Music Industry News

‘Mrs Julian Casablancas’ started life in 2005, when 15-year-old Priya Sami was certain she’d one day marry the lead singer of The Strokes.

The song was first recorded at Kog Transmissions with David Holmes, then quietly lived on MySpace for years – until the band Bub came along, and Priya decided to honour her teenage self with a glow up, to feature on Bub’s debut album Can’t Even.

This re-imagining brings in Liz Stokes (The Beths) on trumpet, Alex Freer and Dan Barrett locking in the rhythm section, and Bob Frisbee’s encouragement that the spoken word bit was actually funny (and not too long). A Memory Boy pedal, some stacked harmonies, and the teenage dream came flooding back.

The rooftop “indie wedding” video was just as collaborative: directed with long-time family friend and legend Lucia Farron-Diamantes, shot by Maria Inés and Bailey Era, featuring Laszlo Reynolds as Julian, Jaquie Brown as celebrant, Harrison Chau’s harp hoisted up with tender loving care, plus a dream team of hot, kind professionals and beloved friends and whānau.

At its heart, this is a song – and a video – made with and about love.

The video was unwrapped on Saturday 23rd August, for Julian Casablancas’ birthday.

Check out all things Bub below:
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Bub are based in Tamaki Makaurau, and are fronted by Priya Sami (The Sami Sisters, Trip Pony, Dateline) on vocals and guitar, alongside Daniel Barrett (Racing and Sherpa) on bass, David Harris (Princess Chelsea, Mammalien, Sulfate) on drums, and Joe Kaptein (Six60, Princess Chelsea, The Circling Sun and more) on synths.

Bub brings big hooks, sharp lyrics, and just the wrong amount of chaos. Their songs are genre defying and best characterised by vulnerable lyrics delivered by soul power vocals, cars-esq synths and a distorted driving rhythm section.