Santa Ana, Calif.’s Aushua is playing at the Canopy Club tonight with Washington, D.C.’s Middle Distance Runner. Showtime is 9 p.m., and it’s a $7 cover. The fine folks in Aushua were kind enough to answer some questions via the miracle of the internets:
Smile Politely: How is the van doing? Any more run-ins with Somali mechanics?
Aushua: Not quite….we did have a scare yesterday when the van decided to just stop working at a red light. As we were prepping to jump out and push it through the intersection to the other side of the road, the tour gods smiled upon us and it started. I think its the van’s way of getting back at us for jamming gear in it and driving it across the country. The thing is a question mark every time we get in it at this point of tour.
Smile Politely: Your album arrangements sound quite intricate. What’s the most difficult part of your recorded sound to recreate live?
Aushua: Getting the same guitar tones is a challenge. The sound guys are always rushing you to get your gear set up and sound checked. Basically we have 15 minutes at every show to get our gear set up, tuned, mic checked, and tones set. Its always complicated but we think we’ve got a nice system down.
Smile Politely: Who have you been compared to that has really bothered you?
Aushua: I don’t think we’ve gotten many bad comparisons. The fact that three of us are brothers draws comparisons to other “brother bands” that sound nothing like us. I’m sure if you spend a minute thinking of who I’m referring to…you’ll figure it out.
Smile Politely: What is the greatest album of all time? Why?
Aushua: I’m not sure there is a right answer but currently our favorite album would be “Remain in Light” by the Talking Heads. The percussion and rhythm on this album make you want to drop what your doing and dance. Throw in some catchy melodies and amazing guitar tones and you have yourself a greatest album of all time.
Smile Politely: How are you getting along with Middle Distance Runner? Any east-coast/west-coast rivalries boiling to the surface?
Aushua: The MDR guys are great. We’re having a good time driving around the country with them. They are a hard working band and will do well for themselves.
Smile Politely: Any desire to change your name to Aushsua to make it a palindrome? Would having a palindromic band name be an asset or a liability, in your opinion? Would you feel the need to play your songs backwards every year for a New Year’s Eve show or something?
Aushua: Ha…its already hard enough to remember as it is so adding another letter probably wouldn’t be a good idea.
Smile Politely: How long have you guys been on the road? What’s the highlight/lowlight of the tour thus far?
Aushua: We’ve been out for almost 6 weeks and loving every minute of it. Except for when our van broke down at 2am in the middle of Brooklyn and we had to get it towed. That’s never good. The highlight for me was playing shows in NYC and being able to visit the memorials in DC. So much tradition and history in those two cities.
Smile Politely: Been to Champaign-Urbana before? If not, what are your preconceived notions?
Aushua: We actually met a nice girl from Urbana when we played in Charlotte so we’re hoping its a good reflection of the town. I’m assuming its a smaller town where people know each other and they’ll give you the shirt off their back if you need it. Gotta love the midwest!