Issue 22 - Ume, Mutemath, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Twilight Sad, T-Bird & The Breaks
Issue 22 of Soundcheck Magazine
Interviews: Ume, Mutemath, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Twilight Sad, T-Bird & The Breaks
F-Stop: A selection of Soundcheck's favorite concert photos, including coverage of ACL Fest 2009. See full-page photos of U2, Muse, Pearl Jam, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, Them Crooked Vultures, The Dead Weather, Black Crowes, Wilco, Semi Precious Weapons, Ra Ra Riot, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Walkmen, Avett Brothers, Flogging Molly and The Felice Brothers.
(Having problems? Please install the latest Acrobat Reader from Adobe)
Ume: Conducting a Contrast
words by Elliot Cole & photos by Randy Cremean
Lauren Larson – frontwoman of Austin three-piece Ume (pronounced oo-mey) – is, in many ways, the antithesis of rock stardom. It’s an arduous task to picture her flinging a TV off of a hotel balcony or gnawing off a bat’s head. No, Larson and company (her bassist/husband Eric Larson and drummer Jeff Barrera) isn’t a band of alcoholic binges or “Golden God” moments. There are no Sid and Nancy meltdowns or Gallagher brothers-like inner tension. Personally, Ume is far removed from the downward spiral usually associated with the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll debauchery. They don’t immediately strike you as a group that could carry the torch of Austin’s best new rock band. But then they take the stage …
“I’m an unlikely candidate to be some sort of rocker woman,” Larson laughs.
She is soft-spoken and articulate, inoffensive but direct. She’s also dead-on in her analysis: with her long, blonde hair; petite frame; and infectious, upbeat spirit, she doesn’t make for the typecast rockstar. She’s far too intelligent, far too jovial, and far too composed to be the same girl that, night-in and night-out, is known for thrashing around on stage like a crazed banshee.
This is the inner contradiction of Ume. To the naked eye, the trio doesn’t seem like the type to unleash the sonic outbursts that they do. Before pursuing a career in music, Larson was pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy. Eric Larson does computer freelance work. She remarks that the band is “probably reading” in their spare time. They are bright-eyed and innocent, by all accounts sweet-hearted, and, at times, shy.
(Read the rest of our feature on Ume by downloading the PDF for Issue 22.)
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
| Next > |
|---|
