‘It Don’t Love You’ by Spiders From Uranus | New Album, ‘Blow It Out!’
Exclusive video premiere of ‘It Don’t Love You’ by Spiders From Uranus, the new project from former members of 80s PNW punk veterans Young Pioneers, taken from their upcoming album, ‘Blow It Out!,’ out April 12, 2024.
‘Blow It Out!’ is the debut record from Seattle band Spiders from Uranus. The main songwriter, Chris Pugh finds himself in a state of infectious ease. The album’s nine tracks offer bite-sized, potent bursts of punk-rock that rarely push past the two minute mark. Tales of bad parties, nightmares, and evasive, raccoon-eyed characters spill recklessly from the three-piece in a torrent of guitars, drums, and harmonies as the audience is pulled along on a ride that feels inexplicably fun.
“I just wanted to simplify. I wanted to make it easier with the songwriting. It’s not rocket science for us.” Pugh says of the record, which truly seems to operate far from the world of science, driven instead by feeling and emotion and the unexplainable energy that can radiate from three musicians with years of shared history. A veteran to the music scene, Pugh first got his start in high school when, inspired by the DIY ethos, he realized one could simply start a band. He soon moved to Seattle with his friends, where he continued to collaborate and play in projects until settling into the fertile punk-rock scene that was Olympia, WA in the 80’s. Over the years he played in countless bands such as Young Pioneers, Pet Projects, Creep, Saba, and many more that Pugh can scarcely remember, cultivating a rich bed of musical tradition and community that informs his most recent effort. He tapped longtime collaborators Colm Meek, who played with Pugh in Creep and Saba, as well as in a project called Heliotrope, and Scott Vanderpool, who played in Young Pioneers as well as Chemistry Set, to form Spiders of Uranus. The trio began a reinvention of their past projects that boils down to its most enjoyable parts; this band wants to have fun.
“A feeling. Music of a certain era that I really like. Not derivative, but influenced by all of the different things I’ve listened to over the years.” Pugh describes the record, which sears as an homage to the Buzzcocks, the Clash, and other punk rock bands of the late 70’s, while also carrying catchy elements of the Brit Pop-Rock era. The stories, too, are formed out of a conglomeration of experiences Pugh had over the years, some real, some imagined: a map that doesn’t lead to any one place but promises a hell of a journey.
The album’s single ‘It Don’t Love You’ is one such trip: a flaming, raucous spin around the streets of a city that is not what you hoped it would be. “It’s about having your city grow and change and not be the place it once was. Having your city become a place that’s too expensive for weirdos and artists to thrive.” Pugh says of the song, which finds its hook in the contagious harmonies of Pugh and Vanderpool: “You love this city but it doesn’t love you.” Shame and disconnect rear their heads for the briefest moments, ugly truths delivered with fiery rock and roll that doesn’t wait for anything. At the end of it all, we’re left with the sense that in some reality, the weirdos and the artists are thriving; they’re leaving it all on the stage.
The album was recorded at Witch Ape studio in Seattle, WA by Tad Doyle (J. Mascis, Steve Albini), who co-produced the record with the band. The process found Spiders from Uranus tracking mostly live, achieving a sound that feels like it is pulled straight from a tiny, sweaty venue. The easy chemistry between Chris Pugh, bassist Colm Meek, and drummer Scott Vanderpool is palpable, a fast-moving vehicle that drives itself, a party you want to be a part of, an ever-shining homage to the joy of musical expression.
Headline photo: Charles Peterson
Spiders From Uranus Facebook / Bandcamp / YouTube
