Fuss Bassist & Vocalist Bob Vielma Discusses Debut We're Not Alone, Jeff Rosenstock & Becoming A Token "Ska Rapper" (The Witzard Interview)
After living most of his life in The Bay Area, in the mid-2010's, Bob "BOBOSO" Vielma (Shinobu, Yulia, Tadaima) relocated to LA to seek out a different pace of life, away from the tech CEO's and VC sociopaths that had re-created The Bay in their own image. At a party shortly after moving, he bumped into Chase Knobbe (Joyce Manor,) a long-time friend who had been wanting to start a new project and had already found a drummer in Nick Aguilar (SLAUGHTERHOUSE, Mike Watt + The Missingmen, NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS.) Like a spark, Fuss was born on-the-spot. We're Not Alone, Fuss' debut, is packed with Poppy Indie Rock nuggets inspired by J-pop, Disco music, and Arizona D.I.Y. Punk.
Led by Vielma's earnest and direct melodicism, Fuss drop tiny anthems of life after your 20's: trying to keep cool when you feel terrible, working, and continuing to seek out community. Honest and vulnerable, We're Not Alone captures the immediacy and uncertainty of the Millennial experience: an open-hearted yearning felt all the more intensely as the world falls apart around us. We recently got a chance to speak with Fuss vocalist/bassist Bob Vielma, via email. Find our converation below, which has been lightly edited for general clarity. Fuss' We're Not Alone is now available on Phat 'n' Phunky & Lost Sound Tapes.
I. When, where, and how was Fuss initially formed?
Bob Vielma: Fuss came together in the fall of 2017 when our guitarist, Chase [Knobbe], brought me and our drummer, Nick [Aguilar], together and we've slowly worked on songs and played a handful shows between our myriad [of] other projects and responsibilities.
II. Who are the various members of Fuss and where might fans know each of you from previously?
Vielma: Folks would probably know me best from playing in Shinobu; that is, if they even know who Shinobu is, but, I've, also, sang in the bands Yulia & Tadaima. Chase plays in Joyce Manor and Nick plays in countless bands, but my favorite of the bunch might be NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS.
III. What would you cite as some of the greatest sources of inspiration and influence behind Fuss' debut album, We're Not Alone?
Vielma: For the most part, every Fuss song starts out with a melodic earworm that I build upon to make a whole song. The melodies that seem to excite me the most these days are in J-pop, like Judy & Mary or Perfume, and in random old Disco cuts. I know that all of the Fuss songs sound like straight-forward Pop-punk, but, hopefully, the melodies [have] a little extra flavor than usual! Sonically, I love the passion and sincerity of Punk bands, like Eastern Youth, Leatherface & Mega City Four. Part of me feels like I'll always be chasing the idealized version of those bands that exists in my head in my own song-writing.
IV. How did you guys end up getting together with Jeff Rosenstock (The Bruce Lee Band, Shinobu, Death Rosenstock) to produce We're Not Alone?
Vielma: Jeff's an old friend from the Shinobu days and he has supported pretty much every musical endeavor of mine since 2009. He moved about 10 minutes away from me in LA not too long ago and, as a result, we've been hanging out a bunch more. When he got his reel-to-reel 8-track set up, we thought it'd be fun to do the Fuss record using that. I'm always wary of letting other people record my bands because I think a lot of people favor fidelity over energy, but Jeff innately understands what Rocks and what's boring.
V. How were the contained tracks for We're Not Alone typically written recorded? Did COVID-19 restrictions have any effect on these behind-the-scenes processes?
Vielma: Luckily, most of the record was written pre-Pandemic. I think "Turn My Brain Off" might be the only Pandemic-era song, which would, likely, explain the sentiment behind it... when The Pandemic started, we had to cancel what would have been our fifth show and, then, we lost all momentum for about a year until we finally got off our butts to do the record. Strangely, we've now played four shows in the last six months, as many as we had in the past four years.
VI. Who designed the cover artwork for Fuss' We're Not Alone and what is the significance behind said image?
Vielma: The artist behind the artwork is William Gibbons, an old friend who works in animation and loves a lot of the same J-pop type of stuff that I do. A running theme for me through most of the record is the idea of platonic love or defining moments and the people and places that make up those moments. The artwork portrays a typically hilly East Side LA landscape—where much of the record was written and experienced—and the people on the cover are inspired by a party I went to where everyone was wearing denim jackets, also, referenced in one of the songs.
