Sara Bug
Interview conducted on April 15, 2021
By Dan Locke
The ten songs on Sara Bug’s forthcoming self-titled debut album were not meant to be shared. A culmination of seven years of her life, these songs were journal entries that reckoned with defining herself. Growing up in New Orleans, Bug imagined herself to be a successful songwriter. “I was so deep in the music. ‘Oh, I’m going to be a famous musician. When I get out of high school, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to go have a career in music,’” she explains. “I think I held on to that for so long, I had finally kind of let go, like that pressure. Now it was just fun.” This eponymous project embodies Bug’s journey away from the expectations of others and her younger self, allowing her creative freedom.
You were born in Mississippi, raised in Louisiana. What is your upbringing?
— My upbringing is just super southern. Good food, super close family, football, Church.
How did you discover music?
— I’m not really sure. It’s just always been super present in my life.
How did you start to write music?
— weird little kid diddies.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
— Yep, I still got it. My first guitar was a baby Taylor. I got it for Christmas one year. It still lives at my parents’ house.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? And what is her name
— I don’t really have a favorite right now. I love all my guitars for different reasons. Just got a music master which is probably the coolest thing I own. I don’t name my instruments.
Describe your music.
— Southern kitsch
What was your first performance at like?
— no idea. I don’t even remember what my first performance was. Probably a dance recital or something freaky.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
— BMI, I guess?
What makes a good songwriter?
— that’s a real broad question
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
— I remember downloading Audacity way back when and started trying to make songs. No idea what the first one was though.
What is the process of writing your music?
— The process is ever changing there’s no formula
Tell me about “Lotta Pride”?
— Lotta pride is a chill song. Being the shortest song on the record, it has the most memories attached
Tell me about your debut album which comes out on Egghunt Records on May 14th?
— The album was made for me honestly. It has absolutely no intentional direction. It took me years to finish/decide if I wanted to put it out.
How was it to work with Bennett Littlejohn?
— a lot of Coors light and fun
What is your favorite track on your album?
— Beholder or Purgatory
You are releasing 100 units of Transparent Pink 12” vinyl for fans to get directly from Bandcamp. With the first 20 orders comes with a specialty Sara Bug “Coozie” hand crafted by you. How long have you been had this talent?
— The talent of making koozies? Professional koozie maker? Koozie conoseuer?
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
— I miss CDs and radio tho. Contents too easy these days.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
— Haha totally but I don’t think it really matters. It’s its own thing.
Digital vs. vinyl?
— Vinyl
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
— Together Again – Janet Jackson. Aside from being catchy as hell, it’s just so beautiful. It’s pretty sad but she doesn’t make it feel sad. I also love the spiritual aspect. She put out like 7 different mixes of it which I think is so sick. It’s the only song I’ve been listening to for a week.
In December you played at an undisclosed location with a couple of undisclosed artists. Can you tell me about that day?
— I said undisclosed because it was mid covid. Figured anyone who felt safe going out would hit me up about details. Think it’s kinda fun to do little secret gigs anyways.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
— I’m not really sure. Part of me thinks it will change it a lot, another part of me thinks that in like a year all of this will be a thing of the past. Isn’t the music business changing constantly anyways though?
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
— Living’ my normal life
Why are you the world’s finest Southern-kitsch?
— because I can write any kinda song but the twang ain’t going nowhere
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
— Same as usual. Exercise, good food, hang with my fam, sunshine
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
— honing my cooking skills, yard work
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
— I don’t really know or care actually because I don’t really use Facebook and I haven’t done or watched any live stuff on there.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
— Feel like it’s easier to reach fans now than it ever has been even without shows. Probably too easy.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
— No thanks
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources. Have you applied for it yet?
— nope I haven’t, don’t need it
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
— I’m already doing all the stuff I wanna be doing and will probably keep adding to the list.
What is your happy place?
— The beach or home with my pets
A lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs? Another factor is mortality.
— The answer is so dependent on where my career and life take me in the future. If it makes sense then sure.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
— Step up your game
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
— absolutely not
The British government, buoyed by early good news on a brisk roll-out of vaccinations in the UK, set out a roadmap that, as things stand, would see the re-opening of large music events in the UK, with no audience limit, on June 21. Live Nation and its subsidiary, Festival Republic, didn’t hang about after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made this announcement on Monday (February 22).
The companies quickly announced that their Reading & Leeds festival – an annual fest taking place across two locations in the UK with a combined capacity of around 180,000 – would be going ahead between August 27 and 29 this year, and that tickets were on sale.
With this announcement Live Nation; USA wants to following the lead of Live Nation: UK. If this happen and live concert start happening this summer, would you be up to playing live shows again and under want precautions, would you like to have in place?
— if I am invited to play shows and I feel like it at the time I have no concerns doing so.
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners with Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival for July 23-25 Event in Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set for September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration in Louisville, KY
Welcome to Rockville Expands To 4 Days and Shifts from Spring to November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set for October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
— if I am invited to play shows and I feel like it at the time I have no concerns doing so.
You must be logged in to post a comment.