A conversation with Bad Bubble about “Tindering”

Q: Hi! Did you collaborate with anyone else during the creation of ‘Tindering’?

A: No, not for this one. In fact, in two years, I’ve yet to collaborate with anyone. I use hardware and an old school mixing board. That makes it harder to do. Not impossible, but just a little harder. I also come from a background of playing in bands where you have to collaborate, which I did with some people who weren’t exactly fun to work with. So I’m enjoying the solo approach. It feels good being on my own.

Q: Have you received any memorable stories or reactions from fans who relate to the song ‘Tindering’? Can you share a few?

A: Considering the subject matter, yes. Tindering is about the ridiculousness of online dating. I had someone share a crazy story they had. I probably shouldn’t go into any detail..But needless to say, it sounded like a crazy night. These sites are not set up for people to achieve the goal of finding that special someone to start a family with. A company does not get successful by getting their customers to leave, which is what would happen if two people met and fell in love on a dating app. In fact, they would lose 2 customers. That is the last thing they want.

Q: How has the song ‘Tindering’ evolved from its initial concept to the final version that was released?

A: Tindering came quickly. I had it done in one night and off to my audio guy to mix/master. I tend to write songs quickly because I live alone and have plenty of time to do so. I also tend to stay up all night in the studio and on into the next day. I’ve written as many as 6-7 in one session. Granted the session was 20 hours long but I digress. This approach allows me to tune everything and everyone in the world completely out as I work. This way I can get exactly the sound I am looking for. I had no concept initially. I sit down at the keys, prime the synths, and see what comes to me, instead of going after anything. Every time I’ve tried to write and record a song about “X”, the results are just horriffic. So I stopped doing that. I got out of my own way and let the song present itself. The version you hear is the version that presented itself that night. I had it mixed and mastered the next day. When I got it back, I simply uploaded it to my distributor and put it in storage on my laptop and phone until Christmas Day, 2023 when it was scheduled for release.

Q: Is there a personal story or experience that directly influenced the creation of ‘Tindering’? How has this song been therapeutic or significant for you personally?

A: I’ve never personally had any experiences in the subject matter. However, hearing horror stories come from people who had these weird and often dangerous experiences was enough to warrant topic exploration. This is significant not only to me, but to everyone who goes this route. Yes, there are some success stories, but they are the outliers. The norm would be just jumping from one person to the next without ever really even getting to know them. How we can “swipe” someone away and be swiped away ourselves is enough to make me stop for a second and think about what is actually going on here. How it’s a race to the bottom and it brings the absolute worst out in people. They do and say things to each other they normally wouldn’t. It’s like trying to find love while you and everyone involved is experiencing road rage.

Q: Can you discuss some of the technical aspects of producing ‘Tindering,’ such as the choice of instruments, production techniques, or vocal styles?

A: What you hear from me is my fingers on a piano or a set of keys. The only thing that is not acoustic is the drumwork. I’ve played the drums since I was 13 years old. I love it! I wanted to play acoustic drums but I know my neighbor very well. He is a retired plumber who did very well for himself, but worked very hard his entire life. He wants to enjoy his golden years in peace and quiet and I’m not going to pound on a drum set at 3am. I wouldn’t want that if I were in his position so I use drum hardware (Behringer RD-9). I use the Korg Wavestate primarily and this allows me to build my own waves which you hear. The possibilities are infinite. I’ll be using the Korg Wavestate for my entire career, most likely. Unless I switch to the Wavestate MKII. We’ll see. I also use the Arturia Microbrute and Behringer Pro One but only every once in a while.
With vocals, I started out with heavy vocal effects in 2022. But as the days went by, I started dropping them. Now it’s just reverb and whatever glaze the mastering process gives me. Nothing very fancy. I like to sound as organic as synthpop allows me to be.
But regardless, using hardware does not hinder me at all. When I tell people I do not use software, they are always responsive in a “oh really” kind of way. Not exactly shocked about it, but more surprised I would say. Which tells me they couldn’t tell the difference. And that is a huge compliment. I love playing the piano, guitar, bass, anything I can get my actual hands on. That is what makes this experience so enjoyable for me.

Q: What was the most challenging part of writing ‘Tindering,’ and how did you overcome it?

A: The bells which I embedded into the soundwaves which you hear at the beginning was a challenge. I knew I wanted this song to “stick out” in some way. I couldn’t use a piano, and if I did, I would have to tuck it away in the back. It would almost have to be unnoticeable. I just came off of the “In Whatever” push from album 5, All My Friends’ and that album was a HUGE piano orientated album, especially “In Whatever”. I wanted something to jump out and the bells worked. I just didn’t want them to work to the point it would become overbearing and a distraction. So I had to really do some surgery to make it just right. Hopefully I did okay.

Q: Has the process of creating ‘Tindering’ opened up any new avenues for future songwriting themes or styles that you’re excited to explore?

A: Yes. Lyrically. I was able to broaden out a little bit. I’ll leave the specifics to the listener as sometimes it’s best to let others decide the meaning. That said, I was able to discuss things which I believe people already know but aren’t quite there yet as to why they don’t just say it outloud.