There’s no better time than now to be creative and cross encompass a bunch of genres and sounds to reach as many audiences as possible in today’s modern world of music. That definitely can be said for Pittsburgh based collective FUBAR, who are just that and much, much more. Combining their love for reggae, ska and rock, they have created a sound that is completely uniquely their own.
In a lineup that has been together for over ten years, the punk loving group wanted to take their music as far and wide as possible throughout, and it has resulted in a very loyal following for their experimentation. Having now grown into a six piece offering with a horn section, FUBAR have now delivered their newly renovated sophomore album ‘State Of Mind’, and the title track sums them up to a tee.
In what starts in a reggae-ska track full of groovy bass lines and twinkly upstroke guitars, there’s already so much to love about their sound already. The chorus then hits with a more rock entwined production, with some rock chords and the horn section really becoming prevalent. The thing that we love most about it though is the complete switch at 2:56, where a full on scorching guitar solo and prog rock hits you without giving you a real moment to appreciate the musical prowess.
It’s interesting, different and now synonymous with FUBAR, in what is a 12 track album full of surprises and twists at every turn. It’s obvious that their following is only going to continue to grow, and who can question their work? FUBAR are standing out as a band who are changing the rules entirely, and knowing when and where to break them.
We began demoing state of mind right in March of 2020 as the pandemic happened. We just finished our first ep with our new lineup with horns, “get on the bus” and wanted to get right into making a full length with this lineup. A proper full length was a bucket list item for the band now that we were working with new producer/engineer Sam Wtorkowski who also recently joined the band as our alto sax player. We demoed over 20 songs for the album and wrote a lot more that were never even demoed. Eventually we whittled it down to a solid 12. It seemed that most of the songs we picked had a common theme of choices, life experiences, and mental fortitude so we decided to call the album state of mind.
Fubar
Q&A
Hey Fubar! Please try and sum up your new album ‘State Of Mind’ for us please?
State of Mind is our first full length record with our current line up. Personally, I would sum it up as Fubar at our absolute best; pushing our song writing, musicianship and production skills to the next level all while blurring the lines separating genres. It has a wide variety of different looks into our band and allows us to not be easily pigeonholed into a specific genre. There’s a little bit of everything on the record from classic reggae styled songs to modern ska punk songs.
How did this multiplied cross genre sound happen?
I would say the cross genre sound is the culmination of all the influences of all the members of the band. It’s a direct result of each members unique background in music. Dave and I started the band as a punk rock band about a decade ago so having an ever evolving sound is something we kinda expected!
How do you plan to take this album to a live audience, are there shows planned?
Oh we definitely have some shows planned this spring and summer to push this album. We just got back from a short run introducing Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cleveland to it. We’re looking forward to various one off shows, a short run in Ocean City and a handful of music festivals as well including Millvale Music Fest, Weekend at Wolfies, Summer Hookah, headlining Rock Falls Mid-Summer Music Fest, Garefest and Fall Badfish!
What is your favorite track off the album? (each member please!)
Favorites/ Jake – State of Mind, Anthony – Half of Me, Stephen – Half of Me, Sam – Choices, Jordan – In Control, Dave – No Worries
What are the imminent plans for FUBAR?
Our imminent plans are nothing short of world domination. Just kidding, we just want to grow our band as much as possible. Increase our listenership, expand our market and tour our asses off! I’m sure we will have more new music in queue in the next year but for now it’s all about State of Mind!
About Fubar
Fubar’s newest record “State Of Mind” delivers an eclectic mix of reggae-rock, punk rock, and ska culminating in a style all their own. After permanently incorporating their own horn section in 2019, the band has grown exponentially in sound and performance.
Since forming in a garage in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA in 2011, Fubar has released 2 studio albums and several EPs. They’ve taken their music all around the local and regional areas creating a name for themselves in the reggae rock and diy punk communities. Through the years they had the opportunity to play the final Pittsburgh stop of the Vans Warped Tour in addition to sharing the stage with the likes of Authority Zero, HR (of the Bad Brains), The Toasters, Ballyhoo!, Tropidelic, Bumpin Uglies, The Movement, and many more.
“Dave and I both played and listened to a lot of punk rock in high school but back when we started Fubar we found a mutual love for Sublime” says vocalist/guitarist Jake Hursh.
“Some of us cut our teeth in pop punk scenes in the early 2010’s and some of us are into hip hop, so there’s a huge array of influences and backgrounds between members. It always makes the writing process exciting” adds Alto Sax player Sam Wtorkowski.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/fubarpgh
https://twitter.com/FubarPGH
https://www.instagram.com/fubar_pgh/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/08S575qXeeOyNKhTlOQLhT
https://fubarpgh.bandcamp.com
https://youtube.com/user/fubarmusicpgh
