U Know / I Know Interview

Hey y'all! At last the time has come for us to share some awesome stuff from our Battle of the Bands finalists from last year - U Know / I Know and Pib! About a year ago we were supposed to have the BOTB finale which unfortunately got messed up by COVID-19. However, we are so excited to be able to share some of their awesome stuff with all of you now including this interview with U Know / I Know! Keep reading for a look into U Know / I Know’s musical experience and some fun tales from along the way!

How did your band form/why did you start doing music?

We love each other and we love playing!

Tell me about the evolution of your band.

Well, when we formed, most of the music was already written and arranged for a whole band, they were songs that Logan had written before meeting anyone else. Since then we've played together a lot and sort of synthesized with each others' writing and playing styles. The more time passes, the more organic and expressive we become.

What are your sources of musical inspiration?

Well we all listen to a lot of different music. So we are constantly getting inspired by that. And, of course, when we get together to play and bring all of that to the table, we all get inspired by each other.

Describe the vibe of your music in 3 words.

Indie Hipster (UGH) Rock.

Can you share any crazy concert/house show stories?

One time in the middle of a song, Josh leaned back so far during a solo he fell into the drumkit and just about knocked the whole thing over. Colin kept playing the groove and Q, unfazed by Josh crashing into him and the kit, casually lit a uhm, sandwich, and passed it into the crowd before falling back into the jam. Thankfully, Josh was okay.

What do you like about the Kalamazoo music scene?

Asbestos poisoning. Ha, on a more serious note, house shows are a great opportunity for all sorts of people to come together and express themselves with their music, art, bodies, etc. That's one of the coolest things ever.

If you had to pick a band to tour with, who would it be and why?

Stormo from Grand Rapids kicks a whole lot of ass!

How have you been continuing to make music during the pandemic?

Lot's of chats over Facebook Messenger and Instagram. Google Drive folders where we can drop ideas, talking to each other about what we are digging and what we are practicing. It's a slow process, but it's what we can do in the meantime.

Favorite album that has come out this year (and/or song)?

Uh, verdict is definitely still out on the album. But one single that has been stuck in my head a lot has been “Hypotheticals” by Lake Street Dive. I'm sure my bandmates have other ideas about that sort of thing though.

What advice would you give to younger musicians just starting out?

Practice a lot. Don't compare yourselves to others and don't rag on other people's tunes. We are all trying to express ourselves as much as possible, it just comes down to what you like vs what I like vs what that person over there likes. Be a kind human.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your band?

Thank you so so so much. We are just so grateful to be a part of this and to work with everyone. And to everyone that has supported us thus far, we love you bunches.

You can check out U Know / I Know’s music on Spotify here including some new music they have released during the pandemic! They also have an EP coming out on April 6th so be on the look out for that! After sufficient vaccination, they’re planning to record some new music together so stay tuned!

We also did an interview with our other BOTB finalist Pib which you can read here!

And of course don’t forget to check out the videos from both bands on the home page of our site here!