Well, it's almost here. Dia De Los Toadies is coming up this Friday and Saturday. I had the chance to get a few more questions answered by another one of the bands on the roster, Austin's own Ume.

Lauren Larson is the vocalist/guitarist, with her husband, Eric Larson, on bass and Rachel Fuhrer on drums. The band will be performing alongside other great bands like The Toadies, The Sword, The Black Angels and Quiet Company, just to name a few.

In addition to being included on the roster of solely Texas artists this weekend, Ume has a new album coming out on August 30, and they just finished shooting a video in New Braunfels for their new single. I had the opportunity to ask the lovely Lauren Larson a few questions about the upcoming event and a few other things...


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Miranda Macias: Last month, I did an interview with Mark Reznicek from The Toadies, and he said they personally pick the bands to play at Dia De Los Toadies. How does it feel to know that The Toadies themselves picked you to play at Whitewater in New Braunfels this month?
Lauren Larson: It's an honor. We were thrilled to play with The Toadies recently in Dallas and are even more excited to be a part of this lineup the week our new record comes out.

Which bands are you looking forward to seeing at Dia De Los Toadies?
LL: We're stoked to see our friends The Black Angels and to play with The Sword again, and The Toadies. I'm also excited to finally play with Quiet Company and to see the reunion of The Faceless Werewolves. We played with them when we were first starting out.

I read your tweets about the shoot in the abandoned house. How did it go, and how did you find the place?
LL: We recently shot a video for our forthcoming new single, "Captive," in a 100-year-old house in New Braunfels. The abandoned shack was super creepy and chosen by the director, Matt Bizer, who used to play in the old house as a kid. The shoot was awesome with lots of homemade pyrotechnics (including an explosion made with coffee creamer) and an amazing set design by Gypsy Sun Vintage. Not only was there lots of fire and ash, but with no AC in August, the temperature was over 100 degrees the entire time... unbearable but a blast.

How did you deal with the skunk under the house?
LL: (Laughs) The assistant who was in charge of the fire effects frequently encountered a baby skunk who had his nest under the house. The skunk actually just chilled out, took a peak every now and then, but didn't seem too annoyed. I was more afraid of what lived beneath the massive ancient cobwebs that covered every square inch of the place.

What was the first song you learned how to play?
LL: I stayed up all night with my brother's guitar and a tape of Nirvana's Incesticide until I taught myself how to play “Aneurysm” on guitar.

Who wrote “The Conductor,” and what was the inspiration behind it?
LL: "The Conductor" began with me writing the opening riff on an acoustic guitar. I was listening to a lot of The Sword at the time (who will be playing DDLT!) and was going for something pseudo-metal on an acoustic, but the song takes a few radical turns throughout and morphs from a heavier riff to a melodic pop chorus.

Who writes most of the songs?
LL: We write collaboratively, each member writing his or her own parts.

Which musicians have had the most influence on your music?
LL: Eric and I grew up playing in DIY punk bands in the Houston area - drawing inspiration from bands like Fugazi, Archers of Loaf, Unwound and Minor Threat. I also loved listening to Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Prince records since I was a little girl. Our drummer's influences range from the likes of John Bonham to Miles Davis. Influence is always subconscious for us - we're not trying to emulate any sort of sound - and probably stretches from Black Sabbath to Blonde Redhead.

What's coming up next for Ume?
LL: We have a new full-length, Phantoms, coming out August 30. Right after playing Dia De Los Toadies, we have to jump in the van and drive all night to St. Louis to play LouFest the next day with TV on the Radio and Cat Power. We also have tons of tour dates this fall.


Ume will be performing on August 27 at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels for Dia De Los Toadies and tickets are still on sale here. If you can't make it to New Braunfels, Ume will be back in Austin on September 10 for the Wild Frontier Festival at Emo's Jr.