Uh Huh Baby Yeah! know a thing or two about how to hustle. They caught Kevin Lyman’s attention just before last year’s Vans Warped Tour kicked off and Lyman asked them to be the summer’s official BBQ band, where they’d prepare food in exchange for the chance to perform. And they made the opportunity count. Not only did they impress Lyman so much he extended a second invite to play the entire 2014 tour, but they connected with letlive. guitarist Jeff Sayhou. Sayhou took the band under his wing, and the newfound friends ended up recording an EP together. Today we’re excited to give you an exclusive taste of that EP. Here’s the premiere of the first single, “Natural Born Thriller,” as well as an interview with UHBY! vocalist Kevin Fletcher and Jeff Sayhou – check both out below!
How did you two initially link up?
Jeff: I met them on the Vans Warped Tour last summer. They were kind enough to fill my plate with food on the daily. From there, we’d run into each other pretty often in random places on festival grounds. The rest is history.
Kevin: Jeff pretty much hit the nail on the head. We became pals from the start last summer and knew we’d be working together in the near future.
Jeff, what about the band made you want to take them under your wing?
Jeff: Heart. The boys have such a drive that isn’t very common in our so called current “scene”. They served food to bands in the food court all summer without a guaranteed shot on a stage. Not even for a day. That was the trade off they landed with Warped Tour last summer–work for us and you MIGHT be able to show face on stage. Aside from the assistance in catering, they hustled their previous release outside on the daily and managed to successfully fund their entire contribution to the tour from doing so. Just remarkable hustle on top of maintaining humble personalities. I knew we’d become great friends instantly. I’m pretty sure they sold over 6,000 copies of their last release that summer.
Talk about the decision to do this album together. Was it always on the horizon or did it come about once the songs were written?
Jeff: After meeting them and getting to know what they were all about, I immediately took the cliche steps in researching the group online. I was definitely attracted to the sound right off the bat. As we started to build personal relationships with one another, talks of studio started to show face and I had the opportunity to let them know what I, myself, was all about. We vibed so well from day one. A few short months after Warped Tour was over, I received an email asking if I would be interested in cutting their next batch of demos. I was instantly interested.
Kevin: We got the chance to see letlive. play every single day last summer. It was an eye opening experience. After hearing their albums and the raw passion encompassed in their recordings, we knew Jeff had the right idea. After chatting, we KNEW he got what we were all about.
What was the recording process and collaborative energy like?
Jeff: Very organic and extremely positive. I haven’t had the opportunity to be surrounded by such individuals in a recording environment. They were so open to ideas and down to try just about anything. The recording process seemed effortless. It’s not every day you find bands who enter the studio entirely prepared and handle their craft in a professional manner. I don’t recall any aspects of instrumentation taking more than 2 or 3 passes for a great take. This also included vocals, which is pretty rare. I was very thankful for the opportunity to be apart of said special moments in their ongoing career.
Do each of you have a favourite moment from making the record?
Jeff: We shared matchless moments from the minute they arrived in California. I guess, I’d have to say it was the last night when we got to turn the lights down, invite some friends over and just listen to the work we’d done. There are a few events that took place that I unfortunately can’t share in a public setting (heh heh). Just know that lifelong friendships were born and I’m forever grateful.
Kevin: There were a ton of moments we’ll never forget. I agree with Jeff on the last day, but another day that really sticks out is our first night in town. No work, just hanging out with a good friend. We hit a bar and just drank, talking about our trip and a little about what we were gonna do with the record. We all really got to know each other as people and it was a great experience.
Tell us about the songs themselves. Where were you drawing inspiration from, musically and lyrically?
Kevin: Like Trash Talk, this new set of songs is very personal to us, except this time we had new things to talk about. We worked our asses off last year and when thinking of where to draw inspiration from, that became the theme. It details our lives since Trash Talk. Our mishaps in the industry, getting fucked over, the constant grind, our support systems at home and on the road. It’s very very personal. We’ve found that’s where we write best from–the heart.
Did you have any specific creative goals for the record?
Kevin: We didn’t want to make a sequel to any of our previous albums. But we didn’t want to stray too far away either. Every band has this moment. We decided to make everything bigger, better, heavier, poppier. Take our music to the next level, while still staying true to ourselves and our friends that take the time to listen to us.
Let’s talk about the first single, “Natural Born Thriller”. What about this song makes it an ideal first impression of the EP?
Kevin: It’s in true UHBY! fashion. It’s dancy, aggressive, poppy…everything people have come to expect from us, while still adding a little new flair. Natural Born Thriller refers to my wife and how none of this would be possible without her. She truly is the apple of my eye and I wanted to tell the world.
Speaking of first impressions, when someone listens to this EP for the first time, what would you hope their impression would be once the last song fades out?
Kevin: Holy shit. What the fuck did I just listen to and where do I get more of it?
What’s next on your to do list once the EP is released? Anything specific you’d like to accomplish on this release cycle?
Kevin: We just want to find a good home for us. We’re currently doing this thing DIY and reaching as many people as humanly possible. But our reach is limited. We feel this is our defining work and want the world to hear it.