VII. In addition to yourself, Chase Knobbe & Nick Aguilar, who else can be heard appearing across We're Not Alone?
Vielma: My friend Kate [Feldmann] AKA Belly Belt sings on the opening track and I had the pleasure of playing in a Loretta Lynn cover band with her for a couple years. The guitarist from my old band, Tadaima, Yui [Fukunaga], sang on "We're Not Alone" with me—and full disclosure—I'd never, actually, heard her sing before; so, I was pleasantly surprised when it sounded great. Aaron Burke from the legendary Nintendo Rock band The Minibosses contributed the guitar solo on the same song. I'm hoping that there are a few other music fans in the same slice of the musical Venn diagram as me who think these guests are as cool as I do!
VIII. How would you say your past musical experience working with Shinobu, Yulia, Tadaima, Jeff Rosenstock, and solo as BOBOSO helped influence your music style heard across Fuss' We're Not Alone?
Vielma: Shinobu is the foundation of all things Punk for me. We freestyled our way through writing, recording, touring, etc. at a time when, stylistically and operationally, everything about Indie music was being re-molded by The Internet and modern marketing. We kind of side-stepped the "business" side of things (for better or for worse) and always focused on the music and community [first and] foremost. Even though part of me would've liked to have been in a super-popular, successful band, I'm more than happy with the experiences and connections I made through Shinobu and it's no exaggeration to say that every new friend, job, or opportunity I've had in the last 15 years can be traced back to Punk.
Working with Jeff is an organic outgrowth of that approach (Shinobu's singer, Mike [Huguenor], is in Jeff's band now, too) and it's super-cool that Jeff has managed to find a larger audience, while still being the same cool dude we met in 2007. With Yulia & Tadaima, I always put a lot into the music and playing fun shows locally, but was always flummoxed by the prospect of selling myself and my songs in any way, so our records always flew "under the radar." I suppose that this Fuss record is the first time since Shinobu for me where I stepped out of my comfort zone to hype the record a little and I'm really happy with the response it's gotten!
IX. When creating a song in its most infantile form, do you typically construct vocals/melodies or basslines first?
Vielma: Usually, I start with a melody, phrase, or riff and, if after a few months, it's still kicking around my brain, then, I sit down and try to flesh it out. For me, that basic element is, like, the hook. I can't listen to elaborate noodling, shredding, or orchestration, if there's no hook... you know? The hook is all I care about.
X. Why did you decide to join forces with Phat 'n' Phunky Phonics & Lost Sound Tapes to jointly release We're Not Alone digitally, as well as on vinyl and cassette?
Vielma: Phat 'n' Phunky is the loose-knit record label/collective that my friends and I have run for 20+ years and in my stubbornly D.I.Y. way, self-releasing the LP seemed like a no-brainer. As for Lost Sound, they're, actually, the first label I've ever approached in my life to ask about releasing something of mine. So, I was very honored to have them say "yes" to releasing the tape version. I'd be remiss, if I didn't acknowledge the behind-the-scenes help that my friends at Asian Man, Lauren & Really Records have given me to get this record made. I've heard horror stories about vinyl pressing taking over a year these days, but I got my record done in just five months!
XI. How would you personally describe your music contributions to both Jeff Rosenstock's critically-acclaimed 2020-21 companion albums, NO DREAM & SKA DREAM?
Vielma: Shout-out to Jeff for always including me on projects of his here and there. Doing trombone on NO DREAM got me to dust off my trombone for the first time, possibly, since I recorded trombone on We Cool? for him a few years prior. As for the rap on SKA DREAM, I'm laughing to myself because I had recorded a rap for another as-yet-unreleased Ska song a few months before that; so, I'm setting myself up to be the new token "Ska "rapper, I guess! I'm, also, absurdly into the idea that the thing that snuck me onto Pitchfork was a rap on a Ska song about societal decay and killing racists.
XII. What's tentatively planned next for Fuss?
Vielma: Chase & Nick are launching heavily into activities with their other bands for the time being. So, I'm hoping to write a bunch of new songs in the interim. If the world is lucky, I'll have another 15 minutes-worth of music for them all soon.