Photo Credit: Mabel Suen

In the past week Shady Bug finished a handful of dates out in the Midwest, and soon they’ll be making their way to Austin to take on SXSW to showcase their new album, Lemon Lime, out March 8th. Before you catch them there, check out what their own Hannah Rainey had to say about Lemon Lime in pup terms, aliens, being classically trained, and more.

Kendra: Thinking back to when Shady Bug was writing and recording tbh idk to now, how much has your personal and professional growth over the past two years helped with creating Lemon Lime?

Hannah Rainey: We recorded tbh idk in Tom’s basement two months after forming Shady Bug. We had only played a handful of shows, we hadn’t toured yet, and we were just having fun. After touring a lot, gaining momentum locally, and experimenting with our sound, we started to take the band more seriously. The next record took almost a year to write and we recorded in an actual studio. We spent a lot of time on each song arranging the dynamics and structure. I’m proud of every song on the record, and they are all very different!

Kendra: We’re going to go from personal to puppies. I noticed you all love taking pics with pups. So if you had to compare Lemon Lime to a breed of dog, which would it be and why?

Hannah Rainey: If Lemon Lime were a dog it would be a standard Poodle. This breed is super smart but also very cute and sweet! The album is like a sassy poodle that seems rude but also snuggles with you at night.

Kendra: Also couldn’t help but notice some alien references both on the album and on your socials. To tie this in with “Make It Up,” what is one conspiracy theory (other than aliens) that you think is 100% true?

Hannah Rainey: Not going to lie. Aaron and I were just talking about this. We think that the moon landing isn’t real…

Kendra: Speaking of “Make It Up” from a musical perspective, was it always the standout as the lead single?

Hannah Rainey: This song was the first one I wrote after recording tbh idk. Shady Bug was still fresh and new to me and I was so excited to start writing the new album. “Make It Up” starts off with a wall of distortion and then transitions to a light and airy verse. It’s a great song for people who have never heard us before because it exemplifies our dynamic range and constant change of moods.

Kendra: With you being classically trained and Tom coming from a self-taught school of music, do you ever but heads when it comes to songwriting and performing?

Hannah Rainey: Tom always tells me I shouldn’t be afraid to play something weird and I always tell them that their parts sound too crazy! But then somehow we compromise and make music that flows. Even though Tom doesn’t know what notes they’re playing, their style’s very important to our sound. Because it’s so striking and compelling. We only argue a little.

Kendra: Soon enough you’ll be down in Austin for SXSW, but are there any other plans brewing for after that coming up?

Hannah Rainey: We are working on an 18-day tour on the east coast in April to promote the record!! Tour dates will be announced soon!