An Interview With The Queer Pop Group, BHUMAN, On New Music, Their Upcoming EP BMovie and More!

Get to know the transatlantic queer pop group BHuman. The duo released their take on the Cher classic “Believe” this summer.  Listen to it here: https://smarturl.it/BHuman_Believe

“Believe” is re-imagined in shiny electronic pop perfection by the transgender Brit and gay American duo of Billie Lloyd and Harrison Scott and was purposefully dropped ahead of NYC Pride weekend.

They will be releasing a new EP called BMovie at the end of this month. The two musicians are also hard at work on a few side projects. Harrison is producing for other queer Brooklyn artists, including Boy Radio and CHAV, while Lloyd is developing a Yelp-like app for the trans community. BHuman previously put out a self-titled debut EP,  featuring singles “Safe”  and “Goodbye.” 

Check out the music video for “Believe” Here:

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Learn more about BHuman in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day for you both?

Billie – I just got back from a delightful weekend down in Brighton, now doing prep for our video release tomorrow.

Harrison— Just finished up the mastering on the new album so getting all that ready to release!

Now that we are into the 9th month of the year, how would you say that 2019 is treating the band so far? What are some goals that you have for this year? How close are you to reaching them?

Even though we started releasing at the end of 2018, most of what we’ve done as BHuman has happened this year, which is kinda crazy to think about. We started off the year by filming our first music video and releasing our first EP. Now we’re scheming about more videos and live shows for the rest of the year.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this band together? Has anything surprised you about this musical journey so far? How did you come up with your name?

I think there have been a lot of moments, but I think the biggest one for me was filming the “Goodbye” video. That’s when I knew (or I suppose, had confirmed) we really had something unique and worth sharing with the world.

Photo Credit – Eli Schmidt

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you both carry yourselves in this band?

B – I grew up in the countryside of middle England, but I think my work in choirs throughout my childhood/adolescence has influenced how I write and arrange vocals. I guess New York, where we both met, influences our taste for the scandalous and the ‘out there’, which is mostly reflected in our live shows and videos.

H– I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago where my mom owned a children’s theatre. I grew up on stage so music was always in my DNA. That experience definitely sparked a life Lon passion.

Why would you say that you two work so well together? Where is one of you weak where the other is strong and vice-versa? Why does this duo work?

B – I have a very structured background as a classical pianist and choral singer, so my approach to music is rooted mostly in theory.

H – As I said grew up in musical theatre, and studied piano and guitar, but it was really when I discovered production that things really clicked. Billie is able to bring really raw emotional lyrics, and then she passes them over to me to do the production. I also have an art school background that also comes in handy with the videos, albums covers etc.

B – and I think the combination of these two quite disparate backgrounds is what makes us work so well together. Plus just a ton of respect and love for the other; we’re each other’s biggest fans!

Let’s talk about your latest track and cover of Cher’s “Believe”? What made you want to cover that song? What does the original mean to you two? What can you tease about the music video for it? What was it like making it?

B – We had our first live show as a band at NYC Pride this year, so we wanted to add in a cover of something that was instantly recognizable, iconic, but that we could put our own spin on. We instantly were obsessed with what we’d made and decided it needed to be the first single from the EP.

H– That album was always blasting on repeat in my house growing up, I love it and I think it’s a perfect balance of lyrics based in human emotion contrasted against the robotic production. It’s delicious

BMovie Poster

What was it like making your EP that will be out this fall? Did anything surprise you about that overall process? What are some songs on it that you are excited to share with people? Where did the inspiration for them come from exactly?

H- It’s called BMovie and we really ran with that concept. I watched hours upon hours of 50’s B Sci-Fi and Horror Movies and pulled sounds, samples, and inspirations that we used as glue throughout the album. We structured the album to be almost a fictional movie soundtrack that reveals itself through the song and tracklist, we even start with an overture and a good old fashioned movie intermission.

I think it’s really an album about self-discovery and how we are often working through the alienation and othering we often experience as queer people. As the album progresses, it becomes about finding love and acceptance for yourself and for others around you.

B – I think it was actually a lot easier to put together than the first EP. We’ve really found our groove for writing/recording while on two different continents and we have a really strong concept for it too, which helped focus us. I’m honestly just excited for everyone to hear everything, I love every song, but “Teach Me How To Be Your Girl” is probably the most personal song that I’ve ever written, and I’m terrified (and very excited) to be that vulnerable ‘on record’, so to speak.

Where do you think you are both happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

B – The studio for sure, especially in the rare times we can both be in the same studio because it’s so much fun!

H— I love being in the studio with too, it’s such a fun time to explore new sounds with no pressure.

What has been a favorite show of yours to date? What do you think makes an ideal performance for this band? Where are you excited to play next? 

The NYC show was us at our most realized and I think will be a favourite show for a long time to come. I think the audience makes it; if they’re really there with you and into what you’re doing, it makes it so much easier.

How do you think being musicians and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

This is what we have both wanted to do since we were tiny children, so the feeling of getting to do that is amazing.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that? Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate? 

I think it is and it isn’t. I think to me, music is escapism, so I wouldn’t really want to make music that sonically reflected this time period (which would be kinda anxious and depressing, I’d imagine). But obviously, as two people in the LGBTQ community writing about our lived experiences, you can’t NOT reflect the time period and political climate somewhat. I just think there’s a balance to be struck between making work that is fun to listen to but also talks about important issues.

Photo Credit – Eli Schmidt

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this duo?

B – I think dream collaboration for me would be Charli XCX, I’d love to see how she approaches writing toplines.

H—My biggest goal is to be working with Max Martin

Where would you love to hear your music being played? A TV show, a movie, in your favorite store, etc…?

B – I think given our shared love of cheesy high school movies, maybe like a Netflix original rom-com, in the credits.

H— OMG totally. Like a movie montage where they’re in a dressing room and trying on feather boas and crazy hats.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

That you can find joy even in the darkest of subjects, it just depends on your perspective.