PS: Tell everyone a bit about yourself and where you are.
I myself am Luke Wyland. I started AU back in 2005 as I was finishing up my BFA at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, though my first release was under the moniker "luc" (peaofhesea, 2005 - Aagoo Records). Since then the project has been through a bunch of incarnations with the only real constant of myself. I've been lucky enough to have some great friends and players help out along the way including Jonathan Sielaff, Mark Kaylor, Sarah Winchester, Becky Dawson and Dana Valatka (to name just a few). Currently its a touring duo with Dana Valatka on drums (also of Jackie-O-Motherfucker, Mustaphamond). We are based out of Portland, Oregon.
PS: What should we expect from the live show? Has it been a challenge to reproduce some of the album tracks?
Well the first thing I like to tell people is that the live show is just two of us. Most expect at least 5 or 6 people on stage due to the sound on Verbs. While we have put on shows with 20 plus people on stage in Portland its just not reasonable for the touring and traveling needs (recorded sound vs. live sound in my own mind should be two different things). That being said the live show is a lot more energetic and rockin and tends towards distinct dynamic changes. As for the challenge of translating the songs live, its something I rather enjoy. Some songs we don't ever play live - or if we do it's only for the special occasions that we have the right amount of people to do em justice. Others are constantly evolving in terms of how we play them over time leaving significant room for improvisation and spontaneity. An important thing for us to keep the enjoyment level up night after night.
PS: Were you pleased by the response to Verbs? What's next?
I was primarily pleased with the process of making the record and being fortunate enough to collaborate with so many amazing players. As far as the response goes, it's allowing us to tour more which makes me very happy. I mean we're heading overseas, which has been a dream of mine for years now, so not much to complain about here. Besides these things its very hard to gauge what the response is to albums in such a saturated "market".
We just finished up an EP of live versions of songs from both Verbs and our first album, as well as a new song or two, that better represents the live duo of Dana and myself. That'll come out this summer some time while we'll be starting the next LP after we get back from Europe in June.
Download 'RR vs D'
PS: RR vs D is my girlfriend's favourite track. She asks:" it sounds like you're at a magical carnival - what would your float have on it?"
My own float huh? I'd say it would be stacked high with numerous people strapped to grand pianos, one on top of the other sticking out at adjacent angles. Surrounding them would be a cascading waterfall of champagne ending in a pool of cognac with a submerged and drowning and extremely intoxicated marching band blowing bubbles instead of music. At the precipice would be a franticly running cartoon animal of shapeshifting abilities on a treadmill. All parties survive no worries.
PS: Give us a top 5 of something.
I'm left blank on this one. Top 5 lists are my least and most feared task.
AU undertake a massive European tour from 11th April to 6th June. Full dates on Myspace.
