About Us

What does it mean to be “In the egg”? 

 

This is a term Us came up with during the creation period for their double album, IGNITE. “Let’s get in the egg”, they would say as they tumbled down the stairs into the basement of their Appalachian hang out to play another “wave” of music. Days were spent down there; and what were they doing? Lying on the carpet playing the tambourine, dancing to self-programmed keyboard beats, experimenting with topical lyrics spit and sung through a megaphone, with saxophone pouring out on tap, and drums…oh so many drums. Recorded improvisational deep dives would last for hours where entire songs would emerge in pristine condition, spontaneously written in the moment once the band had descended (or perhaps ascended, who really knows?!) into “the egg”. 

 

The egg is that deep space in the middle where music can emerge in its purity, unaffected by interfering thoughts or outside images of what music “should” sound like. A deeply physical process, it demands a commitment to whatever wants to come out, which is…totally unknown and often surprising. It’s less about sticking to a genre and more about working with what arises in the moment through the timeless space of the organism in all its complete imperfection. This valiant group of music pioneers learnt how to go with it; to ride the waves of chaos and order, to present this platter of songs you see before you. Some songs emerged complete. Some demanded a bit of classic song-writing technique and a few over-dubs. 

 

Wherever Us encountered an expressive inhibition, they set about losing it. So, perhaps it could be said that at this point in time… they have less than they did when they first began.

Us is about self-expression, freeing your voice and finding our collective shared voice with the knowing that it is necessary for us humans to come together and stand for what we hold dear in this world, if indeed we want it to survive. We believe the present-day catastrophes are more than coincidental. Us is acting from your deepest spark of joy and bringing to fruition the creative impulse that makes you truly human, to bring about real and significant change in this chaotic, beautiful world we inhabit.