Amongst the grunge bands that were around in the early to mid-nineties, with their ‘life sucks, let’s throw ourselves in the abyss’ ambience, there was one band, Urge Overkill from Chicago, that stood out like a loud Hawaiian shirt at a Gothic night club. While a cult band in their home land, the band’s fourth album, the magnificent Saturation from 1993, really put them on the map in Australia, featuring brilliant pop tracks like “Woman 2 Woman”, “Bottle Of Fur” and the slamming “Tequila Sundae”.
Urge Overkill have been inactive for the past sixteen years. However, the band has reconvened over the past year. An excellent album later, last year’s Rock And Roll Submarine, was a strong step back into the limelight, featuring great cuts like the title track and “Effigy”.
“The breakup of the band has, over the years, become hard to justify to ourselves. Chicago natives are very possessive of their music and always saw Urge Overkill as a worthwhile project, even if, at times, we didn’t see that ourselves,” begins Roeser. “We realised we were ready for another chapter in our musical lives. Being pestered by friends about getting Urge back together made me realise and remember the fun elements of what made the band special. I have to hand it to local fans around Chicago for pestering us to get the band back together. I realised we had nothing to lose with starting again.”
There was a big train of thought that, if you signed to a major label in the nineties, you had sold out. Roeser explains. “We were lucky to be one of those limited number of bands who, in that post-Nirvana time, could be taken seriously and were given priority by the corporate industry. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up benefitting us in the long run. Besides the well-established acts, it’s every band for itself. Recording and releasing our own music, like we did with Rock And Roll Submarine and plan to do with the next release, things feel like they have come full circle.”
One of the most striking aspects of the Urge sound is its jangly guitar sound, especially the almost sitar-like tone they got on tracks like “Sister Havana”. What has helped the band find such a distinctive sound? “We’ve tried not to be influenced by the music around us, past and present. We, as a unit, have always aimed for that which is unexpected and not predictable. Our music needs to have something unique to it to make it ours alone. The sitar that we used on “Saturation” belonged to a friend. They were used in a lot of Motown music. Music is about taking extra care and getting a sound that is new to us. It’s about not trying to be influenced by anyone that is at the heart of Urge Overkill,” says Roeser.
In what seemed a sea of flannelette shirts and torn jeans in the grunge period, Urge Overkill always were a highly stylish band, with great suits and a distinct image and personality. In this respect, they really were swimming against the tide of the time. “I saw all these bands in lumberjack outfits. We, as a trio, always thought we could do better. It was definitely a statement against what was around at the time. We have moved away from that somewhat over the years. It was definitely central around Saturation, especially.”
How are the band faring now, after all the acrimony of many years ago, around the Exit The Dragon period? “There were many reasons why Urge split up initially. The issues with Blackie Onassis, our drummer at the time, especially in relation to drugs, wasn’t the only reason why the band had become somewhat fractured. Now, with just Nash and myself, along with our other band members, the relationship seems to function to a better degree than what it did when we were a trio with members of equal standing. The process seems much more relaxed with Nash and myself, having such a rich history together,” says Roeser.
Is being best known for a cover version a blessing or a curse for Urge Overkill? “Both,” laughs Roeser, ruefully. “We had recorded our version of ‘Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ on our last EP with Touch & Go Records before signing to Geffen. Quentin Tarantino, with his incredible ear for music, used it on the soundtrack for Pulp Fiction. By association, the success of the film gave us another chance at a time when the band wasn’t at its happiest.”
Having picked up where they left off, what does Urge Overkill have to offer the world in 2012? “I still feel there is worth in our band. Nash and I want to explore the next chapter of this band that has been a central part of our lives for over twenty years.”
Urge Overkill are in Australia in the coming week, appearing at Golden Plains Sixxx and headline shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
THURSDAY 8TH MARCH: MELBOURNE, THE ESPY
Tickets $45 + bf
FRIDAY 9TH MARCH: BRISBANE, THE ZOO
Tickets $40 + bf
SATURDAY 10TH MARCH: SYDNEY, THE GAELIC
Tickets $44 + bf
