The critically acclaimed electropop duo Uh Huh Her is
headlining Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend with a grand finale concert on
Sunday, April 7 at Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs, CA.
The LA-based duo, crowned “lesbian royalty”, featuring Leisha Hailey, better known as
bisexual journalist Alice Pieszecki on Showtime’s The L Word, and ex-Mellodrone
bassist and keyboardis Camila Grey, will perform for the third time at this
year’s legendary Dinah Shore Weekend.
In the meantime we caught up with the band to chat about music, The L Word and The Dinah!
It’s
your third time performing at The Dinah. What does the event represent for you?
(Leisha) It represents freedom of expression and a place where women
can come together safely and have a good time.
As you get
ready for Dinah Shore, how do you plan to keep things fresh for audiences who
have been following you since the early days?
(Leisha)
We're working on new songs for the show in April, so hopefully the set won't be
too redundant for the ladies. I'm still fresh as a daisy, so not to
worry. ;)
Do you
have a special “Dinah moment” you remember?
(Leisha) Watching Katy Perry when she first started and Cam tugging on
her hair backstage and asking her if it was a wig. LOL.
 |
| Leisha Hailey, Kathy Valenti, Camilla Grey, Mariah Hanson and Kathy Perry (The Dinah 2009) |
Being a Dinah
veteran, what's the best advice you have for revelers and artists alike?
(Leisha)
Stay hydrated, use sunscreen, and cam says, "keep your pants on"
 |
| Uh Huh Her at The Dinah 2011 |
Can
you tell us anything about what’s in store for Uh Huh Her in 2013 in addition
to The Dinah?
(Leisha) We are about to start working on our third record. It’s going in the direction of
DANCE…we’re very excited.
(Camila) We start
production this week and we're very excited. We're working with some
amazing people!
Leisha,
being so recognizable from The L Word, was that a built-in bonus or did it
create more pressure to do well?
I was actually shocked at the attention the band got right away. I was surprised people cared as much
about my off screen life as they did my character on screen.
Camila,
honestly...were you a fan of The L Word?
I watched a couple of seasons, yes. Now you could say I’m a fan…of Leisha
As the show’s resident out lesbian how do you think L Word faired at
depicting our community and how important do you think it is to have LGBTI
visibility on screen?
(Leisha) I think the writers did a great job. To me
it was more character driven than a perfect depiction of what a lesbian lives
and looks like. I think the L Word was just another spoke in the wheel. A part
of a bigger picture but not the whole picture.
Overall Leisha, what was it like to be apart of such an iconic series?
Those were some of the best years of my life. I
miss it a lot and I'm so grateful to have been a part of that show. Thankfully,
many girls from the cast are some of my closest friends.
 |
| Uh Huh Her at The Dinah 2008 |
 |
| Mariah Hanson with the cast of "The L Word" |
How would you describe the Uh Huh Her sound to the uninitiated?
(Leisha) We think of it as electro pop.
(Camila) Indy Electro Pop with a classic rock twist
How would you say your music has evolved over the last few years?
(Leisha) I think we have incorporated more of what
we both love into our sound with each record. I am very influenced by beats and
heavy grunge power chords and Cam is very electronic and 80's driven. I think
our next record will combine those even better.
(Camila) -I think that I'm much more willing to explore new territory as I think
we did with Nocturnes as well as our latest EP3. I think as time has gone
by I've become a better producer and engineer and thus the sound has gotten so
much better in my mind from our first effort "I see Red". I'm
less concerned about perfecting everything and so much more focused on the
intention behind the song and the feeling of a piece of music. I am
really excited to make a dance record because we've never really focused solely
on one genre. It will be a fun challenge...."Dark Dance"
(Camila) Its not hard
creating something unique when you stick to listening to your own voice and not
the current state of the music industry.
Sometimes it’s much harder to compete that way, however I love that we
don’t compromise our sound for the sake of being commercial or doing what’s
current.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs?
(Leisha) I usually write from a very personal
place
How much does your real world experience inform your
songwriting?
(Camila) It does in the sense that we will always take from
our own personal experiences, however I love to write from other
perspectives. I like to make
believe still, which is a good thing.
What
are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned over time since the first album?
-Record labels are complicated but helpful
-People don’t buy records anymore
-And if you don’t use twitter or facebook you don’t exist.
Compatibility
seems so important in a working relationship, let alone a romantic one. Are there
areas that you completely butt heads?
(Leisha) Directions while driving. =)
What female
artists are you listening to these days?
(Leisha)
Nina Simone, Haim, Blonde Redhead, Portishead, Bjork, RiRi...
(Camila)
Azelia Banks, Rihanna, Apparat, Air, Big Black Delta, Depeche Mode, Billie
Holiday and Ella F, Nina Simone, to name a few!
Is
there anyone you’re interested in working with in the future?
(Leisha & Camila)
KANYE!!!!!
Worst gig?
(Camila) Our
first gig at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. I was so nervous I wore 2 different pairs of shoes and was
just a general mess on stage. We
had only been a band for 5 months and we were playing to 2,000 + people. Was a bit strange and I think we needed
more time to ummm….perform in general. =)
(Leisha)
Definitely First show
at Shepards Bush Empire J
Best gig?
(Leisha) Koko in London with UHH
(Camila)
Selling out KOKO in London.
Amazing gig.
Earliest musical memory?
(Camila) Sitting on a seventies shag rug listening to
“running scared” by Roy orbison with my dad’s huge white headphones. ( I have a great pic of it if you’d
like it)
(Leisha) My dad playing john Denver around the house.
CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND IS APRIL 3-7, 2013 IN PALM SPRINGS, CA.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AT: www.TheDinah.com
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