The Uglysuit Interview

Recently, I finally listened to Oklahoma City's The Uglysuit and I was instantly smitten.  The band is full of warm, sunny, late-sixties California pop music.  I really can't do justice to how great this band actually is.  Their eponymous debut CD is a great piece of music and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I was able to do an interview with Isreal Hindman, lead vocalist and guitarist for TUS.  

MP3:  The Uglysuit - Brad's House 

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Cold of hot food?  

Cold Cereal, honey bunches of oats.

When you think of Oklahoma music, one usually thinks of Reba, Toby Keith and Garth Brooks. Starting out, was it difficult getting booked in Oklahoma City having your particular sound?

It wasn't difficult at all getting booked really. It was the matter of getting the right music loving people to hear us so that our fan base could grow. Fortunately we've made a lot of friends on the way that have their own band with their own following as well. It makes the journey more worthwhile when you have friends to travel it with... Such as: The Non, Mayola, Other Lives (Kunek), Color Music, and Junebug Spade.

Are you guys originally from The City? If so, do you call it "The City" like everyone else in Oklahoma?

We're all originally from OKC. Yep, "the city" as well as "OKC".

When's the last time you ate at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill?

About a year ago for my mothers retirement dinner since they give military retirement dinners for free. Which is awesome that they "support the troops" in as many ways possible, something more business should practice.

The reason I ask the Oklahoma related questions is because I'm an Okie. I was raised in Tishomingo, OK all my life and now live in the "big city" of Dallas--in case you were wondering. I always get a special feeling in the cockles of my heart when I hear a really, really good Oklahoma band like yourselves. So, you'll have to excuse me.

Thank you! No worries. That is a huge compliment, very appreciated.

Since your music is so different from a lot of the sounds coming out of Oklahoma, who were your musical inspirations? You definitely seem to have sunny, California kind of sound, especially on "Chicago." I hate to compare you with Rooney, but, that's the comparison that keeps coming up when I listen. Well, them and the Afternoon Naps.

Hmm... Sigur Ros, Annuals, Explosions in the Sky, The Appleseed Cast, Radiohead, Jon Hopkins, Kunek (a local Stillwater band that's now known as Other Lives)

You guys are getting a quite a bit of attention in the blogosphere. Yahoo! Music has you listed as one of the next big things. You were featured on Stereogum's new "Decomposed" series too. Are you guys seeing any more people at your shows?

We are in fact seeing a few more people at our shows yeah...but the majority of the crowd still consists mostly of our close friends, which is awesome that they're all so supportive.

I absolutely love your song "Brad's House," I love the big chorus it has. What's the story behind that song and is Brad a real person?

Brad is a person yes, one of our close Chicago friends in fact. Every time we go to Chicago, whether to meet with Quarterstick/TouchAndGo (our second family) or to record with Manny Sanchez, we stay with either Bill (friend and introductor to TouchAndGo) or Brad (a supernova graphics designer for a Chicago university). One morning, one by one, everyone woke up and started adding their part to the song which started out as one acoustic. Oh, and brad's house faces Lake Michigan from a third floor view...thus the "we sang hymns to Lake Michigan, five bros and I" line.

Since there are six of you in the band, it seems like it would get pretty cramped in the van going around to shows. Do any of you ever have to pull the Econoline over and whoop some ass? You guys have/had a big New Year's Eve show coming up in Oklahoma City. Are/were you excited to be back home and playing for the hometown kids?

There's of course the occasional misunderstanding or two, but typically the van is our place of serenity if you will. It's the one most consistent piece of familiar we have to call our temporary 'living room' on the road. Once we got back to our hometown though, with all the familiar faces welcoming us in the New Year, our level of energy on stage was even effected. Several times I'd look over to give a lifting hand to the fallen Kyle on the floor. The crowd that night, as for most nights, completely set the energy of the show for us. Who doesn't love hometown shows.

Speaking of shows, is there a place you haven't played that you would like to? Any artists you would like to play with?

In Iceland with Sigur Ros..

Since it's the new year, and there are a shitload of blogs listing their faves of 2008; are there any bands who were your favorites of 2008?

Fleet Foxes, Helios, Annuals, Working For a Nuclear Free City, Bon Iver, Out Hud, The Octopus Project, Blackmoth Super Rainbow.

When are you guys coming to play Dallas? If I've missed your show recently I'm sorry, I just got turned onto you guys recently. Have you ever asked Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru to help you out in getting booked?

We have no shows booked in Dallas yet, but soon. We only use Billions booking so far. We'll look into that though, thanks a lot.