An Interview with Mary Bugbee of unpolished*

An Interview with Mary Bugbee of unpolished*

I had the amazing opportunity to sit down and get to know Mary, the lead singer of unpolished*. The band formed in 2024, and have released some amazing singles, and the just released an EP called “I plead insanity” and it sounds marvelous. These young ladies definitely are insanely gifted. Here’s my interview with her below.

Describe your musical education and training.
I actually am not classically trained at all. I took clarinet lessons in elementary school that trickled into middle school band classes, but I taught myself everything for a long time. I started seeing my voice teacher, Lacy Kay, in 2022 to ensure that I didn’t prematurely blow my voice out.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
The best piece of advice I can give someone in a creative block is to hang up whatever project you’re working on. Let it and yourself breathe. Start something completely fresh or spend some time with yourself and let life inspire you. Nothing good comes from force. The block will pass on its own.

Tell me about your favorite live performance experience.
There was one show I had to play recently that came after a rough night. I was embarrassed and not feeling great, but something snapped in me that made me say, “I’m taking this frustration and turning it into the gnarliest set these people have ever seen.” I still think that is my best performance to date.

Do you have experience with music production software?
I do! I’ve been experimenting with production since I was in high school. The more I’ve gotten into the studio to write and collaborate with others, the more confident I feel in my creations. I actually have some songs that I produced on the way.

How do you see yourself contributing to the band’s sound?
I like to contribute my unconventional songwriting to unpolished*, both lyrically and structurally. Lots of double-entendres, intense lyrics, ear-wormy vocal layers. Just things that might fly over your head on the first listen.

(Interview and Photos by Denise Johnson)

unpolished* on Instagram