Kidbug

The decidedly retro band Kidbug combines the grungy guitar mangling of <a href="spotify:artist:4Le80wrubz9u0ZNpfsgz05">Dumb Numbers</a>' Adam Harding and the gentle psychedelia of <a href="spotify:artist:0CkWsjqKOX2aFrcmFvcQr9">Eerie Wanda</a>'s Marina Tadic into a sound that melds the best aspects of the two styles (noise and power, mystery and melody) together seamlessly on their 2020 self-titled debut.

The project began in December of 2018 when Adam Harding of the experimental grunge project <a href="spotify:artist:4Le80wrubz9u0ZNpfsgz05">Dumb Numbers</a> and Marina Tadic of the Netherlands-based melancholy neo-psych band <a href="spotify:artist:0CkWsjqKOX2aFrcmFvcQr9">Eerie Wanda</a> met at the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Joyful+Noise%22">Joyful Noise</a> office Christmas party held at the label's Indianapolis headquarters. The pair spent time recording some Christmas songs and got on so well that they decided to continue working together. Harding had a solid reputation as a video director and Tadic asked him to make one for an <a href="spotify:artist:0CkWsjqKOX2aFrcmFvcQr9">Eerie Wanda</a> song. Along with forming an artistic partnership, they began to explore a romantic one as well during Tadic's stay in the U.S. She soon returned to the Netherlands, and the duo exchanged songs long-distance. Working quickly, they had a batch of songs ready within a few months' time. Tadic then came back to Indiana, where they were joined by <a href="spotify:artist:3HkuUJi2qHvXZWYb2wPePa">Bobb Bruno</a> of <a href="spotify:artist:5YkBrE0wF8cAlq3GCOw5Eu">Best Coast</a> on bass and <a href="spotify:artist:79S80ZWgVhIPMCHuvl6SkA">Swans</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4Td98UbNadNYhS8LnMsgBQ">Thor Harris</a> -- who was the label's artist-in-residence at the time -- to record an album over a three-day span. <a href="spotify:artist:6aVjo0xHSiuW5hkasoYSR3">Melvins</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4IRzt4Zde0xpbbc2BtsRGm">Dale Crover</a> also joined the fun and appeared on the song "Dreamy." The band's self-titled album was released at the end of May in 2020. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi