Los Angeles indie rockers Buckets delivers new EP ‘Good Luck Bad Dog’.

It feels like in the last few years with everything going on, recategorizing oneself has been an overarching theme for most people, for better or worse. This has especially rang true with folks entering and exiting their 20s, a time often filled to the brim with an overwhelming myriad of new opportunities and paths to explore, now withered with the global pandemic. Themes bursting forth from feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, introspection, and more categorize most art in these last few years. However, while the global situations may change, the emotions around them are nothing new to the human experience; our perspectives are just continuing to shift as we grow older, face new challenges, and try to figure out this thing called life. This vibe carries on as rock outfit Buckets has worked on themselves and put out a fresh EP of personal tunes called ‘Good Luck Bad Dog’.

A varied flock of four folks hailing from the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Mexico, Buckets have been putting in the work since their 2021 self-titled debut. From tours with Louise Post of Veruca Salt and appearances at SXSW and Colossus Fest to cooking up in their own studio back home in Cypress Park, LA, they have been hard at work honing their craft and sound. On this fresh release, they have enlisted the help of seasoned audio mixer and producer Alex Newport (At the Drive-In, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie, Sepultura) to further reign things in on the mixing side of things and mastering engineer extraordinaire Carl Saff (STRFKR, Quasimoto, Elder) on the mastering side, and it shows. The EP has the right amount of polish to make it soar alongside anything else you would hear coming through a radio without the homogenous nature of the format.

Throughout the seven tracks recorded here, you hear a band embracing the struggles of human connection and young ennui, growing through them and cataloging the lessons in their art. Aside from some group vocal overdubs and soulful trumpet added from guest performer Nathan Tao, this mighty ensemble consists of just four people: Guitarist and vocalist Tanner Houghton, lead guitarist and sampler Sasha Massey, bassist and screamer Mitch Rossiter, and drummer Hiram Sevilla. Echoes of power pop, indie rock, and shoegaze blend effectively with each member’s contributions to their overall dynamic sound, gracefully rising and falling as the music seemingly sees fit. Nothing feels out of place, no note unearned, to round out a satisfying collection of anthems for the troubled adult.

You will be seeing more from this group soon, as they are already pounding out a tour itinerary for the coming year in support of this release. Looking to spread their sound far and wide, it is likely you will see them in more than just the continental US, with plans for international touring also being formed. Keep your head up and eyes out for more news from them; for now, enjoy the sounds of an impassioned group of hopefuls looking to change and grow on ‘Good Luck Bad Dog’.

“The unpredictability of that teeny tiny tape is something that is pretty difficult to recreate in the digital realm”

You folks come from a few different places–PNW, Midwest, and Mexico. How did you come to know each other?

Tanner Houghton: I knew Sasha from the underground/ DIY music scene in Seattle – we both actually lived in active show houses in the same time period. We didn’t start playing music together until I called him one night and asked if he wanted to move to LA with me (and at 1 in the morning, he said yes). Once we arrived in Los Angeles a few weeks later, my old project Follies and Vices put an ad on Craigslist for a drummer, and to our surprise we had a few video submissions – Hiram Sevilla (thankfully) being one of them and we gave him the gig.

Sasha Massey: Yeah pretty much what Tanner said. I had been couch surfing at the time and when I got the call at 1:00am I drunkenly decided I was going to move to LA and play the bass in Tanner’s band at the time… haha. Buckets formed after Tanner, Hiram, and I realized the chemistry we add together and decided to start a new band.

After randomly meeting him at a house party, Mitch Rossite booked us and did sound at our first show in a backyard as a three piece and was blown away at how sexy and striking the trio was. He said to us after the set “what this band is missing is a 4th member with the sex appeal of Austin Powers.” It was pretty much love at first sight.

You first released music in the middle of the pandemic in 2021. What has changed for you since then when it comes to writing music as a unit?

Tanner: Well, of course for the first time in what felt like forever we were able to make and write music in person again once some of the stay-at-home orders were lifted. We really only got to play a handful of shows as a full band before the pandemic hit, and then we really began crafting LP1 remotely. So much over the last couple years was done in the box because of COVID, leading to a couple songs we recorded but never released because they just didn’t feel natural to play live. Maybe we’ll release them as b-sides someday…

Sasha: After over a year of being on the road with each other and playing a ton of shows together, we’ve developed a 6th sense for anticipating each other’s dynamics and styles. It’s become second nature and allowed us to throw ideas at each other and let them bounce off the wall for a lot longer before squashing them or carving them into a beautiful piece like our new EP ‘Good Luck Bad Dog’.

What lessons have you learned from the road while supporting other acts that you want others to know?

Tanner: Stay hydrated. Take care of yourself. Be patient with each other. Stay grateful. Drinking heavily every night on tour is not sustainable. Keep it light and fun. Sleep as much as possible. Just be the band you want to be on tour with. Be easy, fun, and willing to make it work.

Sasha: Yeah, Tanner put that great. The only thing I would add is be adaptable and just fucking enjoy it. Things don’t always go as planned or meet your exact expectations but this is what you spent hours practicing in a tiny room and hours driving in a van to do so don’t forget to enjoy it.

<a href="https://bucketsband.bandcamp.com/album/good-luck-bad-dog">Good Luck Bad Dog by Buckets</a>

What piece(s) of analog gear do you rely on that has/have no digital equivalent for you?

Sasha: A lot of people might disagree with this, but for me, it’s all my analog gear; nothing digital compares. Most of the auxiliary tracks and pieces of the interludes were recorded onto a dictaphone voice recorder and then transferred. The unpredictability of that teeny tiny tape is something that is pretty difficult to recreate in the digital realm and adds to the overall charm of the album. Like a distant vague secret.

Also for me there is no digital equivalent for a big valve tube amp. Good tone phat tone. We all play through tube amps live.

What artists have most helped influence you as a band, as well as the members individually?

Tanner: I grew up listening to a lot of folk punk – The Taxpayers, Johnny Hobo, Days n’ Daze. Some all time favorites are also Shakey Graves and Born Ruffians. Heavy rock/alternative-wise, Pile is an all time favorite and Mannequin Pussy has been on repeat for the last couple years. Great bands.

Sasha: Early Modest Mouse has been a huge influence on my playing style as well as Justin Trosper from Unwound. Jason Albertini’s prolific songwriting and tape experimenting has been a huge muse to me the last handful of years also – it’s led me to do a lot of sound experimentation myself.

What’s the most recent thing you folks did in an act of self-care, whether for yourselves or someone else?

Sasha: My most recent act of self-care was stopping by Shin Pizza for a slice of their mortadella pizza on my way home. Heavenly.

Tanner: I had one day off of work last week and I put my phone down and played Spider-Man 2 for 5 hours.

What albums and/or bands have you been really digging recently?

Sasha:
King Crimson – ‘In the Wake of Poseidon’
2m8to – Self-titled
Laminate – ‘No. 5’
Peaking lights – ‘Lucifer’
Yussef Kamaal – ‘Black Focus’

What’s one piece of advice each of you can give for other creatives out there?

Tanner: Do it because you love it. Period. Nothing else will make it worth your time or energy.

Sasha: Ride a bike. Release some endorphins as often as you can.

What’s next for you musically? Where can people see and/or hear you?

Tanner: Whatever we want to do next is what’s next. I always want to remind myself we can make whatever we want.

Sasha: We’ll be touring up to Boise, ID and back in March 2024 in order to play Treefort Music Fest, which has been a goal of ours since the band started. We’re planning to hit the road a lot next year, ideally as a support band wherever we can (fingers crossed for a Taylor Swift or Beyonce tour). New music as soon as we can pump it out!