It’s Monday. But never mind, we’re here to save you. Well, Hubba Hubba will anyway…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Our home base is in Billings, MT. Good ol’ Montucky.
How did you meet?
Stefan, Cain and Aaron are all three brothers. Stefan and Cain met David through the local music scene, playing open mics and garage party jams. Aaron and David met through Stefan and Cain.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We formed Hubba Hubba in 2015, each of us having played in side projects with at least one other member beforehand.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
“Hubba Hubba” is a older expression for when you find someone attractive. It is a throwback to our childhoods and the times we grew up in, it is a throwback to the innocence of when attraction first started to develop, and it is fun as hell to say. We were originally batting a few different ideas – “Rafiki Said” was one of our top contenders. In the Lion King, the character Rafiki states, “It is time.” And we felt like that spoke volumes to what we were diving into in the beginning. Hubba Hubba just felt right.
What are your influences?
We all come from pretty eclectic backgrounds. Collectively, our influences range from Coheed and Cambria to Prince, Stevie Wonder to Metallica, Rage Against The Machine to Lady Gaga, Marc Broussard to Radiohead, Chromeo to Fleetwood, Chili Peppers to Jamiroquai. The list goes on and on and on for days. We just love the shit out of feel good music and clever storytelling, whether it be 60s blues or Dream Theatre, Marilyn Manson or Hanson – we can dig it.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our first record, Phunqi Haught Suhqet, was a lot more rock driven and had an overtone of a darker angst than we initially set out for. The record is ultimately about the highs and lows of party culture. The sleaze, muck, extravagance, thrills, danger and the sometimes ugly but wonderfully, messy maze that lifestyle will bring. We have been hard at work in the Hubba Hut since our return from SXSW this last April building the next project. The sound has definitely evolved! Our mission from day one has always been to give people an opportunity for distraction from the stress and struggle they may be experiencing in life. We want people to be able to check out of reality, even if just for a moment, find their confidence in freeing themselves, and hopefully walk away a little more prepared to handle those things in wait. So that has carried over into the new sound probably more than ever before. While the first record was rock driven, the next batch of goodies we have been cooking up is by far the most feel good, danceable, funky and expansive work we have ever done. What sets us apart in regards to our sound, we believe, is our sense of escapism through storytelling and irresistible grooves. We draw from so many different genres and have never approached writing saying, “We are this genre,” or, “That’s not our sound.” We are each open to exploration and students of music, eager to know more and constantly discovering new artists.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
We have covered a lot over the years. We mentioned the first record being about party culture so we touch on domestic violence and what happens when good women get pushed too far by shitty men, bad decisions, good decisions and living for the moment, sex (vehicular, intimate, and public), drugs, late nights, love triangles, loss, aliens, dreams and the chase. Aside from the record tracks we have also covered immigration, self-awareness and self-love, greed, being broke as fuck, living the truth that money is not the most important thing and that what we do is bigger than we are, again – the list goes on and on.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We really pride ourselves on the atmosphere we have been able to achieve and cultivate, and recreate throughout our performances. It is wild!! We really break down our inhibitions and go someplace larger than life when we hit the stage. We want to take you there as fast as fucking possible and ride it out in a shared experience. We have a ton of fun with our live shows. That’s where we get to see the mission really come to life! We have played probably over 100 live shows since we began as a group.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Oh shit, where do we begin? We’ve had middle aged women grope us from the crowd while we were on stage, a fan licked Stefan’s armpit one time and took his sweaty shirt (this was with another band he played with), we’ve seen a lot over the years! We have each been playing live music well over a decade now.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Aaron (guitar):
- Fender Modern Player Telecaster
- Ibanez Iron Label RGD Series RGDIX6MPB
- Marshall DSL40C Amp
- Line6 G30 Wireless
- Pedal Board: Pedaltrain Classic 1, TC Electronic Polytune Mini 2 Pedal Tuner, Electro Harmonix Tone Corset, Nobles ODR-1 Natural Overdrive, Dunlop Classic Cry Baby, Dunlop MXR Micro Amp
David (bass):
- 1997 Fender American Standard Jazz Bass
- 2006 Fender American Standard Precision Bass
- 2015 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray Classic
- Gallien Krueger MB210 Combo Amp w/ MB115 Extension Cab
- Pedal Board: Seymour Duncan Double Back Compressor, Fulltone Bass Drive, Electro Harmonix Bass Micro Synth, Electro Harmonix Micro POG , MXR Phase 90, MXR Bass Envelope Filter, DigiTech Hardwire DL-8 Delah
Stefan (drums):
- Tama Superstar 4 Piece Drumkit
- DW 7000 Double Kick Pedals
- Sabian 16” & 19” Crash Cymbals
- Sabian 16” HHX Hi Hats
- Sabian 10” HHX Splash Cymbal
- Sabian 22” HHX Ride Cymbal
- ProMark Drumsticks
Cain (Vocals):
- Shure Super 55 Mic
- Shure SM58 Mic
What are your plans for 2019?
We are having a blast writing the next record and preparing the next project, with all new music, promo, visuals, merchandising, tour stops, the works! We have some work yet before we are ready to spill the tea on all of it, but it won’t be long! You can definitely expect to hear at least some new music and see some visuals by winter this year. For the time being, we are happily enjoying time with our loved ones here in our home market before we come out the kitchen with the next batch of goodies, but we are very eager to get back on the road! We will be able to share more in the coming months, but for now just know that we are still cookin’! We can’t wait to share it with all of you!!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
This is a great question! I think right now every one of us has a deep rooted and mutual, somewhat unhealthy affection for the band Chromeo. There’s not much we wouldn’t do for a chance to play with those guys. As for an opener, we would love to share a bill with the Denver based Unpaid Overtime again!! We played Herman’s Hideaway with them in route to SXSW and they put down an unholy funk!! We very much look forward to playing with them again! If you have the chance to catch them, holy shit, do it! Crazy fun live show and a sickeningly talented group of musicians. This three-band bill would be so damn tasty.
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