Ok Michelle DuBois will launch her new album on Friday, with a present on the EARL on Saturday. (Picture 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 tune is known as ‘Membership Shadow’ and it’s truly the third video from Infinity Sandwich, my new album,” she defined by telephone 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 might be obtainable throughout all main streaming companies this weekend. To have fun, DuBois and pals have scheduled a dwell efficiency of choices from the brand new file on Saturday, July 12, at The EARL in East Atlanta Village.
“To be sincere with you, I’m slightly nervous about that date,” she laughed. “As a result of I’m unsure the vinyl model will truly be right here by then. There’s been plenty of delays, nevertheless 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 overall idea of the file, DuBois paused for a second. “Properly, the best way I see it, Infinity Sandwich is a group of songs that have a look at what it means to principally attempt to remain human and artistic. Particularly now, in an period that’s type of outlined — and generally threatened by — synthetic intelligence. All of the digital noise we have now to take care of day by day is an element. It’s type of an existential suppose piece due to the fact we dwell in and round each single day.”
She factors to the tune “Membership Shadow” as a private instance. “There are sides of us that we’d not need to share with everybody, nevertheless it’s in our hearts and in our heads, and we stock it round with us on a regular basis. Due to expertise, now we have now to take care of all of it, as a result of social media or no matter.”
DuBois mentioned through the enhancing course of for the video, she was “type of ‘portray’ with the pictures of 4 completely different folks. “Three had been pals I’d requested to do a selfie video of themselves dancing round. They contribute to the narrative — and in some way 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 about. “At my day job, I continually need to do these steps to show I’m in some way not a robotic,” she defined.
“So principally, 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 id.”
The second video from the album is the cartoonish “Not At the moment, 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 once I was presupposed to be writing a tune. 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 have now a extremely magical working relationship,” mentioned DuBois.
When the duo works, she mentioned, 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’ house 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 go away me alone. I had to enter a closet and file 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 ceaselessly. I’ll have an thought and it simply comes, and I’ve to take care of it because it turns into type of an instantaneous factor. And that retains it fascinating for me.”
“A whole lot of my songwriting might be on synthesizers and bass, which is an acoustic guitar, however I’m enjoying what needs to be the bass traces,” defined DuBois of her writing method. “Parts from all of that may in some way 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, finally fashioned the favored Atlanta-based Ultrababyfat along with her childhood good friend Shonali Bhowmik round 1994.
For a journey that started with a uncooked punk band and morphed right into a decade of nationwide various acceptance with Ultrababyfat — together with a tour with comic David Cross within the early 2000s — DuBois’ decided imaginative and prescient is obvious.
“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 type of approach I’m with the truth that I like to attempt new recipes. I like to cook dinner, and I solely cook dinner for myself and my husband, however I really like his response — and that’s all that issues.”
Born right into a musical household, DuBois is okay along with her personal immediate gratification. “My father and brother are deep-rooted in nation music. They’ve heard my music, and so they 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 help it, and that’s high quality 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 carry her songs and inventive 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 mentioned. “I’m considering possibly if I can preserve enjoying music, I’ll keep sane. This album got here from a time once 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 suppose it’s all about discovering some type of reference to humanity in the course of all this craziness,” DuBois concluded. “Perhaps once we play dwell, we will query all of that — throughout the secure 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 prematurely. 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 present 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, marketing consultant and archivist for tasks with ’80s hitmakers The Go-Go’s.
