Lil Bub is a one-of-a-kind space cat made of equal parts science and magic. In her four years on Earth, she’s accomplished quite a bit: she’s written books, hosted talk shows and started the first national fund for special needs pets. But more recently, she’s conceptualized and materialized a full-length album that instrumentally tells the story of her arrival, her mission and her true purpose on Earth. You can read all about her here, learn about her charitable work here, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Jon Wurster has been the drummer for indie-rock stormtroopers Superchunk since 1991. He also mans the tubs* for the Mountain Goats and the Bob Mould Band. When not touring the world, playing music and looking for exciting new kinds of candy, Jon is one half of the Scharpling & Wurster comedy team. This is Jon’s first interview with an animal.
*Jon absolutely HATES calling drums “tubs.”
(photo credit: John Plymale)
Lil BUB is a tiny, very special cat from outer space who has been an internet star since 2011, when her “dude” — recording studio owner Mike Bridavsky — posted some photos of her on Tumblr. She’s been the subject of an award-winning documentary, she’s the author of Lil BUB’s Lil Book: The Extraordinary Life of the Most Amazing Cat on the Planet and she hosts Lil BUB’s Big Show, a web-based talk show.
And on December 4th, 2015, BUB will release her debut album Science and Magic. The music was composed by Bridavsky’s close friend, bandmate and official bubbysitter, Matt Tobey, and produced by Bridavsky. But the whole thing was guided by Bub, whom big-time fan Andrew WK recently described as “the most musically and compassionately gifted” animal he has ever met.
As a rescue cat with several genetic mutations, BUB works to spread awareness about adoption and proper animal care. 25% of the net proceeds from the sales of Science and Magic benefit Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, a national fund for special needs pets.
BUB’s conversation partner for this Talkhouse Music Podcast is her fellow musician Jon Wurster, who plays drums — brilliantly — in Superchunk, Mountain Goats and the Bob Mould Band, among notable others. With Tom Scharpling, Jon is also one half of the team that does The Best Show, which is one of the funniest things you can listen to. And he’s also a big-time animal lover.
BUB and Jon have a conversation about BUB’s new album, her intergalactic origins and… pooping on very expensive comforters. BUB also has a few probing questions for Jon and, well, he answers them as honestly as he can. These two do have a few tense moments, but they’re both nice folks, so they patch it up nicely. As an extra bonus, this podcast features what just might be Jon’s debut recording as a solo singer.
A word to parents: this conversation does include a rather off-color anecdote involving members of a certain very popular rock group, so you might want to play the kids the G-rated version of this podcast, which is here.
