robbietheused, as a project, is a sort of a re-introduction to Bert McCracken… without forgoing all of what we already know and love him for. It’s pretty damn exciting.
The Used delivered an absolutely stellar performance at When We Were Young Festival not even a month ago. There were tens of thousands of people all tightly packed into the Las Vegas festival grounds where the band (and many other bands) played iconic albums in full; for these guys, it was In Love and Death from start to finish. Fire exploded, literally and figuratively, during instrumental breakdowns and the mosh pits were massive. It was a performance that will be remembered forever and will be hard to top.
Still, Bert McCracken is working hard to bring his craft to the next level. This is something he reminds us constantly in interviews, on stage, and online. He’s dedicated to the music and skillfully approaches it time and time again. Now he is going back to his roots and playing some small clubs as a solo act, but he’s making sure to bring all of the signature charisma and stage presence he has honed in on with The Used to it. In fact, some of these shows are once in a lifetime; seeing an artist of this caliber perform so close in front of you is not something that should be taken lightly. He is playing one of these intimate solo shows at House of Independents tonight, November 6, in Asbury Park.
This new solo endeavor sees the rockstar that McCracken is going under an alias: robbietheused (no spaces, no capital letters). This showcases an artist tackling new ventures and avenues in an incredibly personal sense. He dives deeper into the pop and EDM world as robbietheused, and the debut LP he just released is filled with music that feels like it belongs in bouncing emo nightclubs. We’re enjoying it. It goes hard. It’s sure to be a thrill to experience live (much like any Used show, even if a bit different), too, so when The Aquarian were given the incredible opportunity to catch up with Bert McCracken about this new era, we had to take it.
Your solo album, robbietheused, is out now. How are you feeling?
Really stoked. It’s been a longtime coming. We started working on these songs in 2020, so now that it’s out I couldn’t be more happy. I’d usually record two weeks with The Used and stay for a week after.
Was it weird to do it entirely on your own this time?
Yeah! It’s a little strange, but I’m always the one fighting to get the pop songs on The Used records, so it felt good to have that freedom. I’ve always been a huge pop fan since I was little. I grew up with Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey – all of those amazing pop artists. That’s always been my wheelhouse: anything with a catchy melody.
Did you write these on guitar or synths?
Yeah, usually mostly on synths. We’d get a bass line and we’d get some parts and then lay down some vocal melodies; work our way from there. We usually go in the studio, kind of feel out how we’re feeling, have a therapy pow-wow, and write It down.
Were there any songs you had to cut?
Yeah, we actually did 24 songs so we had to cut 12 of them. There’s a lot of good stuff that didn’t make the record.
You’re playing House of Independents in New Jersey this Wednesday. How are you feeling about that?
Feeling good! It’s fun to get back in these small clubs and have a little party with the hardcore fans. It feels like touring in 2000 and 2001. It’s been really exciting. It’s been really fun. Playing in front of 60,000 people doesn’t seem real. Playing these shows in front of 100-200 people feels a lot more intimate, a lot more nerve wracking. Singing right in people’s faces, I can feel the love in the crowd a lot more.
How have the fans been reacting to the new pop sound?
It’s been amazing. It’s surprising to see a bunch of people singing almost every word and the reaction’s been awesome. Everyone seems to be able to let loose and be their true self.
We do have to talk about When We Were Young Festival. Tell me about playing In Love and Death in front of that massive crowd!
Yeah, it’s incredible to be able to play some of these songs we haven’t played in 10-15 years. It was an amazing moment. All the true hardcore fans really felt it, and it’s overwhelming to play in front of that many people. It’s just a sea of people. It’s been incredible. I’m very, very pleased.
We interviewed 3OH!3 at When We Were Young festival we did actually talk about “Vampire’s Diet.”
It was deep in the pandemic. They reached out to me and wanted to do a song. I love those guys – they’re amazing human beings. I recorded it all on my own in Sydney, Australia, and sent it off to them. You have an amazing song with “Vampire’s Diet.” I’ve always been a huge fan and it felt appropriate coming from my past and what I listened to growing up.
I know this robbietheused record just dropped, but have you been writing more?
I’m always writing in my personal life. I always keep a journal and am always jotting things down. If we do decide to do something in the future, I’ll have a bunch of content ready to go.
When you’re playing these shows, normally you have a full band and pyro. How does it feel to be stripped down?
Yeah, it’s nerve wracking for sure; the first time I’ve ever played a show by myself since the beginning of my band career. It’s cool, though. We’ve got a guy, David, who is playing synths and bass. It feels like a whole brand new experience. It’s really been refreshing. People come out, the songs are really dance-y. I have tons of hardcore fans in New Jersey, too, and I appreciate all the love and support. It’s been amazing over the years. Playing in Jersey is always a pleasure. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the love and support for the solo stuff.
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