Interview: Rubber
Rubber: self-producers, songwriters, and (most aptly), band. On a chilly evening in the UK, I caught up with the dynamic Philly-based duo from their sunshiny midday apartment. College bandmates who met at Temple University four years ago, Rubber have not so much created an unbending impression of themselves, but rather experimented with as many sounds as they could lay their hands on.
Citing names like Lauren Hill and Gus Dapperton, the pair explain how the lack of ‘musical infostructure’ in Philadelphia often forces artists to be self-disciplined and create their own image and sound. For John Della Franco, melody man and guitarist (he/him), jazz was a huge influence growing up. Andrew Loper – lyricist and lead singer (he/they) – was deemed a little bit of a prodigy, and he recalls it ‘being clear’ to his family that he would get into music. Both Loper and Franco seem relaxed, outgoing; Franco leans back on their leather sofa looking comfortable, while Loper leans forwards a little, both ready to answer questions with enthusiasm.
What’s the most important thing to you when making a song, I ask them. There is almost no thinking time before Franco replies ‘Have fun’. Loper agrees immediately, expanding on Franco’s instinctual answer: for them, lyrics are probably the most important part of a song. Their joint song-writing method seems organic, though, never characterised by one set order of things or an entirely simple split in roles.
I ask them about their newest single ‘Synth Pop Idol’, set to be released on October 7th. Groovy, danceable, smooth but slow, Synth Pop Idol is a vibrant track that holds an important message. The beat stops and starts in drabs, keeping your attention rapt on the lyrics. Franco tells me the track has actually been the longest standing song ‘in the backlog’. ‘We had the beat a few years back’, Franco explains, but it’s taken until now to find the right ideas to fit. The concept of the song is not an old notion but something that’s been on their minds recently — it’s all about their distaste in the idea of viewing artists as “idols”, Loper explains. ‘When I’m up on the stage’, he says, ‘I’m not someone perfect, I’m someone who still makes mistakes and gets it wrong sometimes’.
Rubber’s first gig after lockdown spoke a little to this pressurizing environment. ‘It was in a really small venue, probably not more than thirty-five people in the audience’, they explain, ‘and we weren’t used to gigs again, let alone seeing everyone’s faces in the crowd staring up at us.’ Franco in particular explained the anxiety he felt that first time playing live music again, rather than the elation he presumed would come. Luckily the headline show that followed a few weeks later lifted their spirits, where the bright lights and loud crowd got the duo a little more enveloped in playing live post-lockdown.
Rubber doesn’t shy away from honesty: Loper tells me a little about how their writing often deals with issues of mental health, even on tracks that seem unrelated on first listen. It’s clear that their music is an outlet for speaking truths, as well as a way to experiment, sing about day-to-day life and ultimately, have fun.
Recurrent in Rubber’s attitude was a devotion to ignoring outside opinion. Any genre, any idea, why not mix them up and make it their own? From their R&B, beat driven tracks to Loper’s soulful vocals against minimal instrumentals, Rubber spring back and forth between whatever they feel like at the time, and the result is a colourful discography that stands them out from anybody else.
Rubber’s newest single ‘Synth Pop Idol’ can be downloaded or streamed on October 7th.
Interview by Kate Wassell
