Spiral Cell

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Spiral Cell

Interview conducted on September 03, 2020

by Dan Locke

One of Colorado’s most favored musical artists Scott Uhl and his progressive/experimental music project Spiral Cell have released a breath taking new music video shot entirely underwater entitled “Ocean”.

Spiral Cell’s Scott Uhl, “The song is called “Ocean” because to me, the ocean is one of the most soothing and gorgeous places on earth.

Who is Spiral Cell?

Hi, I’m Scott Uhl and I’m the guy behind the masks for the one-man-band-theatrical-cinematic-experience project called Spiral Cell

What is your upbringing?

I was a nerd in high school, and I liked programming calculator games on the graphing calculators, and now I program MIDI/lights/visuals for the live Spiral Cell shows. I’m still a nerd though.

How did you discover music?

I got into music completely by accident. My good friend Bryon in high school said “take guitar class with me so I know someone in the class.” I had no desire to learn music, but I was instantly hooked and stopped playing video games and programming calculator games and switched to guitar almost instantly.

How did you start to write music?

When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to write my own music. So, I pretty much started right away.

How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?

I do still have my first Ibanez electric guitar that I got as a gift from my parents when they realized that I was really interested in playing guitar in high school. I haven’t played it in ages, but I still have it.

What was your first performance at like?

My first performance was with my band in high school “Empathy” at the Ogden Theater in Denver. It was one of those battle-of-the-band scams (not all of them are scams, but this one for sure was) where you had to sell 50 tickets to enter and it was an all-day event. Almost every other band on the bill was a punk rock band, so we were booed pretty heavily. We even had someone throw a pillow at us. In hindsight, I really wish I would have kept that pillow!

What makes a good songwriter?

I would say having your own voice in music/songwriting. I’m not a standard songwriter, and I think anyone who listens to Spiral Cell could agree with that. But I would like to think I have my own voice and style when writing music.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

I believe it was “Hail to the Nerds” in high school (seeing a trend with these answers?). We never recorded it, but I know we have the lyrics still written down somewhere.

How did the band start?

Spiral Cell had its first show in 2016, but I started writing songs in 2010 for it. I had no idea what it would evolve into, but at that time I just wanted to record a solo record with stuff that didn’t fit with my other band at the time. I kept building on it, and then added the dialogue/narrative, and then the live lighting and visuals and programming. So, it took a while to put it together.

How the band did get its name?

One of the tracks on the album was called “Spiral” which I always liked. I wanted another word to go with it because of I bands with two words for their name for some reason. I saw the word “cell” on a Youtube video, and put the two words together and loved it.

Tell me about your new release?

The music video for “Ocean” off of my album “The Maze in the Tree Rings” is a completely underwater music video. It was a challenge to shoot, but it was a lot of fun to do something different.

Why did you pick K. Hunter Lamar to direct your video?

Kyle is a great guy, and he shot some footage of the live Spiral Cell shows, and we’ve been talking about doing a video for a while. He mentioned he wanted to try an underwater video at some point, and I mentioned I had the song that I think would work for it. I sent it to him, and we both started brainstorming ideas. Kyle is a great guy to work with and super creative and doesn’t have a massive ego and still gets incredible shots.

How bad did you destroy the equipment while making the video?

The guitar definitely didn’t survive that went in the water 🙁 The thing was, I had that guitar for forever and it was already in pretty bad shape. It’s a cheap guitar too. I took it in to get it fixed and the guy told me I should just buy another one. So instead of having it sit in my closet forever, I thought it was appropriate to give it an epic send-off by being in a cool underwater music video. I definitely think it was the right choice. The midi controller/keyboard was already broken ahead of time as well.

How do you stay healthy while performing?

Performing is always a good cardio activity. Maybe that’s why I’ve gotten more out of shape during the lockdowns haha.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

With anything now, it’s got its pros and cons for sure. I can reach anyone anywhere thanks to streaming now, but it’s also over-saturated with so many bands and artists. But overall, I’m a fan of it. I know Spotify doesn’t pay very well, but things like “Discover Weekly” where they show you bands you might like based on bands you’ve listened to and liked is a really cool feature. I still use it to discover new artists.

Digital vs. vinyl?

I’m really a digital guy. I know vinyl does sound better for sure, but I’m a tech-nerd, so I’m a fan of a lot of digital stuff. Especially with my guitar gear. I love a good tube amp, but I use a modeler 99% of the shows I play now anyways. Technology is pretty crazy now.

Heather- What did you mean by the statement “Karma comes after everyone eventually”?

