and agree 100%. That’s the point. There’s plenty of happy out there. More than I can point to. But I do not relate to that.
“Things do not turn out as intended for most people. If that is a sad and/or depressing thought, then that is life. I didn’t build the way things are. I just give my interpretations.”
An authentic, artistic legacy…You make it sound very nice. It sounds like something which every artist wants.
I’ve been a professional artist since October 2021. I have found so much joy. And I have found so much heartache. I don’t know which I enjoy more.
“As an artist, I want the heartache. It makes a better artist. An artist that always gets their way, sooner or later, ceases to be an artist. They forget the feeling of an empty stomach. The kind that hurts and is painful.”
It’s heartbreaking to work so hard on something to have 3 people listen. And 2 of them skimmed it for less than 8 seconds, but hit the red heart anyway. I know. I know that very well. But that also gives me satisfaction knowing that my enemy is right in front of me and makes the mistake of showing itself. It also gives me joy to know my own belief in my work.
So to answer the question, in my point of view, a more authentic artistic legacy is the path I’m already on. It doesn’t get more authentic than what I see everyday. It’s a question of interpretation. The hunger in your belly can kill your career, or it can be the very fuel you need to smile at it and move forward with pride and relentlessness. People notice that…Believe me when I tell you they notice…
You mentioned that you’re an expert on isolation, and that this issue is killing people. I’d have to agree – isolation and loneliness can be the most heartbreakingly difficult things to experience as a human, and in recent years the problem has only grown worse. In a strange way, we’re all united in disconnection. How do we resolve that? How do we reconnect with the strangers and our community?
I have had plenty of time to think about this. This question cuts right to the chase so lets do it. I have the answer. No one will like it and no one will follow my advice. But it will solve this particular issue. It may not be the only way, but it is the best way.
“Get off of social media. Period.”
Now, I’m a huge hypocrite on this one. But just know, before January, 2022, I never had a social media account. My Space once but that lasted maybe a day or two. I use my social media for BB. However, if you choose to stay on, reach out to people to meet up in the real world. Facebook is best for this as most people have their IRL people on that platform.
We are going in the opposite direction we need to be going. We needed COVID like we needed a bag on our hip. That came at the absolute worst time. I was already isolated when COVID hit. I can say with honesty, COVID didn’t affect me in the slightest. I had to wear a mask when going into a bank or a gas station, but so what? Millions of people all over the world felt the same way as I did. That’s sad. That is horrible. When someone’s life is a never ending COVID lockdown, we have issues.
I’ve had friends commit suicide. A lot of them. We’ll get into why next album but right now, it doesn’t matter to this conversation. They were all isolated. Just like I am now. They’re mostly lonely men. There are theories as to why but I refuse that road as it tends to get political. I am not political in any way. But the fact remains that most (not all) are men who for whatever reason…are lost. If there is someone out there who gets gleeful reading this (yes, they’re out there), I’ll take this opportunity to remind everyone these are your brothers and cousins and fathers and sons. They are yours and they are alone.
I was in a bad way before BB. I can say with all confidence, BB is the best thing to ever happen to me. I sometimes can’t believe it. I was able to build something to at the very least tell people, “hey…I’m over here and i am alive”… So many people do not have that. This is an extremely rare and unique opportunity I have at this moment. It was built in the very heart of desperate isolation…years of it. I know fully well how lucky I am. And how unlucky others are.
That’s why your question is so important. We have to start paying attention. Look around. Is anyone withdrawn? Is there anyone in your life whom you have never once heard them speak about ever doing anything? Who never seems to be a part of any conversation or just doesn’t care about anything you happen to be doing? Most likely, that person wants your attention. He/She wants you to include them. They may turn you down the first few times…Keep on them. They’ll change their mind, unless I’m very wrong, which I don’t think I am.
Those are the people who suffer this, I do know it’s most likely different for everyone and not just one reason. Probably a combination of many reasons. But it is up to you if you want to end it for someone.
Most people who kill themselves from isolation are constantly surrounded by people. Weird, isn’t it? But it’s true. Most have wives and kids. And they’re alone. It’s in their head. Perhaps an illusion, fabricated or it is there from a trauma. Could be both, could be neither. But this person will become a statistic if something doesn’t change.
I don’t want that to happen. Again, wherever there is a man in crisis, there is most likely a woman, somewhere out there, who cares for him and she just doesn’t know…until it’s too late.
Tell me about the song Tuesday – it seems to encapsulate many of the album’s themes and feelings. It’s a pleasant listen at first, later piercingly evocative and sad. How did this come about, and what do you hope that people take away from it?
I had debated whether or not to keep Tuesday on the album. I had to leave it in because it IS the album at a glance.
Tuesday is pathetic. It is the worst part of my life. I had no one on Earth to talk to, no one to tell anything about what I was going through with the nightmares and the depression. The loneliness and the heartbreak. No Underscore. No family. Nothing. Each and every single godforsaken day was filled with silence on the outside, but a loud rumbling and static in my head. I had to take everything alone and it hurt. It hurt so bad, I was screaming for someone…anyone to talk to me. There was no one there. Day after day, month after month, year after year.
