Closer to the Sun Artist Debut Series: How Brandon Hardesty of Bumpin Uglies Stole the Show at CTTS

The Closer to the Sun Artist Debut Series wouldn’t be the same without festival M.V.P. and Bumpin Uglies frontman, Brandon Hardesty! Talk about kicking things off in style! Originally set to play just a pre-night show, the band leveled up to claim a spot on the main festival lineup, opening the beach stage with unforgettable energy and some killer special guests. Brandon gave us a masterclass in living the Closer life.

Keeping things going, we’re rolling out the second episode of our Closer To The Sun Artist Debut Series—following our chat with Matthew Roads of Tropidelic—where we dish all the festival tea with your favorite first-time performers.

The Pier: Brandon! Man, where do I even begin? Saying you crushed it at Closer feels like an understatement. Let’s start with the big news—going from just a pre-night gig to scoring a spot on the main festival lineup. How did that all come together?

Brandon Hardesty: When we booked the pre-night gig, we were told we’d get a festival slot as well once all the scheduling panned out. So happy we did because that was an all-time moment for us!

TP: The beach stage was seriously the perfect fit for your vibe. But you were all over the place, jumping in on sets left and right. If you had to pick, though, which stage would be your ultimate go-to?

BH: Man, it’s hard because they all have their own identity. The beach stage is cool for the laid-back reggae. The main stage has the big production. Late night is the rager set. For me, it would probably be a toss-up between the main stage and the late-night stage. We’ve always been good at the after-party shit-show vibe, and it’d be nice to do our thing on the main stage with all the bells and whistles.

TP: Playing Closer for the first time is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, no doubt. So, how’d you go about crafting your setlist from your huge catalog of music? What vibe were you going for?

BH: It was all about the features for me. I think that’s what makes this scene so special and fun for the fans. That’s why people come to festivals like Closer. So, I just went down the lineup, looked at who we could get up with us, and crafted the setlist accordingly.

TP: This year was stacked with guest spots, and your set might’ve had the most of them. Who’d you pull in to join you, and how did you make it all come together?

BH: We had Jackson (The Elovaters), Logan (Artikal Sound System), Matt & James (Tropidelic), Kaleo (Pepper), Ted (Passafire), G. Love, Dan Kelly (Fortunate Youth), and Kyle Smith. I think that’s everyone. Those are all the homies, so I just sent up the bat signal, and everyone came through!

TP: And then there’s your appearances all over the place—like, everywhere! Seriously, you were on so many sets, and it felt like you were everywhere at once. How did all those guest spots come about?

BH: I was on a mission to make an impression, so I just made sure I was in the right place at the right time. We’ve toured with a lot of these bands, so I knew the songs they were gonna jam on.

TP: I don’t know how you found a moment to kick back and watch other sets with everything you had going on, but if you did, what were some standout moments for you at Closer?

BH: I think my favorite part of Closer was actually before the festival started. I got to kick it with my friends Logan and Tony and catch up. Once the festival started, I was in work mode until we got home. This was a really big opportunity for us, and I thought of it like an audition. I spent every waking moment trying to connect with fans and do cool music shit to promote our band.

TP: Alright, I’ve been asking everyone this, so now I need to hear your take—what are the Closer to the Sun do’s and don’ts? What are the absolute essentials, and what should people avoid to make the most of the fest?

BH: Gotta hit all the restaurants. Make sure you catch at least one late-night set. Try to find a private party in a room. Take advantage of the free ice cream. If you want non-alcoholic beers, bring your own. Buy weed off a bellhop. Buy other drugs off a bellhop. Go to the Bret Michaels suite. Eat tacos. Eat more tacos. When you think you’ve had enough tacos, get more tacos.