DFest Preview: The Uglysuit
In our attempt to gear up for DFest, I (Graham Lee Brewer) will be speaking with a few Oklahoma acts who will be playing this weekend in Tulsa.
The next band on our list is the humble gang from Oklahoma City, The Uglysuit.
Aside from touring with the likes of Iron & Wine as of late, The Uglysuit have also signed to Quarterstick Records (an imprint label of Touch & Go who has put out music by Blonde Redhead, Pinback, The Black Heart Procession and Yeah Yeah Yeahs). The Uglysuit’s Quarterstick debut drops nationwide on August 19.
The Uglysuit plays Friday at 10pm at the The Blank Slate.
Tell me how you and Quarterstick first started talking.
It started about two years ago. We wrote and recorded a 6 song EP called Welcome To Smileville here in Oklahoma City. We recorded it in a bedroom with an 8 track recorder and a laptop. That album made it into the hands of Bill Lowman, a producer and now good friend who also works for Touch and Go/Quarterstick. He brought us up to Chicago for the first time in January of last year [2007] to begin studio work on our first full length album, which at that time was going to be released on his small label. The album was produced by Bill Lowman and Brad Gallagher [of Bosco & Jorge] and engineered by Manny Sanchez at I.V. Lab Studios in Chicago. As the months went by, our album slowly started making its way around the office of Touch and Go and a year and half later, after the album was done and mastered it was handed to Cory Rusk, the founder and owner of Touch and Go, who gave the go ahead to offer us a contract.
DOWNLOAD:
The Uglysuit - “Chicago”
You mentioned that you had been talking to the label for about 6 months. What was the whole process like?
At the beginning, it was kind of a ‘don’t count your chickens before they hatch’ kind of thing. We had heard that some of the A&R people up there had dug the album but we didn’t know what to make of it. So about two months ago we played a showcase for T&G/QS and a few other labels. After we played, we were approached about signing and closed the deal. The last 2 months or so were actually spent getting to meet with everyone at T&G/QS [who are all very wonderful people] and taking care of all the business that goes with signing.
Where you nervous that you would make the album and Quarterstick would decide to go the other way?
Well no not really because during the time we were recording the album, we had no idea that QS would actually be interested in us anyway. We just believed in what we were doing and there was never any real doubt that what we were doing would be heard. We have a lot of faith in our producers and our engineer and hopefully Quarterstick will continue to like what we bring to the table musically, as a band.
When the album is officially released do you guys have any idea what the following tour will be like (length, regions, bands you’ll be playing with)?
We will be touring fairly extensively in support of TBA, first in the US for a few months right around the time the album is out in August. That tour, as well as our first European tour is being slated right now.
In the past couple of years more and more Oklahoma bands are garnering attention, both from labels and the press. I think before recent success a lot of musicians here felt it was harder to get noticed in a place like Oklahoma. I’m curious how you guys feel about that.
It’s definitely difficult to gain the exposure here that say bands in L.A. or New York get, but the thing about Midwest cities like Oklahoma City is that we are coming from our own place musically. The thing we as a scene have going for us is the fact that the music coming out of OKC is it’s own thing, separate from the masses of music row. It’s original, and I think collectively, it is a sound that Oklahoma can call its own. That is what labels are looking for - that edge and originality.
And a lot of labels are starting to realize that The Midwest is a great place to look for it. All Hail the Midwest.
I think a lot of bands who make it to a reputable label always look back at the bands from their scene and hope that in some way or another they will be able to help them get noticed. If you guys could pick one local band to bring out on tour with you who would it be and why.
The Non. They make the most beautiful noises. And they deserve everything that’s coming to them. They are good friends and definitely our favorite band in Oklahoma City right now.
I heard through the grapevine that you guys might be doing something for Rolling Stone soon. What’s that all about?
We were on the hot list in Rolling Stone last month and just finished a photo shoot with REDHOUSE studios for a feature in Rolling Stone some time in August, so keep your eyes out.
You will be sharing the stage with the Apples In Stereo. That’s a pretty good slot. Are you big fans?
We are definitely excited to be opening for the AIS, we are all big fans and are definitely appreciative of the opportunity.