UNI and the Urchins recently released their debut album, ‘Simulator,’ out via Chimera Music (the label Kemp Muhl co-runs with Sean Lennon).

The project had been making music on and off for a few years, and the pandemic really catapulted them into “we need to make our debut album” mode.

All the members have a true love of retro and psychedelic rock music, and for years, they were trying to emulate that. But when the pandemic gave everyone a clean start, they kind of realized: “If we really want to be following in the footsteps of the artists we consider our heroes, like Bowie, we need to look forward to the future like he did, not back a couple of decades.” They are all science and politics junkies who follow the “the soap opera” of the news, and realized that the biggest thing changing our world and lives right now is Artificial Intelligence. Thus, as Bowie looked to the Space Race for inspiration for Ziggy Stardust, they realized they had to look forward … UNI and the Urchins look to the Singularity (when AI overtakes humanity).

The album really grapples with the concept of technology and how it is changing us. Over the pandemic, it seems like our acceleration from humans to avatars really accelerated. In a world of metaverse and Zoom, are we people or are we avatars in a Zoom grid? The album deals with the pros/cons of that in a really fun, surrealist way. Even if we’re headed for the apocalypse, we’re gonna party on the way there …

“An outsider looking in who is narrating the freak show”

‘Simulator’ is out now. How do you feel now that you’ve finally put out your band’s debut album?

Jack James Busa: Everyone is asking me that, which is lovely, but I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. The reaction from my friends and family has made me happy and when I saw one of the hard copies I was pretty elated. I’m very proud of it. I’m proud of Kemp Muhl. As I’m writing my answer, I’m questioning if I have some sort of postpartum, haha.

During the pandemic, did you find the isolation creatively challenging or freeing? It seems that the pandemic and the current state of the world influenced you a lot while working on the album.

I felt restless during the pandemic. There was no “end date” so with an X amount of time and so many ideas of what to make, I felt aimless, confused, and depressed for the world. In fact, I wrote the idea for the song ‘Popstar Supernova’ at the start of the pandemic. We had just finished touring on and off for about three years, and there was a feeling of upward momentum for the band, and then, BAM! Lockdown.

The song in part is about getting so close to what you want and then forces beyond your control blocking you, leaving the haves to have and the have-nots in cosmic dust.

For me, the album as a whole is a reflection of the world, or America, from the point of view of an outsider looking in who is narrating the freak show.

Can you tell us a little more about how the album came together, and what your approach was while writing?

There were some 50-odd songs (that I was aware of, could be more) that Kemp Muhl and David Strange had written prior to me joining the band that I put vocals on.

There was a different collection of songs that was intended to make an album but with the pandemic, we were advised to not release a full LP, instead singles with videos we already had. With the world turned on it’s head, we were inspired by what was going on around us and new material manifested. Most of the album was made remotely by Kemp at her farm upstate and I’d come visit to lay down vocals and write some.

Can you elaborate on the connection between AI and the album? What kind of future do you think awaits us?

I have no idea what the future holds for us, but I’m inclined to be optimistic; we shall see. On the title track, we used a program that generated lyrics. We took some of them and spliced them together, like what Bowie and Burroughs would do with the cut-up technique. AI didn’t write the song but was more creative flint.

I like the idea that our collective artworks in whatever medium are the neural network training fodder of an infant God as a meta metaphor for the creation of man or our silly little civilization or something else pretentious but we’ll see what happens when that God reaches their terrible twos.

<a href="https://unitheband.bandcamp.com/album/simulator-2">SIMULATOR by UNI and The Urchins</a>

“What would our heroes from 50 years ago want to make”

What was the recording process like?

20% sexy exciting super fun art time, 80% nudging drum beats and debating pedantic sounds on four bars of music. David would make us really good food and I always have a laugh with him and Kemp.

It was exciting to watch it become real and fall into place. Perhaps it was a little scary as well. I think our fans expected a full analog glam rock album, and we weren’t in that headspace at that time. The mantra became “what would our heroes from 50 years ago want to make and talk about now.” That’s essentially what we tried to do, or at least from my point of view. Not sure if we succeeded or not, haha.

You’ve invested a lot of time and effort into making music videos for each song – can you speak about that?

The music feels so cinematic to me. Kemp and I start coming up with video ideas as we’re making the song. To me, they go hand in hand. Everybody’s living in a visual world, and I am a visual girl.

If you could work with any artist from the past (dead or alive), who would it be?

Probably… Miss Piggy? Any Muppet, but she’s top of my list.

What are some future plans?

We want to make a rock opera. I want to make a country psychedelic project. David will probably run for president and I’ll oppose him just to be iconic and angsty.

Let’s end this interview with some of your favorite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Oh man, favorite albums… big question…

In no particular order:

‘Live Through This’ – Hole
‘Car Wheels on a Gravel Road’ – Lucinda Williams
‘Station to Station’ – David Bowie
‘Aladdin Sane’ – David Bowie
‘Fresh’ – Sly and The Family Stone
Every Beatles album, ‘Rubber Soul’ onwards
‘Parallel Lines’ – Blondie
‘House of The Holy’ – Led Zeppelin
‘Channel Orange’ – Frank Ocean
‘Nightclubbing’ – Grace Jones
‘The Division Bell’ – Pink Floyd
‘Firth of Fifth’ – Genesis
#1 Record – Big Star
‘Ray of Light’ – Madonna
Judee Sill’s self titled album

Man, I feel like I’m forgetting something…. That’s what’s off the top of my head, at least.

Thank you. Last word is yours.

Mexicatessen.

Klemen Breznikar

UNI and The Urchins Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube
Chimera Music Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp