Ok Michelle DuBois will launch her new album on Friday, with a present on the EARL on Saturday. (Photograph courtesy of the artist)
Earlier this week, when ArtsATL reached out to Ok Michelle DuBois, she was busy placing the ultimate touches on her newest video.
“The music known as ‘Membership Shadow’ and it’s really the third video from Infinity Sandwich, my new album,” she defined by cellphone from her Cabbagetown house studio.
“I’m actually happy with this one, and I’ve been excited to get among the music out — even earlier than the official launch this Friday (July 11).” The independently issued assortment shall be accessible throughout all main streaming companies this weekend. To rejoice, DuBois and associates have scheduled a reside efficiency of choices from the brand new report on Saturday, July 12, at The EARL in East Atlanta Village.
“To be trustworthy with you, I’m slightly nervous about that date,” she laughed. “As a result of I’m unsure the vinyl model will really be right here by then. There’s been numerous delays, however it’s OK. We’ll nonetheless have some surprises for everybody.”
She added that the irritating manufacturing delay is in keeping with the general theme of the album.
When pressed to explain the final idea of the report, DuBois paused for a second. “Effectively, the way in which I see it, Infinity Sandwich is a group of songs that have a look at what it means to mainly strive to remain human and inventive. Particularly now, in an period that’s kind of outlined — and generally threatened by — synthetic intelligence. All of the digital noise we’ve got to take care of on daily basis is an element. It’s kind of an existential assume piece due to the truth we reside in and round each single day.”
She factors to the music “Membership Shadow” as a private instance. “There are sides of us that we would not wish to share with everybody, however it’s in our hearts and in our heads, and we stock it round with us on a regular basis. Because of know-how, now we’ve got to take care of all of it, attributable to social media or no matter.”
DuBois stated in the course of the modifying course of for the video, she was “kind of ‘portray’ with the photographs of 4 totally different folks. “Three have been associates I’d requested to do a selfie video of themselves dancing round. They contribute to the narrative — and one way or the other all of it provides to the communal thread.” Fiona Sophia, burlesque artist Dominique Trixx and Gabriella Muglia are featured, with a bonus cameo from a curated clip of an unnamed Argentina-based dancer.
The video follows the preliminary on-line launch from the gathering, “Tar and Scars,” and the entire particular person versus machine theme is ready. “At my day job, I continually must do these steps to show I’m one way or the other not a robotic,” she defined.
“So mainly, a robotic is asking me to show that I’m not a robotic. It’s very irritating to be sandwiched between AI-generated artists on streaming platforms after which to be held accountable to your personal identification.”
The second video from the album is the cartoonish “Not Right now, Lucy.” In it, she explains she’s saying “no” to “the satan.” “On this case, I used to be being tempted to activate some rubbish TV after I was alleged to be writing a music. It’s all in the identical theme: How do we are saying no to the large tech world that appears to permeate our lives?”
The disc is her fifth solo album and fourth with producer-collaborator Dan Dixon from Atlanta-based rock band Dropsonic. “He’s my musical soul brother, and we’ve got a very magical working relationship,” stated DuBois.
When the duo works, she stated, it’s alone with one another within the studio — till a drummer is required. A frequent collaborator is veteran percussionist Chandler Rentz. A majority of the nuts and bolts of DuBois’ albums are recorded in her house studio.
What can’t be correctly tracked in DuBois’ area is taken to Dixon’s studio in Peoplestown. “That’s been our course of for fairly some time now,” continued DuBois. “Once more, going again to ‘Membership Shadow,’ it was simply in my head and it wouldn’t depart me alone. I had to enter a closet and report a voice memo of it so I wouldn’t wake my husband up. It simply stored calling to me, and I needed to get it down earlier than it was gone. That occurs fairly often. I’ll have an concept and it simply comes, and I’ve to take care of it because it turns into kind of an instantaneous factor. And that retains it attention-grabbing for me.”
“A number of my songwriting shall be on synthesizers and bass, which is an acoustic guitar, however I’m enjoying what ought to be the bass strains,” defined DuBois of her writing method. “Parts from all of that may one way or the other make it into the combination. And I’m already daydreaming about doing it once more this winter.”
DuBois, who began her rock ’n’ roll journey in Knoxville with the Flying Polecats combo within the late ’80s, ultimately fashioned the favored Atlanta-based Ultrababyfat together with her childhood buddy Shonali Bhowmik round 1994.
For a journey that started with a uncooked punk band and morphed right into a decade of nationwide different acceptance with Ultrababyfat — together with a tour with comic David Cross within the early 2000s — DuBois’ decided imaginative and prescient is evident.
“I can’t even let you know what number of songs I’ve written. As a result of I’m continually writing,” she confirmed. “I might do that — even when nobody’s ever going to listen to it. It’s the identical form of manner I’m with the truth that I like to strive new recipes. I like to cook dinner, and I solely cook dinner for myself and my husband, however I like his response — and that’s all that issues.”
Born right into a musical household, DuBois is ok together with her personal prompt gratification. “My father and brother are deep-rooted in nation music. They’ve heard my music, they usually know I’m on this path. I don’t even present them stuff anymore now as a result of I’m simply continually creating new issues. I do know they assist it, and that’s advantageous with me. I do that for me first, then everybody can relate to it or not as a result of it’s my very own artwork.”
On Saturday, backed by Dan Dixon (guitar), David Chase (bass), Chandler Rentz (drums), with Mary O. Harrison (keyboards) and Jim Prible (guitar), the combo will convey her songs and creative visions to life on the small stage on the EARL.
“Writing songs retains me from falling right into a ball of tension with every little thing that’s happening,” she stated. “I’m considering possibly if I can hold enjoying music, I’ll keep sane. This album got here from a time after I felt the necessity to query every little thing. And I nonetheless do!”
“I’ve been questioning why we nonetheless attempt to create, so I assume it’s all about discovering some form of reference to humanity in the midst of all this craziness,” DuBois concluded. “Possibly once we play reside, we are able to query all of that — inside the protected confines of a pleasant little ‘family and friends’ fashion gathering — so, yeah, let’s do it.”
The place & When
Ok Michelle DuBois performs at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. Love Letter and ANTHMZ open. $20; $18 upfront. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. N.E. 404-522-3950. badearl.com.
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Lee Valentine Smith is an Atlanta-born artist, author and musician. At the moment a daily contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Structure, his work has been syndicated internationally. He has appeared at Music Midtown, on CBS Radio and on Air America. He additionally served as artwork director, advisor and archivist for tasks with ’80s hitmakers The Go-Go’s.