Roach Gigz is excited to announce an August 21st release date for his official debut album, Bugged Out. Today, Roach is excited to release the album’s latest video, for the song “Going Off.”
For Bugged Out, Roach will release the album directly to fans through his own imprint, Goomba Music, with the digital version being 100% free. It’s a decision Roach made not out of necessity but desire. “I’m going to release Bugged Out for free,” says Roach, “because that’s how I got to where I am now: by making it as easy as possible for my diehard fans to get my music.” He continues, “I sell out shows; I sell out merch; I sell limited-edition physical copies – the support of my fans allows me to do this for them.”
Those fans are no doubt familiar with Roach’s penchant for creative titles, and with Bugged Out, Roach continues to show off his fun personality. “The title, Bugged Out, it plays off my name, and it’s just honestly how I feel a lot of the time,” says Roach. “Musically, it’s like a compilation of everything that results in me being a bugged out individual, as well as some of the repercussions and experiences that have come from me being who I am. People look at me as different, but instead of being insecure or ashamed of it, I’m proud of it – I’m Bugged Out.”
Bugged Out may be Roach’s first official LP, but it’s his fifth solo release to date, and with that comes continued artistic growth, not just lyrically, where he’s always been strong, but in his abilities as a songwriter. He cites songs like “Me And My Gin,” where he takes listeners on a drive through his city as he reflects on his surroundings, or lead single “Wasabi,” which has become a Bay Area anthem, regularly played on Bay Area radio station 106 KMEL, as examples of his strengthened abilities.
And while Roach feels that his songwriting has improved with the new album, he’s also taken a looser overall approach to the way he puts together his music, focusing on making a collection of songs that he likes, rather than catering to outside opinions. “I feel like, fuck it,” he says, I’m gonna do what I do, and that’s a little of everything, musically and lyrically.”
A perfect example is “Going Off.” Compared to “Wasabi,” “Going Off” plays more as a warm-up track, in the vein of previous fan-favorite “Can I Rap,” as Roach attacks the song’s bouncy production for three unrelenting minutes. The video, directed by longtime collaborator Aris Jerome, is one of Roach’s most visually compelling to date, as the clean, simple shots cut back-and-forth, enhanced by deft slight-of-hand editing techniques.
