Art-Pop Awareness in Debut Album by Buggie

Eager to explore her ideas in their entirety, singer/songwriter Gretchen King left the band setting and began to write her first solo project. Under the name Buggie, she set to work creating a world uniquely hers. The result is a ten-track art-pop album, Fool Potential, that she has written, recorded, and produced on her own.

Buggie’s mixture of electro pop, alternative, and trip hop is filled with philosophical narratives that navigate themes from today’s society, including commentary about the CEO pay gap (“Dig”), addiction to social media (“New World”), and the pressure to attain ideal beauty standards (“Currency”). Buggie’s debut takes the listener through an album experience that few new artists can achieve.

Though her sound is unequivocally her own, a spark reminiscent of one of her influences (such as Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Grimes, Fantômas, and The Prodigy) may shine through. Like many of these artists mentioned, Buggie’s sonic world is equally a visual one: each song is paired with a whimsically oddball miniature scene and stop-motion handcrafted by Buggie herself.

It is Buggie’s unique world and creative drive that easily put her in the same solar system as her peers Melanie Martinez, Marina and the Diamonds, and Mab Graves. Immersed in surrealism, awareness, and profound vibes, Buggie's world is one worth exploring.

About the Artist

Gretchen King, under the moniker Buggie, is an Art-Pop singer/songwriter and Contemporary Pop-Surrealist artist from Ohio. Writing and producing her own material, Buggie's creative control results in an eclectic sound that challenges the listener to look beyond a single genre. Electronic, pop, trip hop, alternative, and experimental each find their way into Buggie's sound, resulting in a style that is undeniably her own. 

Her surreal mixed-media artwork (full of paintings, sculptures, and diorama sets) is reminiscent of the stop-motion classics by Rankin/Bass Productions and the vintage 3-D children’s stories by View-Master. Growing up in an old house, surrounded by cemeteries and across the street from a psychiatric hospital left a magically surreal and often anxious imprint on Buggie’s childhood, one that brought both hospital escapees and ghosts to her front door.

While these experiences have left a lasting impression, they have also nurtured a wildly imaginative vision that puts Buggie in the same camp as some of her best-known peers, such as Melanie Martinez, Grimes, Marina and the Diamonds, and Mab Graves. In Buggie’s downtime, she delights in miniatures, vintage flair, self-help, and the works of Jim Henson, Rankin/Bass, and Terry Gilliam.

Click the button below for a copy of the album, photos, and press release. 
For more information or resources, please email thurston(at)buggie(dot)club