The Freaky Buds in interview: “Blues, road trip & fraternity”

The Freaky Buds wanted to capture the raw energy of their music. So they hit the roads of California before laying down their guitars at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio. From this immersion came Western Smoke, an album nourished by the legacy of roots blues and driven by a fierce sense of freedom. Between dust, brotherhood, and intensity, the quartet delivers a record that sounds both timeless and boldly modern. Ahead of its release on October 17, we met with guitarist Max Genouel, who told us more about this project …

Western Smoke is your second album. What makes it stand out the most compared to your first record?

This new album marks a return for us to a more rootsy and traditional style, while keeping our aesthetic with more modern melodies and arrangements. After the first album and the concerts that followed, we wanted to better capture the raw, wild energy of our live shows.

The title evokes a sense of travel, dust, heat. What image or feeling best sums up this album for you?

I’d say the feeling of freedom: playing blues our own way, without overthinking it. The album was recorded in ideal conditions, no pressure, no fixed schedule… We took our time, everything was smooth, almost easy.

Speaking of which, the album cover really reflects that spirit: who created it?

The cover was created by a friend, Dolorès. I love the minimalist touch of her illustrations. The album spoke to her, and she perfectly captured that free, spacious, and rootsy side of our music.

“A saloon, a beer, and a good debrief”

Before recording, you went on a California road trip. What struck you most about that experience, both personally and artistically?

First, the diversity of the landscapes in just one week — it was truly incredible! Lonj and Thomas had planned the route, and we were blown away (Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Mammoth Lakes, San Francisco, Los Angeles…). California is just crazy! On a human level, we spent 24/7 together, so we really had to get along – and it worked out great. We even had our little end-of-day ritual: a saloon, a beer, and a good debrief of everything we’d seen.

Did this immersion in the American West change your relationship to your music?

Yes. We were already a very tight-knit band, but this trip really strengthened our friendship. That came through directly in the way we played together. We had prepared the songs before leaving, but they weren’t set in stone yet. It was a bit risky, especially going to Kid Andersen, but that actually left room for all the emotions from the trip to flow in.

In the studio, you worked with Kid Andersen at the legendary Greaseland. I imagine that was an incredible experience?

It’s hard to find the right words to describe what we experienced there. His musical approach is amazing: he puts musicians at ease, you just sit down, play… and instantly, you hear the sound you’d been looking for. Since not all the song structures were finalized, it also gave him space to suggest arrangements. He really puts himself at the service of the sound, the music, the songs. His generosity and dedication deeply moved us.

“We want to make a real blues album? Then let’s go all in”

How did you get in touch with him and… why him?

I’m the one who contacted him via social media. The idea just came to me: “We want to make a real blues album? Then let’s go all in.” So I wrote to him. Then we got support from our friend Alabama Mike, and Kid replied – it all came together pretty simply, in the end. For us, he’s an idol. We’ve been listening to him for years. Among today’s blues producers, he stands out with his wildness and open-mindedness. I couldn’t imagine anyone else producing this album.

The album closes with 19 Years Old featuring Alabama Mike, a tribute to Muddy Waters. Can you tell us about this track?

I toured with Alabama Mike in Europe a few years ago. I admire him enormously, both as a person and as an artist. For me, going to Greaseland without inviting Mike (who’s a regular there) was unthinkable. I suggested doing a track, he came over, listened to the songs, and then proposed 19 Years Old. We all looked at each other: thrilled to play a classic.
Kid sat at the piano, started counting… no time to think, we did one take, like a jam. Mike sang it amazingly, we just let ourselves be carried away… Honestly, it was pure joy.

You proudly claim your influences, from R.L. Burnside to The Red Devils, but you’re also looking for a contemporary identity. What does it mean for you to “play the blues today”?

We’re often asked about our influences, so we mention those that really guided us in shaping our sound and energy. But honestly, we don’t overthink what “the blues today” is supposed to be. With this band, everything happens mostly live. We leave a lot of room for improvisation, and it can go really far, sometimes almost psychedelic.
R.L. Burnside and The Red Devils sum up that energy well. Not so much in terms of arrangements, but in Burnside’s trance-like, psychedelic, slightly delirious side, and the big sound, powerful riffs of the Red Devils.
That’s our way of playing blues. Even though we could name many other artists who influence us.

If you had to sum up Western Smoke in three words for someone who has never heard you, what would they be?

Blues, Road Trip & Brotherhood.

One last thing: what’s your most memorable moment from the recording — the one that will stay with you, or the anecdote that still makes you smile when you think back on it today?

Without hesitation: our arrival at the studio, the night before the recordings started. It was Kid Andersen’s birthday, and he was hosting his famous Greaseland Live, which we all love. And then he told us we’d be part of it that very night, live! We weren’t expecting it at all. The cameras were already rolling when we entered the room, and suddenly we saw ourselves on screen as part of Greaseland Live. We all smiled — a mix of pride and huge nerves!