We spoke with Bad Bubble about “I’m not Tolerable” and more!

Q: Hi, BB! So let’s start with the obvious. Where did “I’m Not Tolerable” come from? What was going on when you wrote it?

A: Hello, thanks for having me.

I’m Not Tolerable is something that really needed to be said. And it’s not hidden in poetry as per my usual course. I’ve said the exact same thing this song says before in many other songs. That didn’t work. So I spelled it out. I hate that it came to that but I’m not even certain spelling it out will do the trick…

Q: There’s something really raw about this track. Did it come out all at once or was it one of those songs that took a while to land?

A: I wrote, recorded, and engineered  I’m Not Tolerable in roughly 3 hours. I went back later and tweaked it. So I’d say all in all, about 4 hours. It came out easy because it needed to be said. My only worry is how it comes across. But if anyone considers it enough to go there, then that’s completely fine with me. 

Q: When you’re working on a song like this, are you more focused on how it feels or how it sounds?

A: I don’t waste too much time on the engineering aspect. The reverb I used on my strings for one song last year is not going to make or break me. And if something like that does, it’s not a world I want involved in. I try to make it sound as good as possible, of course, but my energy is on whether or not the song is a flag, album cut, EP lead, single drop, or a dust bin bunny…the sound quality can always be adjusted pre release with minor tweaks. My focus is on the lyrics and the essence of the composition. That’s the hard part. That’s the interesting part.

Q: The production feels super stripped back but still full of emotion. What was your approach going into that side of it?

A: I’ve been called a minimalist. I’m not certain if that is a compliment or not. I have just as many, if not more songs that are packed up, 30-40 tracks deep, depending on where the song wants to go. But for this song? 3, maybe 4 tracks were used. Those decisions honestly are out of my SOW. That is how the song presents itself. My brain is off somewhere else when this takes place…

Q: Was there a line or part of this song that felt especially hard to write or record?

A: Yes. The entire song was the hardest I’ve ever had to write for obvious reasons. And it’s just so frustrating. I have beat myself up for three years over this one issue. Never in a million years did I think this would be the issue that killed me. But it is and I’m completely powerless…

Q: Do you ever think about how personal is too personal when you’re writing? Or is that not even a thing for you?

A: It should be. But it’s not. At the end of the day, it’s not. I would say the more honest, the more detailed, the closer the listener gets to the shovel. But it’s not that way at all. Somewhere along the way, someone or something arrived. Before I got here…and took the light out of the room.

Q: Your vocal delivery on this is really specific. Was that something you had in mind from the start or did it just kind of happen in the process?

A: Good question. I wish I had an answer for you I could make clear but like most cases, I don’t remember the details. I remember writing the initial melody. The high piano keys…sounded like something out of a Neil Simon play. So that’s the direction it chose to go. Which was fine with me. I always enjoyed his style. He had a New York, post WWII, Jewish sadness I was fortunate enough to tap into. Ride that wave for a while. Quite nostalgic. 

Q: You seem to do things your own way with every release. Did this one feel different from your past work in any way?

A: I’m a poet first and foremost. If this is my language, I have to speak it. I refuse the algorithmic course. I don’t know what “trending” means. Such a useless word. I’m told I’m the exact opposite of what a label looks for. They want fast, now, and disposable. And that’s why they are where they are. I just refuse to go down the toilet in that manner. Not to say I’m not going down the same toilet…I am. And I am powerless to stop it. However, if lined up against a wall by tyrants waiting to be shot in the back of the head, the last thing my enemies will see or hear from me is my middle finger, or the vocal expression, thereof. They can’t take that away. And they’ll remember you. And you are then awarded the honorable position of being able to haunt them…

Q: Now that it’s out there, does the song still feel the same to you as when you wrote it? Or has it shifted a bit?

A: It’s like a private joke only I know. It’s stupid and poetic art at once. And it will haunt me the rest of my life. The sheer pulling out of the hair…the fusion of madness and real life issues. Rent and grocery bills run head first into the brick wall of “you shouldn’t have ever even tried”…I suppose it follows and continues to follow its natural course. 

Q: Have you heard anything from listeners about this track that really stuck with you?

A: No. Not a single thing. I would love to. I would absolutely love to hear something. Anything. Tell me you hated it and are suing me for 3 wasted minutes of your life. I would welcome that so very much….anything but a “yeah, that was cool”… .which is polite speak for “I didn’t listen”…or worse, I listened but wasn’t paying much attention. If someone were to just look….my God…it’s mind bending…

Q: You’ve been putting out a lot of music lately. Is this track part of something bigger or are you just following where the inspiration goes?

This one is positioned in a place that matters. The exact location. It’s there for a reason. It was hard for me to put this one in this key position. However, in the sense that reflects a hard and harsh reality, it’s fitting. That’s the sad part. It truly belongs where it is…

The listener will have to pick up the shovel and dig through the landfill. But the reward is something greater than myself or anything I can put into any kind of words other than the essence of innocence. And the honor of the task of digging into places no one should have to be placed into. A landfill of past occurrences, present aftereffects, and future positions of quality and peace. I’ve probably said too much but perhaps it’s just enough…

Q: What’s next for you this year? More releases? Shows? A break? Or are you already knee deep in the next thing?

A: I have many things which will trickle out over the next few months. All roads lead to an album out in August, “Regarding Flor”.

Before that, I plan to release everything. Hundreds and hundreds of songs. Many albums. I’d release a song everyday if it wasn’t such a pain to do so. So if I don’t release a song in 10-11 days, expect an album to drop shortly thereafter. But I’m really working “Regarding Flor” right now. I want it to be perfect…