THE multi-talented Marvin Humes, best known as a former member of boyband JLS, took the time out of his busy schedule to talk to Quays News entertainment reporter Phoebe Jobling about his latest venture, LuvBug.
It all began with JLS’s audition on X-Factor back in 2008 and since then, Humes has become co-host of The Voice, one of Capital FM’s radio DJ’s and has created the DJ-producer-dance act LuvBug.
“LuvBug was an idea of mine when I was still in JLS and I knew we was sort of coming to an end,” Marvin explained.
“I knew I wanted to stay in the music industry but I didn’t really want to sing anymore.”
Humes was a part of the four-piece pop group JLS for five years before their split in 2013 which came as a shock to their huge fan base.
However, Marvin made sure this wasn’t the end of the road in his music career and decided to take a trip down the DJing path.
“I’ve done a lot of DJing over time, when me and the boys were on the road we’d go to clubs and DJ.
“I thought right – I love DJing, love playing house music, want to stay in the music industry, love writing songs so let’s just do all of that!”
Humes then hit back by forming an electronic dance music trio, originally joined by producers The White N3rd and JKAY.
— LuvBug (@LuvBug) March 22, 2016
When comparing JLS and LuvBug, he said: “Obviously it’s a completely different type of music and different type of promotion for the two but there are some similarities like being on the road and doing interviews.
“I’ve been really lucky to be fair because I’ve had the experience of being in a boyband with it being very commercial and now I’m doing something completely on the other side, where the music just speaks for itself.”
Most recently, LuvBug became solely Marvin which is an even bigger step out of his comfort zone.
“The most challenging thing was starting again,” Humes confessed.
“When you come out of something like JLS which was so successful and then to stand on your own two feet and it’s like starting all over again.
“It was quite risky but I’ve always been okay at just picking myself up and just cracking on with it, you know.”
LuvBug have produced remixes of popular chart toppers such as David Zowie’s ‘House Every Weekend’ and Karen Harding’s ‘Say Something’.
Humes unveiled that the remixes usually come about after people have approached him but a conversation with David Zowie on Twitter was what sparked the successful remix of ‘House Every Weekend’.
“At the time when I heard the song, it wasn’t even out yet.
“I said ‘it’s gonna be a smash’ and I’d love to remix it and he [Zowie] was like ‘yeah wicked let’s do it’.”
With many remixes’ in the bag from LuvBug, the question arose for me to ask Humes – which was his favourite?
“That’s a tough one,” Marvin laughed.
“I don’t know if I’ve got a favourite but I liked taking Little Mix’s ‘Black Magic’ for example, which is obviously a pop song, an amazing pop song but we got approached to do that and we totally flipped it to a garage tune.
“It’s kind of cool when you can take a song and completely change it,” he added.
So far, LuvBug have put out three original songs and their singles ‘Resonance’ and ‘Revive’ both reached into the top 20 of the UK singles chart and hit the top 10 on iTunes.
“I’d been spending a lot of time in Ibiza with DJ’s who are making these big commercial house records.
“’Resonance’ and ‘Revive’ were great singles for us but I would say that they were kind of on a UK vibe and I wanted to make the next record [Best Is Yet To Come] more on a European vibe,” Humes admitted.
LuvBug’s third single, ‘Best Is Yet To Come’, was released on April 15 and it includes vocals from Roy Stride, lead singer of Scouting for Girls.
“I’d heard that Roy [Stride] was writing some really cool stuff so I linked up with him and we started working on different ideas and it all just fell into place,” Humes revealed.
“Everybody’s heard that saying before ‘the best is yet to come’ whether it’s your parents that are saying it to you or your partner or your mates, it’s quite a positive message.
“The whole vibe of the track suits what I’m doing now with my music and when I’m DJing.”
During the past few years, the 31-year-old has got his name out abroad by DJing at Ibiza’s iconic club Pacha, which he described as a highlight for him.
“Last year was the first year that they put me in the main room alongside Bob Sinclar and that was a dream come true for me.
“Playing at the biggest club in the world, it doesn’t really get much better than that.”
Humes is currently taking his club tour across the UK playing LuvBug remixes along with the biggest house tracks and said that people can just expect a “great time”.
NEW TOUR DATES ADDED! Now also heading to Belfast, Aberstwyth, Cookstown, Birmingham and Hull! pic.twitter.com/twmGzXpIwr
— LuvBug (@LuvBug) April 8, 2016
He added: “Wherever you are reading this try and come down to one of the dates if you can, for sure.”
Marvin will be making announcements in the coming weeks revealing his plans for the summer so watch this space on his Twitter accounts @MarvinHumes, @LuvBug and also Facebook page.
By Phoebe Jobling
@pvjblog
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