Alt Pop/Rockers The Uncertain have debuted their latest single “Forget About Me”. An incredibly catchy and relatable song about the desire to move on from people and situations that are no longer serving you. The Music video, directed by Christian Lawrence (Dance Gavin Dance, Rivals, Nothingmore) finds the band in an endless cycle of parties. The common theme among them is the bandmates' clear apathy and disgust with the people and events going on around them. They have become jaded by the constant partying. What began as friends jamming during their formative years in college quickly turned into a legitimate band taking the NYC Alternative Pop/Rock scene by storm.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey The Uncertain, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. Where did the idea for the artistic name come from?
The name “The Uncertain” (UNCRTN) came about after a few tries at trying to find a name that represented the three unlikely individuals that came together. What started as a joke by Tyler because they were unsure about what to name the trio, soon became a legitimate name that represents the uncertainty we face in the world, in ourselves, and in our future. We’re all unsure about what tomorrow is going to bring, but what we can do is lean on each other and come together despite differences and learn to live in the moment.
How do you feel about releasing your new track?
Honestly dropping this song has been the most rewarding out of all our releases. We have been working for months to create content and gather press to push this song as best we could once it dropped, so it’s truly such a rewarding feeling to finally let it out into the world and see that our efforts were not in vain. It’s just been really satisfying to see people streaming/sharing/ and enjoying our song the way we intended.
Your latest track is 'Forget About Me'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation? Any funny studio stories?
“Forget About Me” is a reflection on your life and the people around you. It's about the need to get away from what tries to bring you down and change who you are as a person. The song started with that guitar rhythm heard in the verse, Tyler couldn't get that rhythm out of his head and he felt as though its movement and chord shape helped tell the emotional story of escaping from the things that no longer align with you. The studio sessions for this track were definitely memorable, for starters we tracked the guitars for this song so meticulously; we muted all the strings that were not in use, and quad tracked the chords note by note. Just watching our producer Nor Omar wrap the strings in paper towels and basically straddle our drummer/guitarist Chris to mute the notes while he played was comical to say the least. Further we had a few late night tracking sessions, one in particular our bassist Tyler spent hours upon hours almost an entire day’s worth tracking bass on our first 5 songs. When we were up to tracking this song our producer realized that the interface had a knob turned up sending a bit of drive into the tracks which would have caused issues come time for mixing. So they fixed the interface and went back to tracking through the entire night. It was a long grueling session, but it made for great memories. There's nothing quite like tracking bass for 12 plus hours to bond you with your producer.
Can you write more about the music video? How was it made?
The video concept was created to show a dissonance between the party goers and the bandmates. They find themselves in an endless cycle of party’s and as you can see in their mood they’re over it, and can no longer sit by and just comply with a lifestyle they don’t believe in. The concept behind the outfit changes was to metaphorically show a disconnect between the band and those around them, the key message of the song. To make the video we first got in contact with our favorite videographer Christian Lawrence, who has done videos for Dance Gavin Dance, Nothing More, Rivals and many more. We went back and forth on how we were going to pull off the party feel and outfit changes and finally figured out a list of trustworthy people and a system for how we were going to change outfits and sets. Once we got everyone on set we went to work tirelessly changing outfits, sets, lighting, all while containing a party. Although tensions were high to ensure everyone was safe,cooperative, and that we got the necessary shots, we still had such a fun and memorable time with our good friends and supporters. It was a music video shoot that we’re truly never going to forget.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Tyler: If it wasn’t for my music career I would probably be pursuing a career as a Firefighter. Throughout my life I've always found myself coming back to one main thing and that’s helping others. Whether it be through music, comedy, acting, personal training, I've always grown when helping others. Being a firefighter would give me the opportunity to help others on the daily, while also fueling my need for excitement/adventure.
Sonia: If it wasn’t for music, I would, and still am actively trying to work in the world of Marketing in Social Media Strategy/Influencer Outreach/Content Creation. Even though it wouldn’t necessarily be performing, I would still have the opportunity to work adjacent to the music industry/have a job in a more creative sphere.
Chris: I would definitely be working in the marine biology / conservation field. The ocean has always fascinated me and I’d do anything to always be around it.
What is one message you would like to give to your fans?
Our one key message that we will always push to our fans is that no matter who you are or where you're from you can always lean on one another. Our biggest goal is to create a community where unlikely individuals can come together and learn/create/grow with each other, just like we did.
What inspires you as an artist?
Tyler: As an artist and just entertainer in general I find myself drawing inspiration from so many different things. I tend to look to my past experiences, whether it be conversations I had with loved ones or strangers, moments in time that have left impressions on me, or times where I found myself at my lowest. I draw upon these moments to create my art and express my true self. Furthermore I’m always inspired by music new and old; I take the feelings that the music evokes in me and I try to create music that'll make people feel the same way. Lastly my biggest inspiration are those who support me and my creative endeavors. I truly love every single person who shares my projects, comes to my shows, tells me that I've inspired them or helped them in some way, that'll always be my North Star, to continue to create music and projects that I can share with those who need it.
Sonia: As an artist, what inspires me most are two things: First and foremost: the idea that a complex piece of music comes from one little line, riff, synth, noise, etc. My favorite part about being an artist is that I can watch each layer be added on to a single idea and experiment with different sounds to make it a working piece of art that connects and inspires others. Second: In terms of songwriting and the actual context of lyrics, I mainly get inspired from people who have done me dirty haha - Whether it’s a romantic interest (almost always) or an ex-friend - it’s always those moments of rejection, pain, and sadness that sends me into a spiral of songwriting. Chances are - if I’ve kissed you or thought about kissing you, you’re getting a song written about you.
Chris: Growing up I’ve always found joy in going to live shows for my favorite artists, seeing my favorite songs come to life on stage has always inspired me to want to do the same. Watching bands scale from side stages to main acts has been an inspiration for me and my musical endeavors. On the producing end, I've been really inspired by modern production and the endless tools we have at our fingertips to take a song in any direction we want.
If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
One thing we would definitely change within the music industry is the lack of organic scouting/growth. Although the independent artist is having its moment in 2022, it comes with large amounts of monetary investment. It’s become difficult to get organically scouted these days - with labels and A&R wanting to see virality or a large social media presence before giving anyone a second look. We are no strangers to hard/smart work and will continue grinding until the wheels fall off, however we believe the nature of the industry and its expectation for independent artists before being given a chance are very high.
How do you stay connected and up to date with the art world?
For us we believe one of the most important ways to stay up to date with the art world is to be present on social media. Given the nature of the internet, we are flooded with so much information at once, and you can really find the answers for anything you want to discover or keep up to date with, from; new bands, to changing trends, to press, to labels, etc. However, it is also incredibly important to disconnect from our phones and see what’s happening in the real world/ our local scene. Going out and networking in the flesh is one of the most important ways to stay connected in the music industry, especially if you live in an area where the music scene is established. Overall, keeping an ear to the street in all areas is one of the best ways to stay up to date with the constantly changing art world.
What are your plans for the future? What does next year look like for you?
As a band the rest of 2022 is going to be structured around a few more really fun and interesting shows. We’re trying to build a community of bands and supporters, and give them the most unique and entertaining shows we possibly can. Further we’re heading back into a writing phase to start working on our next batch of songs to push ourselves, our sound, and build The Uncertain community. We are recently feeling inspired to tell more stories, and believe we're heading into a renaissance for the band and are excited to see what new voice/sound emerges from it. Lastly we’re going to keep creating content and promoting our latest release to try and make this our best drop to date, and give our fans the highest quality of content possible.