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Comprised of vocalist-bassist Rose Vastola, lead guitarist Ian Burns, drummer Ian Rose, and pianist-guitarist Noah Deemer, Brooklyn's UV-TV juxtapose the coolness of downtown '77 punk with the spirit and attitude of early rock and roll to create a sound that's both familiar, wide open, and uniquely their own. Across their forthcoming EP, The Optimistic Wrench, they debut six burning tracks that are an obvious departure from their past releases. "Lyrically we tried to articulate the heaviness of the last few years. We like to think of ourselves as weary optimists," Burns says. On previous releases, the band had limited time and resources to accommodate the creative process but on The Optimistic Wrench, UV-TV practiced patience and utilized the studio as an instrument. To celebrate the release of the twisting title track, we chatted with the band about how the new EP came together, their recording experiments utilizing an Omnichord and broken synthesizers, and how this new approach was in every way rewarding.
First tell me what you've been up to lately? What have you been listening to, reading, watching, or spending a lot of time doing?
Ian Burns: I've been buying and listening to cheap records I find at thrift stores. Instrumental music like Martin Denny, Chet Atkins, Henry Mancini, Vinnie Bell, that sorta thing. I don’t watch a ton of TV or streaming, but I usually just binge music interviews on YouTube. I just finished this really good Alex Chilton biography written by Holly George-Warren called A Man Called Destruction. All the Ian Svenonius books are all really cool! Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group should be mandatory reading for anyone aspiring to start a rock band.
For our readers who aren't familiar, how did you all meet and form UV-TV and what were your beginnings like starting out in Gainesville, Florida?
Rose Vastola: I met Ian Burns in Gainesville while I was in art school, I really wanted to form a band. Ian had just left a wonderful but short-lived group that had recently ended. We began working together, marking the start of our creative and romantic relationship—a sweet memory to look back on. You can see a music video from this time period here.
How exactly has New York City been for you since relocating there in 2018? When we last spoke, I remember you saying it was pretty challenging at first but inspiring in many ways too.
IB: I think NYC can be great. It feels more like home but I don't think it'll ever feel truly comfortable. Unless you're in a particularly advantageous financial situation, the city constantly changes and creates this inevitable competitiveness and tension that underbellies the more authentic and creative parts of the city's offerings. Despite all of that, I still find it inspiring. I ride the train a lot to and from work and those rides are filled with stories, melodies, and pieces of songs waiting to be written.
What has the UV-TV journey been over the past few years? What's been the evolution like since releasing your debut LP Glass in 2017?
IB: The journey has taken so many different turns, both up and down. We started this band as kids, we had some guitars, fuzz boxes, drum machines and a porta-studio. I think you can hear us grow up and refine our songwriting skills with each album. They give you a direct view into the group's past, present, and future which is something you're not afforded very much in rock 'n' roll.
What insight can you share about your upcoming six-track EP The Optimistic Wrench and how exactly it all came together? When/where was it recorded?
IB: We recorded this album at this studio we built in Sunset Park, Brooklyn called The Daisy Chain. We wanted to create something more immersive than our previous efforts. We basically had a few months of pre-production recording little demos at home. We took the ideas into the studio and picked the best ones. There wasn't much rehearsal which gives the album a looser feel.
How was it working on this new one compared to 2021's Always Something?
IB: We made Always Something in two days and we recorded The Optimistic Wrench on weekends for about half a year, so there was more time and consideration put into it. Our past releases have had this sense of urgency, but this new record sounds more relaxed and spacious.
This is quite the departure from your previous work. What were some inspirations surrounding the new EP or things you wanted to do different this time around? From the press release, I read that you "practiced patience and utilized the studio as an instrument."
RV: I absolutely love the singing voices of Karen Carpenter and Olivia Newton-John, especially during the time of this recording. They both have a smooth yet vibrant quality that immediately captures my heart. "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John is a perfect song, both in subject matter and groove, with its message that "you have to believe we are magic, don't let your aim ever stray." However, creating this record came with its challenges. We were in a deep creative rut, and the stagnation weighed heavily on me. The phrase "practiced patience and utilized the studio" reflects the time it took to create this record. We wanted to challenge ourselves, break free creatively, and reignite that lost spark, which led to more experimental recording sessions and picking up instruments outside of our usual choices. What we ended up creating is something I hold close to my heart, a variety of gifts, in a sense.
