Draft:The Bug Club

The Bug Club
Origin	Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales
Genres	Indie rock indie pop
Years active	2016-present
Labels	Bingo Records We Are Busy Bodies
Members	Sam Willmett Tilly Harris
Past members	Ross Willmett Ed Hayes Dan Matthew
Website	thebugclub.bandcamp.com

The Bug Club is a Welsh indie rock band from Caldicot, Monmouthshire. Formed in 2016 by brothers Sam and Ross Willmett and Tilly Harris, the current lineup consists of Sam Willmett (guitar, vocals) and Tilly Harris (bass, vocals). Initially playing blues music, the band now has a contemporary indie rock sound and is signed to Bingo Records.

History

2016 - 2020: Formation and early releases

Sam Willmett and Tilly Harris met in school when they were 14 and quickly started playing music together. The band officially formed in 2016 while they were in university when they were joined by Sam's brother, Ross. The name originates from Ross' childhood group of friends who collected bugs, which the band considered funny and named themselves after. Initially playing blues music written by Ross, the band mostly performed small gigs in Wales, including supporting Status Quo at a gig in Caldicot Castle. Early on, the band were joined by Ed Hayes from Caerwent on bass guitar and Dan Matthew from Kidderminster on drums.

The Bug Club self-released two self-titled EPs, one with the full lineup and one with only the Willmett brothers and Harris. The lyrics and visuals for the EPs were done by Ross Willmett. After the release of the EPs, the lineup changed, with only Sam Willmett, Tilly Harris and Dan Matthew remaining. They continued to play blues-style music at minor gigs in the Cardiff college scene for the remainder of the decade, gradually turning towards an indie rock style.

2021 - 2022: Signing to Bingo Records and Green Dream in F#

Sometime in late 2020, the band were picked up by Sheffield-based record label Bingo Records. They released their debut single, "We Don't Need Room For Loving", in April 2021, followed by the EP Launching Moondream One later that month. From this point onwards, the band were often promoted by Marc Riley on BBC Radio 6. Another single, "Checkmate", was also released to promote the EP. The cover art for the EP, singles, as well as every release since then was done by Ben Hall of Mr Ben & the Bens, as was the production done by Tom Rees of Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard.

Following multiple radio and festival performances, the band released their second EP on Bingo Records, Pure Particles, on the 12th of November, 2021, supported by singles "The Fixer" and "My Baby Loves Rock & Roll Music". The song "If My Mother Thinks I'm Happy" from the EP remains one of their most popular songs. The release of the EP was also promoted by an appearance on Janice Long's radio show the day before the release, which was later released as a limited release after her death in December.

The band started out 2022 by releasing the Intelectuals EP and touring the UK, as well as performing in Madrid. After releasing a double single titled Two Beauties, the band announced their debut album, Green Dream In F#, promoted by another UK tour and two singles, "It's Art" and "Love is a Painting", both of which were their most successful releases to date with consistent radio play and hundreds of thousands of online listens. The album was released on October 14, 2022 to critical acclaim. Around the time of Green Dream's promotion, the band signed to We Are Busy Bodies for their North American releases.

Towards the end of the year, the band made their international debut in the Netherlands following radio interviews and performances, returning multiple times to perform in cities such as Utrecht and Amsterdam.

Marc Riley provided the band with lots of exposure and helped to popularize them through BBC Radio 6 Music.

2023 - present: Mr Anyway's Holey Spirits, Rare Birds: Hour Of Song

In January and February 2023, The Bug Club performed a series of shows under the pseudonym Mr Anyway's Holey Spirits. The shows were recorded and released as a live album titled Mr Anyway's Holey Spirits Perform! One Foot in Bethlehem, featuring entirely new music intended to never be played again. The band continued to perform under their normal name, playing numerous shows in the UK and Netherlands. Following the release of a picture disc aptly titled Picture This! in April 2023, the band heavily toured the UK and Netherlands, as well as playing shows in Belgium and Germany, before making their debut in the US and Canada. The tour was the primary promotion for their upcoming album, Rare Birds: Hour Of Song, along with the usual appearances on BBC Radio 6 and three singles, "Short And Round", "Marriage" and "We Can't All Play Saxophones". The album released on October 20, 2023, and was more experimental than their previous work, with spoken word interludes, more diverse genres and new instrumentation. It is also their longest work to date, being slightly longer than an hour.

On March 7th 2024, the band announced that their longtime drummer, Dan Matthew, would be leaving the band to focus on his family life. Willmett and Harris announced new touring dates in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, and said they would return with a new drummer.

Discography

Studio albums

Green Dream In F# (2022)

Rare Birds: Hour Of Song (2023)

Live albums

Mr Anyway's Holey Spirirts Perform! One Foot In Bethlehem (2023)