Uniflora Interview: “Wherever life takes us, we will stick together and play there”

While the hardened sceptic may consider that rock music is on life support, in their quest to continue flying the flag, bands like Uniflora suggest otherwise.

In a world where there are more bands than ever, at the very least, the Chicago three-piece (Quinn Dugan – vocals/ guitar; Ruby O’Brien – drums, vocals; Theo Williams – bass, synths) blur the generational lines, which is a good barometer to measure how a band stacks up. In Uniflora’s case, they stack up very well indeed.

Since their 2023 Plastic Sturgeon EP, Uniflora has been integral to an underground scene that doesn’t feel like it will be underground much longer. Their contemporaries and fellow Chicagoans, Horsegirl and Lifeguard, shining examples of emerging artists going from strength-to-strength – the former, having released their sophomore LP, Phonetics On and On via Matador earlier this year, while the latter readies their first full-length release for the touchstone label in Ripped and Torn.

On the strength of Uniflora’s debut LP, More Gums than Teeth, set for release on June 20 via Shuga/Charm Co-Op, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the three-piece make their own swift ascent through the ranks. Today, the band shares the album’s lead single and opening track, To My Zombie, which continues Uniflora’s giant strides on back of the Plastic Sturgeon EP and last year’s standalone single, Hellgirl.

With Verlaine majesty rushing through the mainlines, To My Zombie is an abstract tale that offers unique results from equally one-off vantage points. For a start, in what world does post-punk and Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, cross paths? The answer is: only in Uniflora’s.

The inventiveness doesn’t stop with To My Zombie, of course. There’s the well-worn proto-punk thrust of Two or More and Dance. O’Brien’s drums, reaching with power and precision, while Williams’ snaking bass lines and Dugan’s sharp guitars somehow teleport you to places you thought were now obsolete. Memories of tuning into AM radio where The Style Council would make a surprise appearance, and somehow Uniflora evoke those same feelings.

It’s not the only time Uniflora reach into the past. From the City Circle brims with the kind of heartfelt jangle of Big Star, which isn’t a world away from the latest wanderings Kai Slater has taken on Sharp Pins’ latest release, Radio DDR. The wonderfully titled Elongated Cat Fist and Fence venture down similar paths, but true to form, Uniflora veer off through the tall grass, melding together ideas that form a cosmic blur inspired by later-era Wire.

As the pendulum swings back and forth, Uniflora also show their directness. Part skeletal, part scuzz, the sing-speak reverie of Neighborhood Gourmet is a live favourite in waiting, while I Was Made to Freeze sees the band exercising their Brian Case homage, with something that falls between the worlds of FACS and 90 Day Men.

At just over 30 minutes, More Gums than Teeth bristles and pops with variety. It’s ingenuity from a band showcasing talent beyond their years. Like Horsegirl and Lifeguard before them, Uniflora provide the sounds that remind you of why you fell in love with music in the first place, and as More Gums than Teeth draws closer to release, it’s a record that will light up rooms if people give it that chance.

Prior to the release of To My Zombie and the announcement of More Gums than Teeth, last week, the members of Uniflora answered a series of questions about the album, the process behind it, and more.

Sun 13: For those unfamiliar Uniflora, can you give us a history and how the band started?

Theo Williams: “We’ve all known each other since kindergarten, so we’ve all been friends for a good while now. We got started around freshman year when Ruby and I started talking again about music and possibly forming a band. We’ve been throwing around the band idea since fourth grade, and once it finally came to fruition, we needed a drummer. Earlier that year, I had jammed with Quinn and saw that he played guitar and drums. I suggested we bring him on board to play drums, and we soon got a gig at Ruby’s dad’s guitar shop playing surf-rock Christmas music. We then started jamming after, settling on the configuration we have today.”

S13: You’ve all played music from a young age. Were you influenced by your parents’ record collections to the point where it seemed strange to not be in a band?

Ruby O’Brien: “Quinn and I have both talked about feeling this way, but I think from a young age I never realised the music that my parents were playing in the car was cool, let alone influential. Looking back, I realise how a lot of it has actually inspired the way I both perceive music and play. My dad would play hip-hop mixes with bands like Tribe Called Quest and Beastie Boys, which I have come to realise have significantly impacted the way I care about rhythm. And of course, he introduced me to bands like The Strokes, The Kinks, Squeeze etc.

“For my mom it was a little different, although both parents had an appreciation for similar music. Going to my mom’s house I would hear anything from David Bowie to Elliott Smith, both of which inspire me to take a more interesting and unique approach to songwriting – trying to make things as detailed as I can. Quinn had a similar experience with his dad as well.”

S13: It feels like it’s been a whirlwind 18 months, and I was surprised to hear your debut was being released so soon! Can you tell us about the process of More Gums than Teeth?

Quinn Dugan: “Well, it took a while to realise what we were working on was going to be a full album. Over the summer, our loose plan was to start recording all the new songs we were playing live and to possibly consolidate them into an EP. The EP never ended up coming together, so we just kept recording when we had time off from school until an album seemed like more of a possibility. Our focus with this batch of recordings was to try and use the studio to help us create/expand our ideas (as compared to before, where we’d record basic tracks for finished songs and leave it at that).”