Tuesday is about a fictional party “All My Friends” had for me. A celebration of all things me. It’s a parable about what I was going through at the time. I had to do what I had to do. People have to talk to someone. Especially when you have huge important things to discuss. So I did. I’m not proud of it. And it’s embarrassing. But understand, no one was there at all. I had no one to talk about anything with. I tried everything.
“You cannot force your way into people’s hearts. The older you get, the harder it is. Because you don’t have a history with anyone and people are not nice.”
I was worried the part about the parking lot would be looked at as comical. It’s not. Again, it’s pathetic. The very end of that song is what I wanted to be taken away. I knew who they were. All along. And I wanted them to go away. I didn’t want to have to need them, much less rely on them for basic conversation. But it got me through the years…and I’m still here…
Is there any single thing you would do differently if you could redirect any aspect of your life, and is this something that you’ve contemplated in any particular song?
There is a song on Socks Off, album #2, called The Wonderment. At the very end, it states, “if almost all the things I love were put back together, I’d fail”.
Meaning if I screwed it up once, I’d do it again. That’s how human beings are. The decisions I made at that time were sound and made sense. The options laid out in front of me. I chose the course I thought was the best at that time.
We make our decisions for a reason. Put back in the exact same circumstances, I’d make the same decisions. What I find frightening is the people whose decisions affected me to this extent would do it again. All which was taken away cannot come back again. And some people are not replaceable.
I want to think I made good decisions. At times, I wonder if I could go back 10 years ago when I decided to withdraw from everything, if i would do that again. And what would happen if I didn’t. All I do is think about what I did wrong with Underscore.
On albums 7 & 8, I wrap things up. Album seven, titled A Well Devised Plan, I address Underscore’s Accord. Her decision. What her choice was and what happened. That choice affected everything. And I mean everything.
I still wonder what I could have done. And what happened to her. And what happened to me. Anna’s parents. What I wanted for everyone. And what reality did. That’s going to be hard to discuss. This is a story after all. A true one. And it all ties into your question. The answer is, of course, I don’t know.
Even after all this time, I don’t know what I could have done differently. I have asked Underscore variations of that same question. And I would give anything in the world to know the answer. She won’t answer. For whatever reason. I have to live with not knowing. No real closure. No hope to reconcile. But I can’t force anyone to do anything. But there are questions people have and if those questions go unanswered, it leaves a massive wound that won’t heal. And you cannot put it in a place which you can move on.
But it’s her accord. Unfortunately, I have to live with it. I would love to know, IS there a single thing I could have done differently which would have changed things to my favor. I would feel so much better to know that…
The level of revelation and honesty on this album is profound, and incredibly refreshing – thank you for being so unapologetically true to yourself. Is there anything at all that you were too afraid to say, or that didn’t quite make it on to the project, or are there no limits for you as an artist?
For such a big project, I kept it simple. No limits. Nothing is off the table. However, I had to take others into consideration. Especially Underscore. She is a terrific person. There’s nothing I was afraid to say. But there is something I’m afraid I didn’t make as clear as I would like.
Underscore is not the villain in this story. I am. Love is. The world is. Circumstance is. Underscore and Anna did nothing wrong. Underscore doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I am not entitled.
However, I would like answers. Hell, I would love questions. She is so closed off, I couldn’t get anything now. So I stopped asking. I don’t think that is fair. And it has crippled me mentally. But again, I cannot force anyone to do anything. I would never do anything to hurt Underscore. She doesn’t deserve that. She’s been through enough. She is to be celebrated, not scorned or looked at in a negative light. That’s my place. She did nothing wrong. She doesn’t have to reciprocate anything. No one does.
Again, I wish I could have done things to somehow turn the way things are to the way I want them to be. But I can’t. I would never hurt Underscore or say anything negative about her. And I never once have. I would like to make that clear. She did nothing wrong and has been through a lot. I just wish I could have convinced her better. At the end of the day. But I can’t. But I can write. I can still build something out of nothing. So that is what I have as compensation.
In regards to something that didn’t quite make the project. Yes. There is so much I didn’t tell of how I met Underscore. Who she was. Bad Bubble began at a certain time. But I didn’t tell who we were or why she is so wonderful to me. But I fixed that. I’ve written a 9th album which will be released Summer 2025. It’s called The Quill Noir. I’m very much looking forward to telling this story.
What’s next for you – what are you working on, and how can fans best reach out to you?
Right now, I’m looking for different ways to connect. The same thing every other indie artist is doing. Trying to find our base. And if we’ve started it, trying to expand it as best as we can.
I can be found on Twitter, Youtube, SoundCloud, and Instagram – @badbubblemusic. By all means, stop by and say Hi. My music is on all platforms. I have all the albums on SoundCloud. Every now and then I’ll open up music from future albums just for the hell of it.
I’ll continue to put out All My Friends until the last song is out. After that, I will enter a very scary time in regards to this project. The next EP, Zap the Enemy, is different. But as always, it introduces the album coming next.
This is going to be very scary. I wrote this project knowing fully well, I’ll have to change. Something will change drastically. I’ll also be going down a road I’ve been very conflicted about going down. But I have to if BB is to be 100% honest.
“I fear I will lose listeners. But if I do, so be it. I don’t want that, but an artist has to take risks. An artist has to change. If they don’t, they end up robbing their listeners by not being authentic.”
People change. Life changes. The only thing that doesn’t change is the fact that everything always changes. I have full intentions of reflecting that. So I will change.
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