Interview: Montreal’s UUBBUURRUU embrace the riffs on their new LP, launching at Le Taverne Tour

Montreal’s UUBBUURRUU is embracing the rock. Following the deeply psychedelic feel of their 2015 EP, the band has expanded their sound to encompass heavy riffing and star-gazing stoner rock elements on their self-titled debut full-length, out today via Mothland Records.

We caught up with the band (songwriter/singer/guitarist Joey Napoleon, drummer Maxime Hébert, guitarist Samuel Gemme, guitarist Sean Cary-Barnard, and bassist Vick Trigger) to discuss their killer new record, their evolving sound, and Montreal’s seemingly insatiable appetite for all things distorted and heavy.

UUBBUURRUU launch their LP as part of Le Taverne Tour on Thursday, January 30th at Le Ministère (4521 St Laurent Blvd) with Paul Jacobs and NOBRO. The fifth annual Taverne Tour also features a number of record-release shows from the likes of Fuudge and Beat Sexü, alongside performances by indie favourites Deerhoof, celebrated Toronto rockers The Sadies, Rochester, NY’s stoner heroes King Buffalo, noted Laval recycling enthusiasts Alaclair Ensemble, and many more, all located in small bars and makeshift venues in the Plateau. Le Taverne Tour runs from Thursday, January 30 – Sunday, February 1st. For tickets and the complete schedule visit the official festival site.

Bad Feeling Mag: The new record has a deeper focus on heavy classic rock than the psychedelic sound of the EP; was there a conscious decision to evolve the band’s sound? Or just different drugs?

UUBBUURRUU: First off… The band’s diet in terms of uppers and downers remains pretty much the same! That being said, sometimes the energy shifts and you just feel like trying a different sound that encapsulates that new mood. Also, Joey Napoleon, the main songwriter in the project, is a huge metalhead and he embraced it while writing the new pieces for the LP. Plus playing loud riffs is just plain fun.

What were you looking to do differently with the recording this time?

Sam Gemme, on top of playing guitar and keys with the band, is also a producer and a studio engineer. Over the years, he and his partner Frederic Couture from Sons of Arrakis, have put together a nice little printing facility by the name of Gamma Recording Studio. We recorded there.

When brainstorming about the production of the new album, Sam elected to pursue a more natural sound by having more musicians recording simultaneously. He also insisted we use as little modern technology as possible so metronomes, digital overdubs and edits were kept to a minimum. We feel it really lifted the songs, giving them a genuine drive and a somewhat vintage shine.

Also, it was always recorded to be best enjoyed on vinyl so the printing, mixing and mastering stages were approached with that in mind.

UUBBUURRUU has members in so many other Montreal bands (Les Breastfeeders, Elephant Stone, Melted Faces, Blue Cheese); how difficult is it to get the band together to tour and record? Lots of spreadsheets?

Yeah, it can be challenging, but that’s part of putting together a good lineup. A lot of musicians enjoy playing different styles in different contexts; we are no different. Knowing that, we chose to release the album in early 2020 because it made sense for everyone. As far as recording goes, all the elements are in place so we’ll just wait until the time is right and, hopefully, we’ll track new tunes before too long.

For now, we’ll just enjoy the album launch party at Taverne Tour. It will definitely be fun to share the stage again with Paul Jacobs and NOBRO!

Montreal really has a thriving underground rock scene now, with The Tavern Tour and Distortion fests, and some great locals; how has that scene changed since the band started?

It evolved for sure! Trends come and go, but good music always finds a way. The Montreal music scene is a great example of that. The saddest part has to be all these venues, “legit” and “DIY” alike, closing down over the years, but the strong musical community remains. We owe it the very existence of the band. And also, fuck the clueless yuppies who move to artistically dense areas thinking their quietude is the end of all things.

What movie syncs up best to this album?

That’s a tough question. Perhaps, experimental cinema à la Kenneth Anger or Alejandro Judorwoski? Vintage sci-fi flics? Post-apocalyptic epics?

How has the SQDC opening affected UUBBUURRUU shows?

We’re pretty confident the music aficionados of the great metropolitan area could find weed before the SQDC came into existence. At least, the crowds at our shows always seemed to find a way to get high. That hasn’t changed, really. Let’s just say that weed is a great “accord” with our music.

What’s coming up for the band after the record release?

Otherwise, nothing too fancy. We’ll announce a bunch of dates and hit the road with our beat-up gear for some rock’n’roll nights here and there.

UUBBUURRUU launch their new self-titled LP Thursday, January 30th at Le Ministère (4521 St Laurent Blvd) with Paul Jacobs and NOBRO as part of Le Taverne Tour. For tickets and the complete schedule visit the official festival site.