Tuning in to UHL'S Channels
Photo by Zeke Bogusky
Shapeshifting through time, space, and spirit, Uhl’s debut EP Channels is a genre-bending and vocally explorative collection of songs threaded together not as much by their similarities as by their nuanced differences.
Showcasing her operatic background through a pop lens, Uhl makes dynamic music that is as informed by Mozart and Puccini as it is by art pop divas Kate Bush and Annie Lennox. The results are enigmatic, dramatic, and transportive and will certainly appeal to fans of contemporaries like Weyes Blood, Perfume Genius, and Cate Le Bon.
Interview by Tyler Nesler
You began studying music formally at the age of 12 and you developed a deep affinity for opera and classical music, and this was followed by four years of conservatory training, which concluded just as the world was going into lockdown.
Was the sudden shock of lockdown a big impetus for you to make a break from the classical music world and go towards a more experimental path? Or do you think you were already heading in that direction?
This is such an insightful question, thank you for asking. The truth is, from as early as I can remember I’ve always envisioned myself writing and performing original music, I just never knew how long it would take to find my voice. I also felt that if I dedicated myself to classical music for long enough, I would eventually combust from years of pent up creative energy and have no other choice but to create music highlighting my classical roots. I can’t say the trajectory has been too far off, although I would have never guessed that my creative voice would be activated by a pandemic. So yes, in a lot of ways I think I have been heading down this path for a long time, but Covid gave me permission to put my classical persona aside and bring a truer side of myself into the light.
Annie Lenox, Kate Bush, and Weyes Blood are all cited as big influences on your approach to songwriting, character, and performance. Could you talk about a formative moment when you first encountered the work of one of these artists and how that ultimately impacted the path you've taken as a musician?
I was in my car seat in the back of my mom’s Expedition on the way to school. We were listening to a mixed CD my dad had made for me that featured some of the greatest female voices like Sade, Tom Tom Club, Mariah Carey, Debbie Harry, to name a few. But when “Pavement Cracks” by Annie Lennox came on, I felt like I was living inside the song. I was so focused on the sounds; their layers and the way they made me feel. It was my first realization that musical choices are intentional and possess the power to transport you to unknown places.
You've said that “I approach my own music like I would approach an aria or art song.” Could you elaborate on the ways your classical training informs how you attempt to embody characters and unique perspectives in Channels?
When preparing an aria or art song, it’s standard procedure to map out the shifts in character reflected in both music and text. These shifts are the key to understanding who the character is - why they are sharing their grief or their joy…Many times you have to fill in the gaps and create a narrative that will give your performance a better sense of validity, an outlet to dig deeper so that you’re not acting but really feeling. This practice is a way of honoring the poetry and its poet, the composition, and its composer, it’s the gateway of surrendering to something much bigger than yourself. The creative process for Channels shares a similar sentiment.
Channels has a double meaning because the majority of these songs are not completely autobiographical, although there are parts of me flowing throughout each of them – they are centered around fictional characters and environments I either emotionally or visually tapped into – or to be pun-y “picked up a signal for.” My writing often comes from a quick flash of a vision that I can then build a world around…sometimes tactual, other times psychological or emotional.
It's a sacred experience to care for the muse and the ways it takes form.
Channels was produced by Peter M. Murray – how did you come to work with him, and what did he bring to the project that enhanced it or added any unexpected elements or layers to the album?
Peter and I met on a website for freelance musicians called “Soundbetter”. Since I was just coming out of the classical music world during a pandemic, I had no connections to studio musicians. I found Peter’s page and I was impressed by his composing skills as well as his musical perspective. I felt he was out of my league but continued to ask if he’d be interested in mixing my song “Badlands,” and that was the bud of our musical partnership.
A couple months later I flew to New York to record the EP with him. One of the many qualities that makes Peter such a fantastic producer is his thoughtful and selfless approach to music. He listens for what the song wants to be, not what he wants it to be. I couldn't be more grateful to collaborate with him and to have his art showcased throughout the record.
The video for your song “Fruit” looks like it was a lot of fun to put together and shoot. What was the concept behind its prison cafeteria setting? You also directed it along with doing the costumes and makeup. Was this your first foray into filmmaking? How did you come to work with the DP Evan Wiley and what unique elements did he bring to the project?
The idea for “Fruit” to take place in a prison cafeteria came after actualizing the main character of the song. When I was writing “Fruit” I never visualized this flashy bombshell the lyrics make out to be, I was actually stimulated by the paradox. I wanted to embody a person who - in societal standards - is unattractive, gawky, and awkward but believes they are untamed, oozing with sex appeal.
I felt that being surrounded by macho, heteronormative criminals strengthened this character’s psychology, and paid tribute to the neorealism efforts of the piece. Filming “Fruit” was like being on an episode of Beat the Clock. We shot the entire video in a day, we were working in a backwards order, we had seven characters to film and each scene needed to be staged and rigged accordingly, it was bonkers, or fruity to say the least.
In a sense, this video was my first directorial debut. All my previous work had been made in the name of fun, whereas “Fruit” was a serious challenge not only to conceptualize, but to source, organize, delegate, and perform at a more extreme level. I would have never been able to succeed at any of these efforts if it wasn’t for Evan whom I’d just met a month prior. I’d heard Evan was a terrific filmmaker, and he proved to be that and more. He harnesses his excitement with precise execution and focus, while I fly around set like a bat out of hell, we really balance each other out. I’m honored he continues to work with me and believes in my vision, the videos wouldn't have been possible without him.
Your multicharacter approach is also wonderfully on display in your video for “Shout” (also shot by Evan Wiley). Watching this really made me wonder what your plans are for live performances of these songs. Do you envision as much of a theatrical/costuming/character-driven visual approach as possible, or will it be more of a straightforward concert at this point?
That’s another great question, it's certainly an intriguing idea to perform a show as different characters. Anybody that has a sense of my work knows I have a weakness for costumes, I should probably start performing with a revolving door.
All theatrical elements aside, something I hope to create in my music and live performances is a transportive experience, whether that’s achieved by embodying different characters or just by the sonic landscape of the music. If I can shift someone's mood or take them to a unique or unusual place visually and emotionally, then then the art is working.
Look for updates on Uhl’s site and Instagram.
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Tyler Nesler is a New York City-based freelance writer and the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of INTERLOCUTOR Magazine.
