The Uglysuit

My Swag: First things first, what does or why did you guys name the yall band "The Uglysuit" and what does it represent, both literally and figuratively? Really what does it signify to your band?
Kyle: Well there are a few different stories behind the name actually ha but collectively putting them together....i would say it started out as jibberish....(or as how i remember).....and then i forget(israels side)....but crosby however i believe his is that it represents how we dress like older men with our thrift store apparel....and also how we kind of are old men in a lot of ways, some more than others, but yes indeedy my good friend. And honestly, thats what i think of really ha ha its just a chance for us to be us if you will.

Give a little background on yall band.
Kyle: There is definitely some to give. HA! Well, four of the six of us have been playing together for about 6 years now. We were in a band called Corban Eldra. It was a good time. We actually started up the suit of uglyness as a side project from the rather "more hardcore" idea that was at the time Corban Eldra. It was a chance for us to play the music more fitting for us. Not too much longer after our one and only show, Corban turned more towards the softer side as well. which ws neat. In fact, our first song we ever wrote was in '04 and the original line up being, Israel, Crosby, Jimmy, and myself wrote this interesting little jingle called "Chicago." then we mustered out two more, one being a little folk tune, and the other being the early first version of of "...And We Became Sunshine." So after our first show, we relaxed, called it fun and always said maybe one day we will play another show. In '06, Corban hit the fan and went under. One of our brothers, Dustin Maynord who played guitar, could no longer stay in the band. A couple of months after, we thought, "HEY! Why dont we try 'The Uglysuit' again?" The reactions were close to, "Well why not man?" i dont remember exactly....but i am sure that's not too far off he ha ho! We had met Jonnathan before by playing with a band he was in called "Rhapsody Heights" because he took the spot of Corban's acoustic/keyboard player, Brian Gililland, in Rhapsody. So Israel gave him a ring. And because Colin had played with us in Corban, there it was. The Uglysuit had formed.


How do you go about making sure The Uglysuit doesn’t fall into that “boxed in” category?
Matt: I think it's as simple as not worrying about whether it falls into any specific category, and not letting anyone else force us to write our music a way that's no natural to us. It frustrates me to hear about so many bands that get signed to a label, with stars in their eyes, ready to unveil their music to a worldwide audience... only to find out that they were promised everything and given nothing but a new image and sound, completely unlike the one they worked so hard to create in the first place. This seems to happen the most when making that transition from an indie label to a major label. The added pressure from some of these labels also can force a band to think their music needs to be better than it is. The debut record from the Shiny Toy Guns is a perfect example of that. I think they re-recorded parts of their debut album something like three or four times. That's astonishing. We are fortunate enough to be backed by a record label (Touch and Go /Quarterstick) that doesn't ask us to change our music for the sake of making another dollar, or any other reason for that matter.

What do you think makes an extraordinary musician?
Matt: An average musician needs a specific instrument or genre to work with because it's what they know... it's what they are comfortable with. An extraordinary musician can make music out of anything and everything... they can always trust their own ears. They use the instrument as an extension of themselves. Music is the only truly universal language, and for some people it's the only way they can communicate with the outside world.

What is your favorite Rock album of all time and why?
Wow that's a tough one. I think I'd have to split this one up into a couple albums... Led Zeppelin I for starters. I stop and think to myself all the time what music would be like today if it weren't for certain records, and I keep coming back around to the first Zeppelin album. It's just such a raw, straight-forward rock-and-roll record front to back that literally redefined rock and paved the way for decades of aspiring musicians . It has so many flaws and imperfections, but who in their right mind would change a single thing about it? You can listen closely to that record and hear things like Bonham growling atop the persistent squeak of his kick pedal. You can tell how hungry for music those guys were when they made it- and then to follow it up with a second record in the same year that's just as huge. It's just amazing to see a group of guys so young come up with a pair of records like that.The other thing that comes to mind immediately is Dark Side of the Moon. The fact that it stayed on the billboard 200 for 14 years straight really speaks loudly. Shouting, perhaps. Every song blends perfectly into the next. It's not a record you pop in to hear your favorite track, then jump to another album. You listen to the whole thing beginning to end. There's just no way around it. It seems like most records could have a random track order with the same songs and still have the same end result. Not Floyd. They had a vision so big it could only be brought to a halt by the limitations of (what was then) modern technology. Only 44 minutes on a record you know...
Which band, in your opinion, speak to the world on multiple levels?
Who do you think is striving to change the world through their words, or at least has the ability to get a throng of people to listen to their words
.Matt: Two words.... TILA TEQUILA!!! Okay, not really. In all seriousness... I have to say, I went through some very tough times in my life several years ago. Coldplay really kept me going through it all. Their first two albums were monumentally important to me at that time. The lyrics and melody in "Everything's Not Lost" really gave me a lot of hope to stay strong, and I think that's definitely the vision they had when they wrote those two albums. Needless to say, they have been able to change the lives of millions of people worldwide, myself included.

Who or what was your inspiration for making this album?
Kyle: Just to write and play music really. i mean why else? also there are definitely individual inspirations like clouds and trees, nature and what have you...you know to each his own...but overall its just the love of making music. hocha!

Now i been hearing this word toss around a lot describe what a "Psychedelic" band is opposite to a "indie" band for people who have no clue.
Matt: In my opinion, the term "indie" has morphed over the years into something it really isn't. It literally just means an artist that is unsigned or signed to a non-major label. Some how, this has been turned into an actual genre of music even though it doesn't describe a single characteristic of the music itself. Indie to me means "without limitations". No rules... no set path to follow... doing the unorthodox... not worrying what other people might think... money is only a piece of paper.

Kyle: "Psychedelic" is a type of music, and can be played from an unsigned "indie" band or any band that wants to try it. Its like a sea of sound but not always necessarily driving. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. You get lost in it, there are almost no boundaries which makes the "indie" idea and the "psychedelic" idea great partners. Music should really have no boundaries anyway for what you can do with it. Its your creation. Dont get stuck in box, unless you want to be. As long as YOU are happy with the sound you create.

What genre of music do you fit in?
Matt: We've never really lumped ourselves into any specific genre. I believe that's what allows us to most freely express ourselves. The music is constantly changing and evolving. Perhaps an outsider's perspective would be of use here. I've heard everything from Psychedelic, Progressive Math-Rock to Folk Pop to Alt-Country. I say let it be whatever you want or need it to be.

Would you say that you make music for all ages are specifically for young people?
Matt: Definitely for all ages. Sure, there's no screaming on this record, or a frenzy of four-letter words that make the average soccer-mom cringe... but, don't just assume it's for children. It is just friendly and happy. It's the kind of music that different types of people can relate to in their own ways.

Any first time thing in 2008 for The Uglysuit?
Kyle: Just about everyting really ha....in Corban we had a two week tour but that was it...so we have already had our first mini tour, or exposure to the touring world...our debut full length album....signing with touch and go/quarterstick or a bigger label than before.....lots of different things coming about...

Where do you see the band in 5 years?
Matt: "Time exists just on your wrist, so don't panic." -Travis, The Invisible Band Lately everything has been happening so fast that it's practically impossible to know what we'll be doing even a month or two from now. We're just hoping for the best and holding on to our hats. Literally! For now, we're just ready to hit the road in an attempt to reach as many people as possible. As long as our music can help even a single person get through a tough time, or give somebody hope to keep going when they think everything else is hopeless, I'm all in.

Thanks so much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Matt: We'd just like to thank everyone that has helped us along the way, and we are very grateful for the opportunities we have been given. It's like a dream come true.

The Uglysuit - "Chicago" from Touch and Go/Quarterstick on Vimeo.