| get to the bathroom, or to step out for
air, but it was either that or out in the cold),
Dan Danger (guitarist/vocals) just smiles. Holly,
who plays keys as well as sings for The Hue, is
by far the most talkative, and the most serious
of the group. But that doesn’t stop her from
joking with us every once in awhile. In fact, the
whole band seems to be in a pretty joking mood,
which is fine with us. All in all, they seem
pretty damn Zen for a band that, in just a short
while, will be blowing the roof off the small
colorful bar in the middle of sunny Rochester,
NY. I. The
Interview (part one)
Quadraphonic:
When did you guys form in the current lineup? Holly:
We’ve been together in this form since
spring of last year, so spring of 2004.
We’ve had a few other lineups, but this is
it. This is the final lineup.
Q:
So if anything happens to this lineup,
you’re done?
Holly: Yeah, this is
it. Dan: Honestly, it wouldn’t be worth it
to replace any members of the current lineup. We
know all the parts, and there’s good
chemistry, so it really wouldn’t make any
sense.
Q:
So, let’s talk about the new recordings. How
are they coming? Holly:
We actually just finished up. We were recording
down at Bradwell House in New Jersey.
Q:
How was that?
Holly: It was crazy. I
think we recorded, like, twenty five hours in a
thirty two hour session. It was pretty intense.
Q:
But you guys had fun?
Holly: Oh yeah, it was
a blast. Actually, Well… [looks around
to other band members] should I tell them? [shrugs
from band members, who either don‘t know
what she‘s talking about or don‘t care]
We get there, are we’re getting ready to
go… and the toilet clogs! We’ve got the
guys that are supposed to be doing the drum tech
work trying to unclog it, and we were like,
‘c’mon, let’s just get
going,’ but they couldn’t, because they
had to fix the toilet.
Q:
About the new album: you guys have a history of
DIY artwork in the past (the EP, ‘Doctor
Doctor This City’s Sick,’ came in a
homemade booklet made to look like a
doctor’s file). Do you guys plan on doing
this for the new record?
Dan: With the first cd, regardless of how much work we
put into it and how proud of the packaging we were, the people who
bought it reallly really love it, but some magazines and labels and
whatnot still only took it as a demo because it was still a cdr in
handmade packaging. And when we release the next cd, were looking to
get it pressed professionally in large numbers, but with still a
unique packaging style. It'll prolly be in a silkscreened cardboard
booklet with interesting artwork and something unique about it, but
something that can be quote unquote 'mass produced' to save the wear
and tear on our hands. But when and if we do this record on vinyl,
which we all hope will happen, the packaging on that will be handmade
almost entirely by the band itself. How? We're not sure, but itll be
equally as impressive as the 'doctor doctor' EP because itll be
pressed in smaller numbers and something we can be a bit more hands on
with (theres no way we could make 1000 cloth booklets again without
wanting to blow our brains out). The records will be for fans and
people who want a piece of music and art, and thats what our intention
will be with them, to create something that really catches peoples
eyes as well as their ears.
II. The Show
Without a doubt, The Hue
of Two’s performance is a sudden change of
pace for the mixed crowd at the Bug Jar (most are
here for the show, but there’s also quite a
few willing to pay the five dollar cover charge
just to sit around and drink Rolling Rock all
night). Proud Simon kicked off the show with a
unique (and pretty cool) indie/alt-country set,
followed by a semi-solo performance
The Hue
finds a serene moment amid the chaos. |
from Will Veeder (of the
Rochester band Hinkley), an equally laid
back experience. The Hue would be
followed by Aloha, an experimental rock
group that prides itself in being
“one quarter from Rochester.” But The Hue is in another
category entirely. They start off like
any band does: tuning equipment, making
sure
|
everything works, begging
other bands for cables, etc. But when the lights
go down, something happens. The people we had
known have changed. They are now something
different, something obvious. Something caustic.
There is no secret to their music. It is not
masked in effects and channeled through filters,
but instead it’s right up there, out in the
open for everyone to see. And their music is
bigger than the stage itself. It seems to burst
out, and they play it as if it were an unwanted
substance, a virus in their bodies that the need
to get out…fast.
Eventually the music
takes over. Holly abandons her Korg to move
around the stage--to sing, to dance…
whatever--and the whole band seems to fall into
place. In between the songs, amusing anecdotes
include a story about the muffler falling out of
their van, and stories about their recording
sessions. They announce a new song, one
they’ve never played live before, called
“Knife In a Clockfight.” As they play,
it sounds like battling instruments; deranged
counterpoint over a smooth rhythm section that
somehow makes sense. This is how their music
works. When they’re done, just as we
suspected, they are transformed into normal
people again. The lights go on, they walk off
stage, and their lives continue.
III. The
Interview (part two)
Q:
What kind of daily commitments do you guys have
to give up to make The Hue work?
Holly: Well right now
we’re all in school, but that’s about
it. I had a job, but I gave it up, because this
is just more fun.
Dan: I have no life.
Basically, I get up, maybe eat breakfast, and
then sit around and wait for band practice. After
that, I just go home and maybe work on some
design stuff until I feel like sleep [Editor’s
Note: for a taste of some of Dan’s work,
check out danieldanger.cjb.net]
Q:
Dan, what’s the story with your solo
project, The Lost Child Sound? Have you
done anymore with that?
Dan: I have, like,
80,000 songs for TLCS, but the chances
of them getting out right now is slim. Mainly I
want to concentrate on The Hue.
Q:
So what’s in the future for the Hue of
Two?
Scott: Banging hoes,
going on world tours, playing stadiums… Holly:
Well, we’re going to finish the album, and
once all that’s done, we’re probably
going to take a break. We’re not breaking up
or anything. We’ll probably end up setting
up a small tour every couple months or something
to keep it going.
Q:
Okay guys, have a great show.
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