S13: What inspired the album’s title?

TW: “We met at Collectivo on Milwaukee and were discussing album specs, and someone said the phrase in reference to a picture of an actor (don’t remember who or what actor it was) that was going viral, and it sort of stuck and we decided to have it be our album name.”

S13: What was the most important aspect you wanted to achieve with the album?

QD: “Going into recording, a lot of these songs were fully written but we weren’t really sure how we wanted them to sound altogether. Our main goal then, was to be a little freer with how we recorded this batch of songs to see if anything new about them might stick around. We swapped instruments a little bit; we incorporated some new sounds via pedal steel and a few percussion instruments; we tried some songs with multiple vocal tracks/singers. Although I think everything is still well linked with what we’ve done in the past, a lot of the new ideas we tried out are starting to drum up even more ideas for us to try later on.”

S13: The first single is To My Zombie? I read that it was inspired by an interaction at a music festival while the Champions League final was on. Firstly, what can you tell us about the track, and secondly, does the band follow football?

QD: “Compared to most of our songs, where the lyrics are about a completely imaginary scene or situation, the lyrics for To My Zombie are just a collection of things that happened around the time we were writing the song. We had the entire form planned out, but I had no idea what to write about, so I just started describing what had just happened in the last week. Part of it is an awkward experience at a music festival and part of it is about listlessness in the last month of the school year. I was watching the Champions League final while writing so that made it in there too. I’m the only one in the band who cares about soccer, so I don’t think Ruby and Theo would have even caught the reference if it was never brought up.”

S13: With songs like Fence and Neighborhood Gourmet it feels like a real confident leap for the band. Did you find that your influences broadened from the time your first songs were released to writing the songs for More Gums than Teeth?

RO: “Certainly. In the beginning, we were kind of recording our whole setlist because we just wanted to get our music out there. That being said, we took a lot of time off as a gigging band to specifically focus on making this record the best we could make it. We took more time in the studio, working with our engineer Erik Cameron to get the most out of the experience. We tried new percussion techniques, inspired by bands like Liquid Liquid, and even had my 12-string guitar on some of our songs, inspired by classic jangly bands like Big Star, The Shivvers, Teenage Fanclub, etc. We were trying to blend the jangle stuff with our first influences that brought us together like Fugazi and Unwound. So yes, this record has a ton to offer genre-wise!”

S13: Chicago has been such a melting pot for young bands. How influential are venues like the Metro who have consistency put on all ages shows?

RO: “It is truly so great to live in a city that wants young bands to get their name out. Shows can feel like a transaction sometimes, but I really get the vibe that places like Metro are significantly different and want you to play your music on their stage because they are trying to cultivate and foster an environment for everyone to have a creative outlet. We are lucky, too. Without the support of these venues, we may have never grown as much as we did so early on. They recognise people who are trying to do cool things, and they love that. A lot of places in the U.S. don’t offer that much help to young musicians.”

S13: How much of an influence do you think Chicago has been for the band?

TW: “I think Chicago has been a greater influence, one far greater than we could ever really realise. The scene has influenced us to make a band, and has woven its way into our sound. There is an undeniable, intangible, shared quality to every band here that inspires people, and it certainly inspired us to form. The youth acts are especially inspiring for us. It’s amazing to see people your age performing some of the best shows you’ve ever seen, and a level that we strive to achieve. Everyone in Chicago is very kind, gracious, and sincere, too, offering/attending gigs when we first starting out, being compassionate, making it feel like a warm community in a city with over two million. The magnanimity of the scene has influenced our music and who we are, to a certain extent.”

S13: Do you see the band ever moving away from the city?

TW: “Possibly. I know Ruby and I would like to go to the east coast for college, and I think establishing a base out there, or wherever we wind up, would be beneficial. We’ll always come back to Chicago, though – we won’t make a permanent departure. Wherever life takes us, we will stick together and play there.”

S13: Social media is something that newer comers such as Uniflora probably see as a cultural norm … do you enjoy this aspect of being in a band, or do you see it more as a chore?

RO: “It’s definitely a normal part of our process. It’s undeniably hard to get anyone our age to go to shows if they don’t have the information accessible via social media. Admittedly though, social media sucks! It’s really hard to get in contact with people over it, because you have to go through many layers of confirming message requests and other weird stuff. The connections through social media feel very fake, and it is certainly not easy to grow a band through it. But it is unfortunately the norm. Although sometimes curating posts with funny pictures is fun, and it definitely gives you a high when you are first announcing a big show. It’s good to get the word out there in whatever way.”

S13: Your bio opens with Oscar Wilde’s quote, “Realise your youth while you have it, don’t squander the gold of your days”. Do you consider Uniflora the central part of your lives?

QD: “I don’t know if I’d call it the central part of our lives, but I do think it is definitely an integral piece to each of our lives. Collaboration is obviously not always easy, but I find Ruby and Theo to be very natural to work with so the band feels like something we can put a lot of time / ideas into. It’s rare that you find such perfect conditions for a creative venture, so we feel like it’s best to utilise our time now and see where we end up down the road.”

More Gums than Teeth? is out on June 20 via Shuga/Charm Co-Op. Pre-order from here.