I was lucky enough to catch These United States when they played on the same lineup as Company Of Thieves the night before Lollapalooza officially started in Chicago.  Needless to say- there’s a reason they were our Artist In Residence a bit ago, and why they’re a band to keep your eye on- because they know how to rock.

The five boys are always on the go, currently ready to rock in Des Moines, Iowa tonight at People’s- and it’s no wonder their music is in such high demand.  The folk rock infused tunes are totally toe-tap worthy and it’s no secret it’s totally hard to sit still when they quintet take the stage.

BNB.com caught up with the kids while on the road, and got a little behind the scenes look at what’s behind TUS’ music, mayhem, and modern folk rock!

BNB:  Main musical influences?

TUS:  We’ll give you one from each of us – you can guess who belongs to what – that seems fairly democratic, right?  Frank Sinatra.  Jim Jones Revue. Fleetwood Mac.  Junip.  Onward Pilgrim.  These change all the time, of course.  But right now, that’s just exactly where we are, as a whole band, if you triangulate the aforementioned.

BNB:  Triangulate?  Wouldn’t we be pentagon-ing the aforementioned?  A pentagon has five sides, right?  There’s a reason I’m a writer and not a mathmatician…

 

BNB:  If you could collaborate with another artist- who would it be?

TUS:  I think we’re feelin Robert Plant right now.  The man just doesn’t stop.  Drop him a line for us?

BNB:  Dearest Robert- tis an absolute pleasure to correspond with you via email- most pen pals just aren’t the same as they used to be!  These United States (cc’d here) would love to mix and mash music with you.  I’ll let you two take the budding bromance from here.  Best of luck!

BNB:  Any pre-show vices or rituals?!

TUS:  Yes.  Definitely.

BNB:  It should be noted that post show vices & rituals include but are not limited to listening to BNB.com talk glittery dresses and concert couture with Genevieve Schatz of Company Of Thieves.  The fashion tips were flowing that night- I think TUS learned a lot.  Thank you notes can be sent C/O bnb.com

 

BNB:  First CD you ever bought for yourselves?  I’m talking without the aid of parental piggy banks!

TUS:  Averaged out, we fall just about smack dab in between the Moody Blues’ Legend of a Band – a greatest hits kinda thing – Pocketful of Kryptonite by the Spin Doctors, and Billy Joel’s Live in Russia.  Either that or the Amadeus soundtrack, Tom says.  Such weird and wonderful memories!

 

BNB:  Favorite place to play a show?

TUS:  On the moon with ZZ Top.

BNB:  That’s one way to reach for the stars.

 

BNB:  Always on the ipod heavy rotation list for you is…?

TUS:  Podcasts.  We get to hear so much great new music live every night, so the days are given to RadioLab and and The Bugle and This American Life.

 

BNB:  Dream festival you’d like to play?

TUS:  Already did it, strangely – Glastonbury.  Got to get back to that place some day soon.  One that we haven’t played?  Do the Winter Olympics count?  Summer Olympics?  Burning Man?  Stonehenge?  The Great Barrier Reef?  Is it possible to play on the Great Barrier Reef?  Machu Picchu?  The Moon?  Now we’re just naming really sweet places that exist in the universe…

BNB:  You forgot the eighth wonder of the world- the main stage of bestnewbands.com!

 

BNB:  Craziest tour or show story?

TUS:  A month ago, we played San Diego, then House of Blues and the morning news and Lollapalooza in Chicago, then 3 different shows at this amazing festival called Pickathon in Portland – all in one weekend.  That was pretty crazy, what with all the cross-continental cocktail napkins on the planes and whatnot.  I also rode in the sidecar of a scooter, very drunk, very fast, weaving in and out of bumper-to-bumper traffic on Michigan Avenue.  A magnificent mile, indeed.

 

BNB:  When can we expect a new CD?

TUS:  About every 9 or 12 months, it’s looking like right now.  The most recent one, What Lasts, was July of this year, so, you know, extrapolate from there…

 

BNB:  Favorite part of the writing process for you when getting set to record a new album?

TUS:  Spending way too much time alone, going a little stir-crazy, swearing at walls, and then spending way too much time just the 5 of us, going a little stir-crazy, swearing at each other.

 

BNB:  Closing remarks?

TUS:  You should really come out to our show tonight at People’s – gonna be an amazing one!  Additionally, please find a way for us to play on the moon with ZZ Top.  Thank you, and good night.

The kids clearly suffer from no shortage of charisma- and their onstage antics are always severely on point.  All I can suggest after seeing them myself is that you invest in a ticket and get in some much needed cardio pre-holiday season.  Rocking out counts cardio.  Ask the surgeon general.  And/or These United States.