Spiders From Uranus pelt you with old-school punk nuggets on their short, sharp and snotty debut album Blow It Out — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Every artist on a path of creativity finds themselves in a state of evolution — but sometimes a return to classic simplicity is the best way forward. On Blow It Out!, the first full-length from his Seattle trio, songwriter Chris Pugh finds himself in a state of infectious ease. The album’s nine tracks offer bite-sized, potent bursts of punk that rarely push past the two-minute mark. Tales of bad parties, nightmares, and evasive, raccoon-eyed characters spill recklessly from the three-piece in a torrent of guitars, drums, and harmonies as the audience is pulled along on a ride that feels inexplicably fun.
“I just wanted to simplify. I wanted to make it easier with the songwriting. It’s not rocket science for us,” Pugh says of the record, an album driven instead by feeling, emotion and the energy that can radiate from three musicians with years of shared history. Pugh got his start in high school when, inspired by the DIY ethos, he realized one could simply start a band. He moved to Seattle before settling into the fertile punk scene of Olympia in the ’80s.
Over the years he played in countless bands — Young Pioneers, Pet Projects, Creep, Saba, and more he can scarcely remember — cultivating a rich bed of musical tradition and community that informs his most recent effort. He tapped longtime collaborators Colm Meek (who played with Pugh in Creep, Saba, and a project called Heliotrope) and Scott Vanderpool (who played in Young Pioneers and Chemistry Set) to form Spiders From Uranus. The trio began a reinvention of their past projects that boils down to its most enjoyable parts; this band wants to have fun.
“A feeling… music of a certain era that I really like — not derivative, but influenced by all of the different things I’ve listened to over the years,” is how Pugh describes the record, which pays homage to The Buzzcocks, Clash and other punk bands of the late ’70s, while also carrying catchy elements of the Brit pop-rock era. The stories, too, are formed out of a conglomeration of experiences Pugh had over the years, some real, some imagined. It’s a map that doesn’t lead to any one place but promises a hell of a journey.
The album was recorded at Witch Ape in Seattle by grunge icon Tad Doyle, who co-produced with the band. The process found Spiders From Uranus tracking mostly live, achieving a sound that feels pulled straight from a tiny, sweaty venue. The easy chemistry between Pugh, bassist Meek and drummer Vanderpool is palpable, a fast-moving vehicle that drives itself to a killer party.
Listen to Blow It Out below, watch the video for It Don’t Love You above, and follow Spiders From Uranus on Instagram and Facebook.
