Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with The Shrubs

The Shrubs - Fall Behind

On "Fall Behind," The Shrubs draw inspiration from upbeat surf rock sounds, reminiscent of bands like the Bambi Molesters and The Ventures. This release marks a departure from their previous slower, more melancholic offerings, signaling a deliberate shift towards a more dynamic and eclectic musical approach. Recorded and produced at their home studio, Flowers on the Wall, in Katy, Texas, the band embraced a vintage recording process, utilizing old analog gear to infuse the track with a retro, nostalgic charm. As the band continues to evolve their sound, "Fall Behind" stands out as a captivating testament to their artistic growth and willingness to explore new sonic territories.

The Shrubs, hailing from Houston, United States, are a trio consisting of Josh, Miguel, and Sophie. The sibling duo of Josh and Miguel, along with Sophie, a former coworker of Miguel's, have been crafting their unique sound since signing with Blossom Records in 2019. Their latest original single, "Fall Behind," showcases the culmination of years of dedication and musical exploration. With Miguel penning the track back in 2019, the band has meticulously refined it to present a compelling blend of upbeat guitar melodies and introspective lyrical themes.

Interview with The Shrubs

What inspired the shift from your previous melancholic sound to the upbeat surf rock vibe of Fall Behind?

I think it was really just a natural progression that was inevitable. While we did have a few more “upbeat” songs in the past, Fall Behind is probably the strongest one we’ve written that would fall into that category. Just like a lot of bands, there's always musical growth and evolution in one direction or another. Sometimes, you get lucky, I suppos,e and grow in a direction that continues to grow your fanbase, sometimes, you don't!

How did the vintage analog recording process at Flowers on the Wall shape the final sound of the track?

It shaped it a lot, I would say! I think that the “retro sound” that continually pops up as a general descriptor for our new tracks can really be attributed to that. There’s just a certain “controlled degradation” that older equipment colors the sound with that is hard to measure and characterize, but you know it when you hear it.

Can you describe the evolution of Fall Behind from when Miguel wrote it in 2019 to its release in 2025?

Well, it went through so many rewrites over that time period because frankly, it just wasn’t good enough. I often write many “bad” songs that never get beyond the first take. Generally, you can just tell when something isn’t working. This was one of the rare cases where I could tell there was a really good song in there. It just took a long time to streamline it and turn it into something worthwhile musically. I also think that it helped out that over that time the lyrics and subject matter changed completely, from something that was initially somewhat silly to lyrics that are meaningful, at least to me…

Which surf rock influences, like The Ventures or Bambi Molesters, most impacted your approach to this song?

Those two for sure, especially the latter, as they exclusively use only vintage equipment, but quite possibly “The Lively Ones” also....it is hard to recall, as that was six years ago when I began writing the main guitar parts! With all of the “influences,” it wasn’t really a conscious effort to emulate them specifically; I just notice that when I listen to a specific genre exclusively, which I do a lot of, I see it often start to seep into how I write and play guitar. I was listening to a lot of surf and indie surf rock back then. I still do like that reverb-heavy, minor-key type of surf rock, I just haven’t really listened to it exclusively for a while now.

How do the dynamics between Josh, Miguel, and Sophie influence your songwriting and recording process?

The recording process has been long and scattered on that one, with it going through so many iterations. I usually write to a drum machine, then have everyone else come in and learn and record their parts. On occasion, there have been a few exceptions, but this one was definitely recorded like that. I think their individual abilities have lately changed what I think we can or can’t actually pull off, so it does influence the writing in that way, but when I’m putting the songs together, it's generally a very insular, solo affair. Especially the lyrical subject matter.

What themes or emotions were you aiming to convey with Fall Behind?

Mostly a nostalgic, somewhat wistful breakup letter is how I would describe it. I think the fact that it didn’t start off that way is why it’s an interesting blend of emotions. Emotionally, it’s like a house that has had multiple owners, each one doing a drastic renovation job during their time occupying it, but leaving behind just enough from the previous owner to tell that it used to look a whole lot different in there!

How do you balance nostalgic retro sounds with contemporary elements in your music?

I think that if you purposely try to make a song sound “retro” it will probably be a bit contrived, unless you're working in like a Vaporwave genre or something..with us, Its kinda just how I learned how to write and record, I think all of our songs have that sound to one degree or another, it would be a greater challenge to not have that balance really…

Did working in your home studio present unique opportunities or challenges for this track?

I would say nothing but opportunities. The cost of slowly working on a track over the course of years would be astronomical in a “professional” studio. Also, I spend a lot of time fully exploring the “wrong” direction/path when I’m writing and recording, then backtracking and starting over, sometimes almost from the embryonic idea that started the track in the first place. Unless we had unlimited studio time, which you do in a home studio, the way I work would be extremely unfeasible from a fiscal point of view. There would also be more “hands in the pot”, as there would be an outside producer and possibly an engineer involved. In some ways that could be useful, I spend a lot of time moving mics around and readjusting equipment, etc, usually more than actually playing, really! But I think the best art, the type that is the most expressive and immersive, yet focused, generally doesn’t have a lot of people behind it. How personal can something be if there is a whole team making it?

How do you see Fall Behind representing The Shrubs’ growth as a band?

In some ways, yeah. It has seemed to grow our fanbase a bit, and that is always rewarding in the short term. Just having more people interested in what you're doing is definitely helpful as an artist! Musically, I think of it more as just one of the facets of what we like to do. It’s really a hard question to answer, unless you’re undergoing wholesale, rapid genre leaps and utilizing new recording techniques, etc, I think it's pretty tough to self-analyze and determine whether you're growing or not…

What directions or experiments are you excited to explore in your future releases?

I do have a few more “uptempo” tracks I’ve written, that aren’t really pushing the envelope per se, but I’m actually excited to write a few more with a greater emphasis on vocal harmonies beyond the usual 3rd and 5th. I am working on one right now that has elements of extended chord voicings and motifs, not too much though, I don't really want it to start to drift into choir territory! Conversely, I would like us to have a bit of a heavier vibe on the next album, not in terms of volume or saturation, but emotionally. Who knows though really, I think that's the beauty of writing songs, unless you are a master musician or writer or something, I think you always drift off the mark somewhat and the song starts to take you where it’s supposed to go, and you just become a passenger in the process, even though you're the one who built the vehicle.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out The Shrubs on the Pigeon Spins Playlist