All this month we’ll be introducing you to young bands playing the UMS for the first time. First up is Denver psych-rock band Plum. Photo courtesy of the band.
Remember your first time? The bright lights? The cheering drunks? The thousands of fans from Denver and beyond?
No? You’ve never played the Underground Music Showcase? Well, that’s OK. Neither have a handful of local bands on the UMS 2015 lineup.
Yes, there will be some fresh, locally grown bands performing on South Broadway on July 23-26. All this month we’ll be introducing you to UMS first-timers before the onslaught of nearly 400 indie bands hits South Broadway.
First up: , a Denver-based psych-rock band made up of Kyle Miller on guitar and vocals, Jake Supple on bass and vocals, and Ty Baron on guitar and keys.
Plum only just formed in late 2014 and you’re already booked to play the UMS. What have you been doing in the last few months that got you here?
Jake: We have a pretty intense practice schedule. A lot of times we’ll practice and record upwards of 30 hours a week. Other than that I guess Denver was ready for some more Rock n’ Roll.
For one thing, you’ve already had some great opening gigs for some big names like Will Butler. How does it feel to have a big national acts turn to you for support and to be able to get in front of the audience they draw?
Kyle: Opening for Will Butler was great. We all grew up listening to Arcade Fire records and Will was really nice, he even bought a Plum T-shirt. We get turned on every time we get in front of a new crowd.
What do you think Denver’s biggest asset for bands is and what do you think is the biggest obstacle?
Jake: Denver’s Music scene is really tight knit and everyone is really supportive of one another. At the same time it is a bit isolated which makes it a little more difficult to reach a national audience.
What are you working on in the studio right now? What can we expect from Plum in the year ahead?
Kyle: We’ve written about ten new songs in the last couple months and now we’re fleshing them out in the studio. We record everything ourselves in our house, which keeps us on a creative high. Expect a string of new releases in the near future.
Which other bands are you going to see during the UMS?
Ty: We’re really excited for Diiv’s set at the main stage. On a local level we’ll definitely all be at Sunboy, Freaky North, Inner Oceans, and Wild High just to name a few.
If, like some other bands at the UMS, you were going to throw food from the stage, what would it be and why?
Ty: We’re all pretty hungry so we’ll probably be too busy eating all of the food that the other bands threw.