? I don’t think I said that haha. But I don’t know how much I agree with “everyone”. I think some people do get what they deserve eventually, but not everyone.

What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?

It’s a crazy time to be alive for sure. I really don’t know what to do about it. I think it will continue to escalate for sure, which is scary.

What is the mental health situation of the United State? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?

I would listen to the doctors and nurses. I think you should trust what people with experience have to say on the topic. Finding accurate information now is difficult, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with admitting that I just don’t know something. The Dunning–Kruger effect is in full force with everything thinking they know what’s best for everything going on currently. It’s terrifying but also fascinating to watch. Social media is an absolute poison for what is happening currently here. I say that as someone who is on Instagram and Facebook more than I should be. We all know how bad it is too. It’s interesting how we all know it’s so poisonous but so many of us still use it.

Do you think kids should go back to school his fall?

As someone who is not a doctor, someone who does not have any knowledge in infectious diseases, and someone who does not have children, I think my opinion on the topic is pretty irrelevant. I do not envy those having to make these decisions though.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

I cover “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield when I do cover sets. Those lyrics are still relevant today. The song “Let’s Go To War” by Nothing More came out about 4 or so years ago now. I remember thinking at that point how relevant the lyrics were. I never knew how relevant it would be even more so now.

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

It’s so sad how many businesses have been forced to close down for this. It’s honestly insanely depressing. I hope once this ends people will be hungry for live music and will go out in full force to see shows again. Any musician is going to have to adapt to the times. 20 years ago, you didn’t have to be good at social media/promotion to be a musician. Now you do. Post-Covid music business WILL be different. So, we either have to adapt or say it’s not worth it. We will have to wait and see.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Finished the new Spiral Cell record (recording anyways). I started doing a lot of YouTube videos on my Scott Uhl Music channel with tips and guitar lessons and stuff like that.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Not really haha. I’m pretty obsessed with just doing music stuff.

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

I don’t think I have a favorite. Whatever is on Netflix or Amazon Prime I usually watch. We just finished “Humans” which was pretty interesting.

Heather- You have been making soap?

No. I watched Fight Club recently, where they make soap. Does that count?

Josh- Merch Girl (in your Facebook bio)?

My wife usually helps with merch at my shows if she can make it.

Larissa- You stated “2020 feels like Scar took over pride rock”?

Kind of creepy you’ve stalked my Facebook profile haha. I shared that to my 90s band page because it was a 90s reference. But I think it’s a fair statement. 2020 sucks.

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You did Play through and “Quarantine Concerts” Which is a good name for it. How are your fans enjoying them?

The Spiral Cell Quarantine Concert was a great experience to put together. I’m really grateful for AEG and the Bluebird Theater to invite me to do that. The fans seemed to really enjoy it too. It’s not the same as performing live, but for the Spiral Cell concept, it seemed to fit really well.

Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home? Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music, and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

Is it possible to make a living? Yes, definitely depending on the fan base. As an artist, I would imagine you have to make it really interesting every single time to make viewers want to tune in. There is a “humor-core” metal band called Psychostick who has been doing weekly concerts and they keep it interesting every time. They have a really good setup too where they can respond to people who donate and stuff like that. They have been doing it really well I feel. But they also have a big enough fan base who is interested in watching these concerts every week. It’ll be hard to get “discovered” doing this… just like it’s hard to get discovered now.

For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue. How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?

I think it will happen eventually. I’ve been doing cover sets at bars and restaurants following the guidelines. It’s not the same thing per say, but it’s similar. I think some people will never want to be in a crowd again after this, but I think most people will be itching to go back to a live show, so I think it’s possible. As artists, we do have to understand right now that venues are struggling as well. Sometime the guarantees will be much less than what they could have been before. We all have to work together in order to survive this. If it’s a blatant rip-off, be aware of that, but mostly be willing to compromise for what works best for both of you.

With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it maybe the end of the music fest for the next couple of years?

Some are saying 2021, some are saying 2022. I honestly have no idea, but every musician should plan for either outcome. This is why I’m doing the Youtube videos right now, and I can perform solo and duo and trio cover shows so I can still make some money with the limited capacity and budgets that venues have right now.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

That would be pretty sweet, I’m not going to lie.

How do you see yourself in the next five years?

Hopefully touring/traveling again. That would be nice especially after all of this.

Anything you would like to say in closing?

Thanks for taking the time to interview me. And thank you to everyone who has read it this far. Check out the new underwater music video for “Ocean” at youtube.com/SpiralCell or at www.spiralcell.com. Hopefully, I’ll have a new album out sooner rather than later, but we never know with everything going on right now. Stay safe, and thanks again!