IB: We've always presented the group's music as three or four people playing instruments live in a room. With this record, we wanted every song to inhabit their own little world. I think they all could be singles in their own right. We were very conscious of each song's particular needs versus having the tracks blown out and fully rocking the whole time like on our previous albums.
What sort of gear were you using during the recording? I read that you wrote most of the material using an Omnichord and experimented with broken synthesizers.
IB: We used the Omnichord a lot—it's a great little machine that democratizes the songwriting experience. You can write songs and play chords without prior musical knowledge, and explore shapes that aren't as obvious on, say, a guitar. The song "Pale Blue Island" was written in bed, and the first chord is a Gm7. That's not a chord I would instinctively reach for if I were playing my acoustic. We also have a really nice Farfisa duo compact and a Korg Delta that are a bit moody to say the least. We pick up most of these instruments broken and for cheap. Maybe we fix them or play into their imperfections.
RV: Yes! The Omnichord is the best songwriting tool, It's like playing with a toy. The nature of it is so silly and simple. The preset drum beats are not overly complex so that anyone can find some kind of use for it.
Today we have the pleasure of premiering its lead single and title track "The Optimistic Wrench." What's the story behind this song and how did it come about?
IB: "The Optimistic Wrench" started as a cheeky line about an imaginary wrench that could solve all the world's issues. If you wanna fix the planet just fasten its bolts.. yeah right! The concept eventually started to further reveal itself over time. The album quite literally feels like a sudden turn or a "wrench" in our discography, beaming with our brand of weary optimism.
RV: Once the main chords and time signature of the song were established, Ian very quickly came up with the guitar hook. The main chorus of "I know" was an early decision but it wasn't until months later that we found a spoken word pattern that suited the track. The lyrics are snarky and somewhat a diss. To me, this song addresses the constant paradoxical odds we are all up against at any given moment. Dichotomous thinking of all kinds tends to split one in half. In recording we thought it was best to play up the sass which I love about this track, and it was important that you could dance this one. "The Optimistic Wrench" was a line that Ian came up with. It was a funny idea at first, but we realized this phrase might have a deeper meaning. See figure below.
Diving deeper into the EP, what can you tell me about the third track "Only Kind Words"?
RV: "Only Kind Words" is about someone in your life that you may not see much of any more. You may not really like them much anymore, and have some not so kind words, or it's just whatever, but you can still look back on those memories and say you, "know those were the best of days."
My favorite song out of the six here is the closing cut "Untold Truths." What's the origin of that one?
IB: I wrote the chords for "Untold Truths" stoned in bed years ago. I was messing around in DADGAD tuning—all the parts took about five minutes to write. It's one of those songs that was floating in the air and I was lucky enough to catch it. The song almost made its way onto Always Something, but I couldn't figure out a good melody. Rose—being the expert melodist she is—came up with all the words. We road tested it on our European/UK tour and it killed. We knew it was going to be a great song if we could just capture the energy right.
How do you feel looking back on your catalog? Do you still like or relate to your past releases?
IB: I'm proud of the work and how the sound has developed over time. I don't listen to the older material unless we’re working it into a set list or referencing it, but I think the songs hold up. I think albums are really interesting. They allow an artist or band to reinvent themselves completely with sonics, imagery, and visual presentation. I don't think any other medium provides that kind of opportunity.
Ian [Rose], when we last spoke too, you were telling us about setting up your own recording studio. What's been happening with that?
Ian Rose: The studio is in full swing these days. It's called The Daisy Chain and it's my home away from home. We're inching towards the final stages of its renovation, which has been a laborious yet rewarding endeavor I set out on early in the year. I'm proud of what it's become: a true working studio inspired by the iconic '70s havens of yesteryear. It's even equipped with a vintage Neve, which I still have a hard time believing! If anyone is looking to make a record, hit us up.
Aside from the upcoming EP, what else is on the horizon for UV-TV?
IB: We're gonna do a 12" dance single with a proper remix on the B-side on our label No Non Fiction. It's a hot little dance track with fuzzy guitars, but that's all I'll say. We'd love to try and go back to Europe and the UK next year and maybe do some smaller US tour dates in the interim.
Thank you for taking your time. Any advice or last words you'd like to share with our readers?
IB: Keep an open heart and a clean nose.
The Optimistic Wrench is out October 11th on PaperCup Music and No Non Fiction.