THE MODERN RECORD: INTERVIEWS 'THE HUBBARDS - REUBEN DRIVER'
WE CAUGHT UP WITH REUBEN DRIVER FROM THE HUBBARDS FOR A QUICK CHAT
1. Hello! Please introduce yourself by stating your name and the role you play in the band.
Reuben: ‘Ey up! I’m Reuben, and I sing and play Bass Guitar in The Hubbards.
.2. Where did the band’s name come from?
Reuben: When we were all around the age of 16, we thought it would be cool to be in a band. We had a mate called “Joe Hubbard” who really wanted to be a part of it, but didn’t bring anything to the table. So, we made him manager and named ourselves after him!
3. You mentioned you had the idea of being in a band around 16 years old, so when where and how did “The Hubbards” form?
Reuben: We all went to a sports college in Hull, and we were shit at sport, so instead, we’d dick about on guitars instead! It wasn’t until after university that we really started thinking about doing the whole “band-thing” properly.
4. So what genre would you consider your music to be? Do you agree with genre-labelling?
Reuben: It’s definitely convenient to have genres to refer to. It makes things way easier to bunch together the things that we have in common, as opposed to getting all pissy about it. Obviously, we can’t control what people want to label us; we et indie-pop and alt-pop a lot, but our personal favourite is grunge-pop.
5. If you had to name the band’s top three musical influences; who would they be? Are they similar to your personal influences?
Reuben: We write as a team, but we all bring different influences, and they change all the time. It makes it difficult to pin down a band identity. Having said that, Kate Bush can do no wrong, and she’s never far from our thoughts.
6. In terms of guitars, does it matter what it says on the headstock, or does it matter what feels best?
Reuben: We’re 100% brand whores, it’s got to be Fender all the way!
7. How do The Hubbards rehearsals usually go? Do you have a game plan, or is everything off the cuff?
Reuben: We drill sets hard, and we try to breathe new life into old stuff that we’ve written but haven’t played in ages. Towards the end of the rehearsal, we have an open floor, where we try out new ideas. If the juices are flowing, it can last for ages.
8. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your time as a band?
Reuben: It’s been all the “non-band-stuff” we must do just to pay the bills.
9. What advice could you give to a young band who would like to start gigging? Do you have any major do’s and don’ts?
Reuben: Do’s: Practise, write and gig. Whatever sound you’re going for will work itself out, so try not to overthink it. Demo on the cheap to get good at recording, but spend a few quid when you’ve got something decent that you want other people to hear.
Don’ts: Try not to get fucked over by promoters that want you to sell fifty tickets to your mates, just to go on first out of five bands. Find yourself a decent music night that’s passionate about local acts, and be prepared to play for free. It sucks, but it won’t be forever.
10. How has your music evolved/changed/progressed since first forming, to your current sound?
Reuben: Since we’ve gotten better at our instruments, it’s become a whole lot easier to express ourselves in what we write. Every time we come up with something new, I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. There’s definitely a confidence in what you’re doing that comes with experience. We’re definitely not as contrived as we once were, or afraid of coming across as too poppy or heavy or whatever. If it feels good, we do it.
11. A personal favourite of mine is your song “Body Confident”. Where did the inspiration for the song come from? Can you tell us any backstory to it?
Reuben: The song started as Ronan’s verse guitar part. He’d play it at soundchecks and rehearsals, and it just got into all of our heads. When we all got down to writing our individual parts, it came together really quickly. The lyrics have quite a self-depreciating feel, which I kind of wanted, because the music sounded so happy to me.
12. If you could go back in time to when you first started playing in The Hubbards, what’s one piece of advice you would give to yourself?
Reuben: Don’t fuck up!
13. How do you feel about the increase of vinyl sales? Would you bring out a vinyl of your own?
Reuben: Vinyl’s cool. It’s great to see there’s still a place for physical music sales in today’s industry We’d definitely look into a limited vinyl release when the time is right.
14. If you had a big night on the town, who would be the first to fall, and who’d be the last man standing?
Reuben: No man gets left behind on a Hubbards sesh. We’re all in bed by 11!
15. What have you got coming up/going on that you’d like to tell our readers about?
Reuben: Our new single “Your Love, Your Love (Your Love) is out now on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.