THE HUBBARDS DEBUT ALBUM ‘DRIP-FED’ OUT NOW

Rachel Brown Published: March 2024 | Updated: March 2024 3 minutes read

The Hubbards, self-describing as “sad, brittle confectionery from Hull, home of the boiled sweet,” try not to take themselves too seriously, and yet make searing indie-pop that unpacks plenty of serious things. Whether it be meditating on mental health, examining the trappings of masculinity, or searching for love in an increasingly loveless world, The Hubbards are looking for meaning – and helping their listeners do the same.

Made up of Reuben Driver on vocals and bass, Ronan Burns on guitar and Alex Green on guitar and backing vocals, the band describe their music as “petty grudge pop”, a term they settled on after deciding they were “too embarrassed to refer to ourselves as grunge pop, so we just changed one of the letters,”. After a few years of gigging and festival appearances honing their craft, alongside a steady stream of releases, the band set out to record their debut album in late 2019. Several “agonising” years later, once they had it over the line, they partnered with Manchester label Scruff of the Neck and were finally ready to release their debut album, Drip-Fed, which arrived 1st March 2024.

“It felt really good to get a piece of work together because that’s what we hadn’t done before now in a lengthy way. We had most of the album formed before going into the studio, but equally lots came out of those studio sessions too and it was a very productive time. We had to apply pressure to ourselves to get the songs over the line, but I think we actually thrived on having a set deadline I think.”

At a time when artists like Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, IDLES and Sam Fender are opening up about male mental health and the importance of openness and honesty, The Hubbards’ music adds more to this vital conversation. Album focus track, ‘Chopper Baby’ is described by the band as a “sad banger”, exploring feelings of nihilis; of being trapped in the mundane and struggling with a lack of meaning in an increasingly meaningless world.