The Shrubs
With their signature mix of analog warmth and thoughtful songwriting, The Shrubs discuss the deeper message behind “Let Us In,” their creative process, and the evolving sound shaping their forthcoming musical chapter.
1. “Let Us In” carries a strong social message beneath its upbeat sound—what inspired you to explore themes like mental health and society’s treatment of vulnerable people in this track?
Well, for one, It is an issue that is unfortunately growing year after year, and seems to not be on the forefront of any political agenda, at least not in America. I personally was raised by a parent with severe mental problems, so it was always something that was known to others around me, but not really discussed openly. I think that I, along with many artists, create their best work when you are exploring topics that personally affect you, maybe even uncomfortably so. It is really shameful of us as a society really, many people are treated as almost “sub-human” for afflictions that they can’t really even control.
2. You mentioned using analog tape as an “instrument” itself. Can you walk us through your recording process and how those techniques shaped the final sound of the single?
Sure! I have a few different reel to reel players and cassette players. For actual “tone/color” shaping, I tend to turn towards some of the lower end models, like a 90’s Tascam portastudio and my mono APH cassette player. The APH was originally intended for audiobooks for the blind, and came with an unusual control set, including a Tape Speed control option. For a lot of the lead guitar in Let Us In, I would record tracks on that at the slowest speed, on old cassettes from the 80’s, usually commercial tapes that have been played a lot! When you do that and play them back, they are warbley, have audio drop-outs, hiss etc..just totally Lo-Fi and damaged/degraded, I really really love how it sounds! Lol. I used that mostly as an obvious effect, it adds to the “unstable” nature of the subject matter, and just has a really unique sound, but still musical when it’s put into the right framework. To balance things out, I recorded some of the more foundational “stable” instruments, such as the bass and drums on my Tascam 22-4 reel to reel player, or my Tascam 122 Mk II cassette player. Both of those do give the instruments some color and warmth/depth, but they do a much better job of reproduction. All of the different layers went through a similar process and were eventually all tracked onto a PC and layered together. I think it gives everything a warmer depth and color, but it also introduces unpredictable “distortions” and tonal variations within individual instruments and even notes themselves that I find really appealing. The unpredictable nature of all those different tape machines not only makes it sound more interesting, at least to me, but I think each one has their own “voice,” something to add that wasn’t totally in my control, almost like a third contributor to the song as a whole! Because of that ever-present analog “voice,” I really consider that whole process to be as vital to the track sounding the way it does as any of the other parts.
3. The idea of creating something “familiar yet new” is really intriguing—how do you strike that balance between nostalgia and originality in your music?
That’s a much harder one to answer really. That phrase has been used before to describe our music, it honestly isn’t something that I purposely strive for when writing, at least not on a conscious level. I think it must be a combination of our individual musical influences and our personal musical “voices” that just combine in that way. It’s one of those concepts that becomes harder to define the harder you try, like trying to grab a handful of jam or something lol.
4. As a duo now, how has the dynamic between you, Miguel and Sophie, influenced your songwriting and creative decisions compared to your earlier lineup?
Well, I’ve always been the main songwriter. Having less input is a double-edged sword sometimes. There is less “creative, on the spot brainstorming” happening now, that used to occur a lot during the recording process. Performers pretty much always do that, especially good ones, give a piece their own personal touch etc. But I believe now that there is a more focused, cohesive vision. I think Let Us In really reflects that, a very intentional arrangement and tonal palette.
5. Houston seems to have played a role in shaping the lyrical direction of “Let Us In.” How does your environment continue to impact your music and artistic perspective?
For me it’s beneficial because I think I write best in total solitude. Houston is a very large, sprawling city, but it doesn’t really have a set personality artistically, at least not one that I find appealing. So I tend to write and record in almost complete isolation, well with Sophie of course lol! I used to live in Seattle and it was the exact opposite; there is most definitely a vibe that you can put your finger on no matter what part of the city you were in. When I lived there, I had more like-minded artists around me, so you can’t help but collaborate on projects. I think my observational nature does find subject matter to write about in Houston, but ultimately, it’s going to naturally be slanted by my own personal lens. It is easier to get vintage music gear here though, so there is that! lol
6. This single continues a stylistic direction from your previous work—does it hint at a larger project or new sonic direction for The Shrubs in 2026?”
It definitely is part of our ongoing album in the works for sure! I do really like what we are doing right now, so I’m sure there is a sonic evolution in our sound that is happening that even we aren’t fully aware of until it’s passed lol. Personally though, I don’t really like to write songs that sound like what we’ve done before, so there is usually more of an effort to make something different than to continue down a particular stylistic path, unless it just keeps happening organically that way during the writing process!