Nexus Meets… The 295
From the depths of South West London, we find the exciting indie-rock trio The 295. Since their inception in 2019, they have gained a reputation for engaging music and energetic performances. We speak with Ryan Bulbeck of The 295 about their upcoming album The 295 (A Mixtape), discovering new music and much more.
What can you tell us about the new album The 295 (A Mixtape)?
It’s a combination of every track that we’ve recorded over the past year and a half. Our plans, like most people this year, changed quite drastically and we decided that we would just round off this crazy year by releasing everything we have thus far in one collection.
Did you face any challenges when recording the album?
The main challenge came from getting some of the songs mixed. We were working with our friend Evie Clark-Yospa at Premises Studios in London on some of the songs and when lockdown came in it became impossible for us to get to the studio with her. There was a lot of back and forth, but in the end, we were happy with what she was able to do, and very grateful too.
What is your favourite track from the album and why that one?
My favourite, personally, is ‘Reverie’. It was a song I wrote years ago and to hear Howard (singer) do his thing on it, and to be able to have it as part of the Mixtape, is a fantastic feeling. It’s also a lot of people’s favourite track too, so to have it on the album I know will make a lot of other people happy too.
Do any of the tracks have a significant meaning for you?
‘Reverie’ for one. ‘New Digs’ is poignant too because it was the first track we released way back in 2019, so it’s cool to see it alongside the newer tracks. ‘Man of the Hour’ is also a song that me and Howard are really fond of, and it brings back a lot of good memories from around the writing and recording of it.
You’ve played several indie venues around the UK, which was your favourite gig to date?
Definitely our show at the Camden Assembly. It was our biggest show to date and a lot of famous acts have played there in the past, so it was cool to be able to play somewhere like that so early into the band’s life. We also sounded amazing that night, just saying.
What do you believe is the best way to discover new music?
Before this year, I would have said gigs. Going to every and any show you can find with small bands is a great way of finding new favs. Now, however, I’d say just rooting around on streaming services or places like Youtube is a great alternative.
What do you hope people take from your music?
Any reaction to these songs is fine with us. Even if someone doesn’t like it, the fact they took the time to listen and have a strong opinion means something to us. I hope most people will find a good connection to the material though and enjoy it enough to remember the tunes.
Do you have any future plans?
Next year will be a come back for a lot of bands and artist (fingers crossed), so we’ll be working on new songs and on coming back into a live setting and melting faces once again. By this time next year, a tour would not be out of the question, but we’ll just have to wait and see.