UnBeeLievable Bugadelic Rock: Interview with Doolittle Ladybug

Producing bugadelic rock out of Reno, Nevada, Doolittle Ladybug is not your typical five-piece jam band. Vocalist Alyssa Lazarro, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jack Nady, drummer Lukas Farias, bassist Kyle Hutchings, and lead guitarist Nic Graver are a group of diverse, like-minded friends bound together by a raw and genuine love of music – and a shared drive to build something new out of it.

What immediately distinguishes Doolittle Ladybug isn't just the music – it's the camaraderie. Every member of the band is a well-known figure in the Reno scene, a veteran of entirely different subsets, converging into the experimental mixing pot that is Doolittle Ladybug.

Alyssa cut her teeth in Radiometric, a popular riot grrrl band. Kyle is a mince-core devotee from the hardcore scene, Jack comes from an electronic production background steeped in indie and hip-hop. Lukas studies jazz drumming at UNR, where he also plays in the jazz combo. Nic plays psychedelic rock across several Reno-favorite projects in addition to Doolittle. On paper, they had no business being in the same band – and that's exactly what makes it work.

Jack Nady is what the band calls "the torso of the project." He assembled the collective through a web of connections from previous bands, childhood friendships, and years of networking the scenes, earning him the designation of common connector and undisputed glue. His ongoing projects – including Squib and an active freelance production practice – ensure a constant current of innovation running through Doolittle Ladybug. The band's sound reflects his hand in it: a new sonic world that draws heavily on indie and Midwestern emo, strung with each member's distinct musical DNA.

If Nady is the torso, Nic Graver is the right hand – and the Band Dad. Elected to the role by his bandmates, Graver is a guiding light and genuine mentor, consulted not just on show management and musical critique, but on life in general. As the eldest member od a band with a wide age range, Graver brings a depth of experience from projects like the coveted Nightrooms and Blackstallion, both genre-adjacent to Doolittle Ladybug. The fellowship and mutual admiration within the band are unmistakeable.

Kyle Hutchings was a later addition, joining as bassist on the recomendation of a friend of the band. A recent high school graduate, Hutchings is already a well-known character in Reno's punk and hardcore scenes, playing both drums and bass across multiple projects – including the grime core band The Olivias. The pivot from mince-core to midwestern emo was a natural stretch for someone who moves that freely – which is why the band calls them "Versatile Kyle."

"That's what the scene is so good for – connecting people of all age ranges…[older musicians] hanging out with young people who are trying to make a name for themselves. They're mentors" – Kyle Hutchings

Lukas Farias lives and breathes drums. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's in music with a focus on jazz drumming, Farias has roots in funk and bluegrass and a deep admiration for the UNR jazz faculty and his drum teacher, Andy Heglund. His bible, he says, is Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Together Farias and Hutchings are the legs of the operation – two players from wildly different backgrounds who are constantly collaborating and pushing each other to keep the whole band moving.

Alyssa Lazarro is the face. A multi-instrumentalist with a background in guitar, bass, and vocals, Lazarro is also a full-time sociology student and an embedded figure in the Reno music community. She grew up on Surf Curse house shows, practically lived at the Holland Project, and fronted Radiometric – opening for the likes of Destroy Boys, Dog Party, and Slate. Her love for musical performance shines in how she carries herself on and off stage.

"I fall into a trance when I perform. I turn into another person, projecting my message to the crowd. I feel like I'm playing with my friends for my friends." – Alyssa Lazarro

Together, they are Doolittle Ladybug – five people from drastically different corners of the same scene, making music that makes people want to move. The band credits much of their formation and growth to the Holland Project, the beloved all-ages, low-cost community space that has quietly shaped a generation of Reno musicians. They're outspoken advocates for community, for genre openness, and for showing up for local artists.

One of the band's favorite shared memories is a multi-hour jam session that followed a meditation retreat – manifesting into a sprawling, prosperous creative bloom that Nady and Farias still speak about with warmth. It captures the core of what Doolittle Ladybug is about: meaningfulness. In the music, in the community, and in the friendships that hold it all together.

"The exoeruence of sharing something you've worked on – something you feel and understand so well – and sharing that with other in a visceral, interpersonal sense…seeing them connect to it is emotional. It makes you reflect on yourself when you're up there. It's liberation." – Kyle Hutchings

Doolittle Ladybug has a single on the way and an album not that far behind. Keep your ears peeled, and follow them for updates and upcoming shows.

Author's note: Nic Graver was not present at the interview but submitted the following statement:

"My only contribution is: I use a Q-Tron Envelope Filter pedal, a Quint Octave pedal, and a Big Muzz Fuzz [pedal]." – Nic Graver