“What if I died tomorrow and never told you?"
Almost a decade ago, Cub Sport frontman Tim Nelson penned these lyrics about a love he hadn’t yet admitted to himself, let alone anyone else. Ahead of the band’s set at Ability Fest, the singer reflects on how songwriting helped him find his voice, and soon after, the love of his life.
Cub Sport’s celebration of self-expression and individuality carries a rare authenticity – one that feels like the culmination of years spent grappling with identity and fear, before triumphantly emerging in light.
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“Before I was out or had told Sam anything about how I felt, it was all kind of coming out in the songs,” Tim recalls, referring to his bandmate and now-husband Sam Netterfield.
“I felt like I wasn’t giving away anything too obvious, but in retrospect so much of my truth that I wasn’t fully ready to actually say out loud came through in the music. I kind of owe where I am now with Sam to that process, because it was him listening to the songs that gave him the confidence to say something to me about it.”
In 2016 the pair came out to each other, their families and fans. A year later they were engaged, before tying the knot in 2018.
Tim has always spoken candidly about his path to self-love. Raised in the Pentecostal Church, he’s faced a number of internal and external pressures that made embracing his identity a complicated journey.
“It took me so long to accept that I was queer,” he says. “It was something that I didn’t like about myself, and when I finally did admit it, it was kind of begrudgingly, like ‘it is what it is’.”
Music became a pivotal tool for introspection and a safe space to express matters of the heart. “I love getting my feelings out through music, and I hope that it’s something I can do for my whole life,” Tim shares.
The band’s musical output has been an ongoing exploration of identity – navigating the complexities of queer love, desire, spirituality and acceptance. These themes can be heard throughout Cub Sport’s discography, shifting from their earlier melancholic ballads to the rhythmic, bright and bouncy dance tracks on recent releases.
In contrast to the more reflective, gut-wrenching tracks on the band’s 2020 album Like Nirvana, their 2023 album, Jesus at the Gay Bar, birthed a new chapter of joyful and euphoric dance tracks, while maintaining the “emotional sincerity” beloved by listeners.
“After performing Like Nirvana and it being such a deeply emotional experience… I was kind of trying not to cry at so many points throughout performing that music. I wanted it to be a bit more fun and a bit more light – for myself performing it, and also for the audience.”
Since touring the record across Australia, New Zealand and North America, Tim says the lift in energy at their live shows was immediately palpable. “Having people dancing and stuff instead of crying – although it’s kind of a bit of both still – definitely feels different in a nice way.”
Cub Sport is riding the wave of a broader cultural shift with the rise of queer pop. Over the past decade, queer artists have found increasing success in the mainstream.
“It is such an exciting time,” Tim says, citing the achievements of artists like Troye Sivan and Chappell Roan.
“I feel like not that long ago, there were popular artists and then popular queer artists. But now it just feels like queerness has permeated all of the most important parts of culture. It’s the great things that queer people are doing that are really what’s shining.”
On a personal level, the shift has brought Tim a deeper appreciation of his LGBTQIA+ culture. “I love being queer,” he says. “It’s become something that I’m so happy and grateful for. Now I’m like, I hate to imagine life as a straight person. No offence to straight people,” he chuckles.
Cub Sport are wrapping up the production of a new album, scheduled for release sometime next year. Tim says the record will dive deeper into the “dancy and clubby vibes” the band has been exploring. He also teased a seventh album already in the works, featuring sounds akin to the band’s early recordings.
After 15 years together, the four-piece remains closer than ever. “I’m honestly so grateful to have five albums out now and still feel excited about it all,” Tim says. “I know how rare that is – to have a band that can stay so tight and keep getting tighter over time. More than ever, it feels like we’re a little family.”
Catch Cub Sport at Ability Fest in Melbourne on October 19. Grab your tickets here.
