WANTED BAND

Interview With The Uglies

San Gabriel Valley

From Issue 1.6, July/August 2005

The Uglies guitarist Eric “Ugly” Miller scrunches his nose and vocalist and bassist Noe Silva kind of squints his eyes when the two are asked if they ever get told they sound like D.I.

It is not because they do not take that as a compliment, but because, “We sound like anything we like,” said Miller shrugging his shoulders. 

That list of anything they like would include D.I. as well as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Adolescents.

“We’ve got such weird songs,” said Silva just before he makes his final comment about their music, “It’s just good.”

San Gabriel Valley band, The Uglies is Miller and Silva-for now anyhow.  They currently lack a drummer and are in the midst of looking for one.  With a demo under their belt and one year of experience as a band, their blend of surf rock and 80s punk has been loudly shaking up the backyard shows around La Puente and West Covina, and all Silva knows is that work sucks and making it with his band would be a dream come true.

“I don’t like to work,” said Silva.  “I want to go somewhere and being in the band is the best thing.  I want to go somewhere in Europe, to weird countries I can’t pronounce.  I just want to be remembered.  I don’t want to work; I’m lazy.”

However, he does admit his job did land him a “badass bass and amp” proving a little hard work never hurt anyone.

Almost every band would like to make it-even on the small scale, and The Uglies have as good a chance as any other band.

They have talent and like Miller and Silva said, they sound different-especially in the area they come from where mostly hardcore and thrash bands are dominant.

“A lot of those other bands are really fast,” said Silva. 

This is why asking them if they think they sound like D.I. or the Adolescents, sends their faces into all kinds of contortions.  It is true their music was influenced by some of the older, Orange County bands from the 80s, but they have a very eclectic sound not played on the radio and maybe not even that much in the local, underground scene.

Yet, when they play shows, they can whip-up mosh pits with all the pushing and shoving of any hardcore band. 

And given that a year has passed since Silva and two former members, Art and Gabriel started the band, their music has grown.

According to Silva, the band’s demo, recorded by “Reverend Dave” in Miller’s living room, was very childish and simplistic musically and lyrically.  However, The Uglies intend to make another demo before the end of this summer.

And while a deal with a record label-any label they say that will accept them and their music- would be great, the two are not holding their breath and will go on playing regardless. 

One of their friend wants to sign them onto his label, Balz Out Records, to which Noe says they are undecided on that.

For both of them, music is just something that is fun to do.  .

Miller, named after the artist Eric Clapton, says his father was a big Dead Head and hippie.  Miller’s first song on the guitar was “Stand by Me” his freshman year in high school.

Like Miller, Silva also took up an instrument his freshman year-the bass.

“I figured maybe I can do this and do it well,” said Silva of learning how to play bass.”

Most of their free time is divided between the band, school and hanging out with friends.  This interview took place on a residential street in La Puente where a group of Silva and Miller’s friends were hanging out in the backyard and where the finishing touches on an Uglies’ stage (by friends Storybook and Brutal) was finished just as it turned dark.  

It was their friend John who gave them their band name, The Uglies, simply by stating they were ugly though Silva suggested making up a deep, analytical meaning for the purpose of this article.

And when asked what one word they would use to describe themselves, a friend said “ugly” while Silva retorted, “isn’t that a little too cliche.  Geez, get a dictionary.”

In the background someone said, “If you don’t sell out, the person before and after you will.”  Yeah, but as Miller, said they are not really in to putting out any “junk.”-which is why their band has a greater chance of going somewhere than most.