Rock band Upright Man have just released their self-titled debut album and we had the chance to speak to the band about their music and aims for the future!
Hello! Could you please introduce yourself and your role in the band for our readers?
Max: I’m Max, I play the drums, sing sometimes, write the tunes with the goons, this is starting to look a lot like my OK Cupid profile…
Aidan: I am Aidan, I play guitar and sing lead vocals. We all write the music!
Nick: I just play the bass. Just kidding, I sing and write too!
So, your self-titled album was just released on August 18th, can you tell us a little about this album for new fans?
Max: Well it’s our first album, so I think every fan is a new fan. Hope you dig it.
Aidan: We started writing songs together about 2 years ago and finally reached a point where we played and written enough to make something unique. We also realized we wanted to rock..in space..
Nick: We’ve reached out to Elon Musk’s people. We’re trying to get him to launch the record into space.
You got to work alongside producers Marc Copely and Zev Katz on your album, what was it like working with such well known producers?
Max: They’re not just amazing producers, they’re also well known musicians. Their sense of humor is probably famous as well. Never a dull moment or a dry eye, except for the countless hours of comping and editing.
Aidan: It was inspiring to have them help us develop the music from pre-production to finally playing in the studio. I had been playing in another band with Marc for over a year when I asked him to produce the Upright Man record. At that point we didn’t even have a name. He had become a musical mentor to me and I thought it was a perfect fit for him to produce since he already knew Nick’s Dad, Zev, who also produced us.
On this album, you have ten standout tracks. Which one personally stands out the most to each of you and why?
Max: How to choose a standout track amongst an album of stand out tracks…too much pressure I can’t do it.
Aidan: Thanks! I won’t pick favorites, but “Animals” is a track of ours that unexpectedly stands out to a lot of people. It turned out well considering how fast we pulled it together in this studio.
Nick: I like “Animals” a lot too. I think mostly because it’s a lot of fun to play, but “Designer Mind,” “Ecstasy” and “Elysia” all have their moments for me too.
You’ve been playing a few shows around the U.S. and have some more planned for late August. What is the whole experience of touring like for you?
Max: It’s been different for this band compared to other groups; the folks we’ve played for are asking us to sign autographs for their baby’s rock n’ roll t-shirt wall, etc. It’s awesome; makes us feel like honored guests everywhere we play.
Aidan: Touring is made up of eating, driving, and moving gear around than anything else. But there’s always great conversation and music sharing in the van with the band and we’ve been to some pretty cool place likes Savannah, GA.
Nick: It’s still fun, I hope it stays fun for a long time coming.
Upright Man formed while you were all studying at university, was it a smooth formation to create the band or did you hit a few bumps in the road while beginning?
Max: We didn’t have bumps exactly, more like when you’re playing Mario Kart and you swerve off the road onto the grass and slow down for a minute before you get your ass back on the real road. It’s been like that. I think our progress is starting to feel like more road than grass, which is good.
Aidan: It was a pretty natural formation. We had collaborated on lots of different types of projects in school, particularly my senior recital. We ended up writing songs together here and there on the side and it became so regular that we had a lot of them. Once you start to have conversations and debates about where you are really taking a collection of songs in terms of writing style, sound and instruments, you’re basically in a band. So we named it Upright Man and started recording our best songs.
Have you ever had to overcome any issues while being in a band?
Max: The three of us had to fight off a feral groupie at a gas station by Route 66. We buried her but the next day she was gone…
Aidan: Not much more than the normal growing pains of developing a band. We have yet to break up and go on our reunion tour.
Nick: That’s it guys, I quit. Let’s go on tour in a year.
If you had a bucket list for this band and what you want to achieve, what would be at the top of your bucket list?
Max: Japan Baby.
Aidan: Upright Man branded seltzer.
Nick: God damn it Aidan, I hadn’t even thought of that, but now that I read it I can’t think of anything better.
With a debut album and some live shows, what is next up on the list for Upright Man?
Max: We have a string of shows coming up this month, and a music video coming out for the tune “Ecstasy.”
What does it mean to you to finally be releasing your debut album? How would you sum up the sound of the album?
Max: Hopefully it goes over like a jackpot and not a jackass.
Aidan: It feels good to be satisfied with the product we put out and to be able to move on from incubating the band to a new phase–touring and getting our album out there.
Nick: It’s like the early 70s and the early 90s had a baby.
EUPHORIA OF BREAKDOWN 