Having fronted post-hardcore outfit The Used for over two decades, Bert McCracken looks to enter new territory with his new solo pop endeavour – robbietheused,
As McCracken explains, the leap from rock to pop was seamless duo to The Used‘s often utilised melodies. “I’ve always tried to push for the poppy stuff for The Used records,” he says. “And the band really likes to keep it heavy. So this is my way of getting all those pop songs that maybe wouldn’t make a Used record out into the world.”
The launch of the project coincides with the release of the John Feldmann-produced single, ‘Just A Little Bit’. Swelling with lyrical optimism, the track prospers in its synth-tinged pop groove. “It’s a song about living through turmoil of the world and seeing a bit of a bright future ahead, seeing the sun peek out of the clouds, seeing a mistake being fixed. It’s about having a little bit of hope,” says robbietheused.
The creation of robbietheused was spurred on McCracken turning 40 two years ago, calling the project “a nice 40th birthday present”. ‘Just A Little Bit’ exemplifies what the project is about, providing Bert with another avenue to write songs and in the process pulling him out of a mental health slump while isolated in his adopted home country of Australia. “The whole vibe was really, really dark—and I was in a really, really dark place,” he says. “But recording pop music helped. Having a bunch of pop songs lifted my spirits quite a bit. And ‘Just A Little Bit’ was a bright moment in the record—seeing positive things for the future and hoping for the best.”
The track is one of several songs that Bert recorded with longtime collaborator John Feldmann. For the yet-to-be-announced album, the pair would spend week-long sessions, writing and recording a song a day in what McCracken compares to “therapy sessions”.
As for McCracken’s “day job” in The Used, his bandmates are supportive of the endeavour. The quartet will be back in the UK later this month for the Download Festival.
