Damn our bad timing!
Had we waited a week to schedule an interview, we’d have gotten all the dirt on Uh Huh Her’s situation with Southwest Airlines — when the duo was reportedly escorted from a flight for a public display of affection.
Alas, we had plenty to talk about, regardless. The electro-pop/rock duo comprised of Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey is about to release a second full-length album Oct. 11.
Grey said the new album is not as electronic-sounding as previous efforts.
“It is a little more rock-driven this time around,” she said. “I was super-inspired by the 1970s for some reason. I went back to my record collection and was only listening to Psychedelic Furs and Led Zeppelin. So that was a big influence. Luckily, we got to work with Wendy Melvoin of Prince and The Revolution and she inserted her old-school style into it as well.”
And seeing as we at PGN are huge fans of Prince and The Revolution — including Wendy and Lisa — here at PGN, we had to know all about Melvoin’s involvement with the new record.
“We were friends with her,” Grey said. “I met her in passing. She heard our demos and I guess she fell in love with them and wanted to help us. We obviously said yes. We had just gotten a record deal and we were in need of help from anyone. She’s an incredible musician, so we jumped at the chance to work with her. The record had already been produced and then we went in and polished it. Wendy played some of the guitars and she played some bass and percussion.”
Uh Huh Her is now in the midst of headlining the first-ever Keep A Breast music tour, which supports breast cancer prevention and awareness. Grey said she felt it was important to be part of this tour.
“Both my grandmothers had breast cancer and were survivors, so I had an immediate interest in it,” she said. “I think people being educated is the most import thing when it comes to diseases in general. When you catch it early enough, the chances of surviving are far greater. I’m really happy to be a part of it because it hits close to home.”
Grey said she and Hailey are focusing on the new album and touring to support it, even though they’re busy with other artists and projects. Hailey balances acting and music — she had a starring role on Showtime’s “The L Word” — and Grey has performed as a backing musician for artists ranging from Dr. Dre to Adam Lambert.
“Right now for both of us, the group is our main focus,” Grey said. “For the first time, she’s not on ‘The L Word’ and I’m not touring with Adam or somebody else. We’re full steam ahead with the new record. We’re planning on touring it until we can’t. We’ll see. She always wants to act and I always want to do other projects, so that will always be a part of it. I just think that right now we want to give this a shot. And being an independent artist is a lot harder, so I think we really have to focus. Because it’s our baby and we worked so hard on it, it’s nice to see it through and see your work pay off and have people appreciate it. It’s different when you’re playing someone else’s music. Even though those might be more grandiose venues and you’re playing for 50,000 people as opposed to 1,000 people, it’s just as rewarding because it’s your own.”
Uh Huh Her performs 8 p.m. Oct. 8 at TLA, 334 South St. For more information, visit www.uhhuhher.com or call 215-922-1011.