It started as quite a small idea. "I wonder if I could quickly assemble a fresh batch of Everything Goes Back To Normal Buttons?”.
It’s ended up as Normal Buttons https://normalbuttons.com - a new store opening today selling hand-made, high quality, non-functional push buttons. Get 20% off with code FAMOUSLYLOSSMAKING.
Looking back, it should have had greater competition from other, wiser thoughts such as “I wonder if my wife needs a break from looking after our new baby almost all the time.” That would have been a good move. Very strong. Except I was telling myself the buttons were just a small thing. A mini-project, a little fun while the baby naps and before I get back into songwriting. That was in March, before I realised I was in the early stages of a full-blown, dawn-to-dusk personal obsession: BUTTONS. I WANT TO MAKE LOADS OF BUTTONS.
So. Buttons. The first batch from 2013 were given out one a night to those who needed them most, and ended up on various bar walls, shelves at home, a Bastille guitar pedal board, all sorts of places.
On one level, they’re completely useless. Just a metal box with a button that says Everything goes back to normal. Press it and nothing happens. A novelty. But on another, the whole thing feels imbued with some sort of mystic power to me. Press it, and all kinds of things happen. You lot have been asking me to make more of these for 13 years. There must be a reason right?
I think the action of pressing connects with the ten million other times in our lives when we press a button and the thing we expect to happen, happens. The door opens. The microwave beeps. The keyboard types.
This button piggy-backs on all those memories. Such a familiar object with such an unfamiliar message hijacks the brain for a moment, causing “Wait, what?” befuddlement. It must work. It’s got a button. Even with absent electronics it seems to hold some magical potential. Fun, serious, nothing, everything… what even is normal? I don’t know. It’s almost like a song, no inherent function or value and yet meaningful somehow, at least to people who are into that kind of music.
In hindsight there were little steps along the descent. Cos like… I’ll need some sort of packaging right? And it can’t really be a plain box can it? I should design artwork for the front and back.
And if I laser-cut the MDF front panels I won’t even have to spend ages drilling holes.
These snowballed into bigger ones: this deserves a new website, not just bandcamp. I should write endless help articles about things like installation and firmware. My brother Oli came on board as a business partner. What domain should we choose? We’ll need a logo.
WHAT IF THERE WAS A PRO MODEL WITH A LONGER RANGE. I’ll need to find a really fancy enclosure made of shiny smooth metal.
We didn’t really need to test out 12 different kinds of wood panel for the back, but we did and I’m glad. Because the fact it is laser-cut, hand-sanded walnut makes me very happy.
Every spare moment in my brain belonged to buttons. Honestly it was a bit extreme. But I just wanted to care about the details, make something really good, something that felt fantastic to hold. And these really do.
And then I took the summer off. Because sometimes you need to stop talking about buttons and watch your baby take their first few steps.
Now the Normal Buttons store is finally ready to open its doors to you. Take a look!
With any luck you’ll enjoy what you see, share it with others, and it grows.
Get 20% off all orders using code FAMOUSLYLOSSMAKING.
A wider range of buttons will hopefully launch later this year, with other powers that we might wish could be given to a button. Please consider picking one up, get it as a present!
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To be honest, the whole thing has been absolutely thrilling. I’ve felt a creative energy I haven’t felt for some time. I followed that fizzing feeling wherever it led, down all kinds of weird rabbit holes. It came at quite a cost of my time and attention, particularly impacting my amazing family, who still support me even when I’m behaving like the dog from Up who’s just seen a squirrel. But I also feel glad to be trying something a bit different, a new challenge. And after a break, playing guitar feels fresh and exciting again. I’m definitely eager to do more writing, touring and recording again.
So anyway, that’s it for now. Normal Buttons is go.
Hoping all’s well in your world. And if it isn’t, well, now there’s something you can do.
love
Jake
I love that there is a normal and pro version! Genius.
Hi Jake, lovely concept. I've just bought ours and I'm sure it will be used frequently. Not quite sure where normal is in our house though :) Hope the family are all well? Wigfest will be on next July so DM me if interested.