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Recently ThatsTheHookUp got a chance to catch up with Los Angeles based retro pop duo The Ultimate Bearhug. This group writes super catchy vintage inspired tunes with a modern twist. Below you will find our very fun interview a long with the group’s first artistic endeavors (doodles)! TUBH was kind of enough to provide some art for this post as they know we cover a lot of art on TTHU! Check out the tunes, if you like the record pick it up HERE or if you don’t buy records check them out on Spotify HERE If you are in LA go see them live October 25th at the Hotel Cafe in LA – 10pm
1. What is your musical background?
Doll: I have been singing and writing songs since I was a wee thing. I used to put shows on for my family and would choreograph numbers for my sisters that we would perform on the fireplace mantle. Went to OCHSA for music and theater in high school. And studied music in college.
Barrett: I’ve been writing for the last 10-15 years and learned what I know about theory from friends or taught myself.
2. Besides music what other art forms do you participate in, admire or strive to master?
Doll: We love literature and adore reading. Storytelling is what we hope to be able to do with our music. Film is also a huge love of ours for that very reason.
3. Can you give a little background on TUBH? How was the group formed, what is the creative dynamic?
Barrett: We met at a Rite-Aid, aisle 13, where we both reached for the last box of Preparation H. The rest is history. Our dynamic revolves around finding lyrics that describe both of our experiences and being patient until we have it exactly right.
4. What are your top musical influences?
Doll: In a perfect world I would be going steady with Chet Baker and best friends with with Billie Holiday. As far as modern influences, there are so many. I really admire Fiona Apple, Swell Season, Fleet Foxes, The Shins, and TOTALLY dig Dr. Dog.
Barrett: Richard Swift, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, Tom Waits, and Bob Dylan.
5. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard music before?
Doll: It’s like a picnic… Beautifully sunny day, sandwiches and deviled eggs, some lemonade. Then it starts to rain and you grab newspaper to cover head as you run to hide under the willow tree. It looks grim but then the sun pokes out and all is bright again. You smile and return to your ham and cheese.
6. How many hours of your life would you say you have committed to music?
Barrett: Countless, if not making music and devoting hours upon hours to writing, we are listening to everything we can.
7. Does anyone in the group have a hidden talent that should be highlighted?
Doll: We can both twerk like you wouldn’t believe!
8. When can we expect the next TUBH release?
Barrett:Not in the next year, it takes us more time than most realize to truly be happy with finishing a song, let alone 12. It took us about a year to write “Just South of Los Angeles”.
9. A lot of what we cover on TTHU is based around visual art, does visual art influence your writing?
Doll: If anything visually influences our storytelling we would say film. And soft porn.
10. Since we just mentioned visual art, can you draw a picture of anything and take a photo of it for us to include on the site?
See below
Thanks again for hooking it up! (I guess that IS the hookup)
xo
