Bugeye

Musically, it draws upon a range of influences.  Think Gary Numan, Echo & The Bunnymen, and Goldfrapp. ”We sat down, we thought about it and built it like it was a Lego set.  Just adding layers on.”  She explains that live the track becomes something even bigger.  More immersive, atmospheric, and loud.

Bugeye’s roots stretch back to East London, where Angela and bassist Paula met at school and began writing together. By 2018, they decided it was time to take it seriously again. “We decided to take it back out there and get some good band members on board and see if we could write an album together,” she explains. That album became their debut, “Ready, Steady, Bang”.

The band operate as a collaborative collective rather than a fixed four‑piece. Members come and go, and that fluidity is intentional: “We didn’t want something that was so set in stone that people couldn’t have the freedom to do other things.  Life takes you in different directions.”

Angela is refreshingly optimistic about the modern music landscape. While many lament the streaming era, she sees opportunity, “So many people have discovered my band and then come along to a gig through hearing us on one of the streaming platforms.”  After all, breaking through has always been hard work.  “In the 90s, you’d have to go to venues and deliver cassette tapes.  Half the time you were on bills with bands that were not complimentary at all.”  She argues that that struggle is part of what makes the wins meaningful, and praises artists that thrive over the DIY spirit, creating their own festivals, gig nights and podcasts. 

Live Bugeye come into their own.  Angela chuckles, explaining that they are definitely not a “standing still” band.  “People think we’re quite entertaining to watch.  Hopefully that’s not in a laughing‑at‑us way.”  Live audiences will soon get many an opportunity to witness for themselves.  They’re touring relentlessly, hosting their album launch party, and believe it or not are already working on album number three.

Touring is not without its risks however.  She recanted a tale of a train journey back home after a gig where she noticed a man on the train whose head was moving in sync with her bouncing leg. When she stopped, he stopped. When she started again, so did he. After they both got off, he tapped her shoulder and asked “Can I buy the socks you’re wearing?”.  She declined - not only because it was winter, but also because, as she puts it, “my mind went straight to a true crime thing.  If I give you my socks, it’s got my DNA and they’ll fit me up for a crime.”  Well lets hope not!  2026 promises to be a big year for the band and we don’t want anything getting in the way of that!

“Comfortably Numb” by Bugeye is out now.