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Salt Lake City indie-electro duo Oh, Be Clever is about to release their highly-anticipated EP. GroundSounds caught up with singer Brittney Shields to discuss the duo’s formation, musical process, and upcoming plans.
GS: From what I understand, Oh, Be Clever came about in a pretty unusual way. Can you tell us about how you began making music together?
BS: We both were in bands in high school! Our bands couldn’t stand each other and, long story short, a fight broke out which inspired Cory and I to go our own way. Oh, Be Clever started in late 2007, of course under a slew of other names, and we’ve been going at it since then!
How did you come up with the name ‘Oh, Be Clever’?
Well, where are most of the BEST ideas born? In the shower. I was taking a shower and it just appeared in my mind. I didn’t even finish rinsing the conditioner out of my hair because I was so stoked on the name. I barely got my clothes on as I ran out to tell Cory the name we’d be known as.
“Next To You” is an excellent song that is both refreshing and powerful. What is the story behind the song?
First of all, THANK YOU! We poured a lot of our soul into the song, so we appreciate that. The story is just the fact that both Cory and I had experienced brutal breakups at around the same time. The kind of breakup that makes you question your sanity at all hours of everyday. I remember the day I lost the person that I forever regret losing. I felt like my whole world was just spinning out of control. I had to constantly see pictures of him and his new girlfriend all over social media, and it KILLED me inside. I think most of us can relate to feeling like our heartache is turning into madness. Cory and I decided to take our madness and turn it into something beautiful. It was pretty cathartic for both of us.
Do you have a release date for your EP? What can listeners expect in terms of the number of songs and the overall sound of the EP?
We don’t have a specific date for our release yet, but I CAN tell you it’ll be out sometime in February. EARLY February. There will be 6 songs on it and the sound of the EP is that of a LOT of raw emotion. We’ve had a lot of comparisons, but in our opinion, its different. Electronic soul indie rock.
What is the music scene like in Utah? What is your favorite venue there?
The music scene in Utah is pretty diverse, considering how small it is. There are so many talented people in Utah, it’s CRAZY. Our favorite venue is The Metro Bar. We’ve become super close with the people that run the place, we’d consider them family. Its the BEST place to act like an idiot and receive no judgement for it. We love it.
As musicians trying to get your music heard, do you think it’s more difficult to get exposure in place that is saturated with bands yet also swamped with media outlets? Or, is it more difficult to be away from a major media city and having to grow your audience locally?
I think it’s more difficult to be in a small city that doesn’t have much room for growth! Hence the reason we spend a lot of time in California. Salt Lake City is saturated with LOADS of talented people and, believe me when I say, there are literally artists on every corner. Really good ones! However, and unfortunately, most of them just get complacent and never see the bigger picture of busting out of SLC and into the world. Oh, Be Clever’s goal has always been to be GLOBAL. We love and support all things local, but we want to be so much more than that.
What is your ultimate goal as a band (if you have a clearly defined goal)?
We definitely want to be global. We want to spread our love and passion for music to the entire world. We want to tour, write a million songs and just keep working as hard as we can for as long as we can.
You’ve obviously got the EP coming out, which will be big. What else is on tap for you in 2014?
We are off to an INCREDIBLE start so far! 2014 will be spent doing a TON of touring. We’re gonna be around in SoCal, Arizona, Colorado and Texas for the first couple legs of tour. The thing I, personally, am most excited for is achieving an item on my bucket list! We will be attending SXSW this year, which is completely insane to me. That’s been a big one on my bucket list since I was probably 13 years old. So, not only am I GOING to SXSW, but our band will be PARTICIPATING in it. Pretty cool.
What do you like to do outside of the music world?
I’m a big nature fanatic. I grew up in the country so, naturally, I’m a little bit country. I’m a HUGE fan of camping, rock climbing, hiking, exploring, 4 wheeling, off roading, and anything and EVERYTHING that involves Mother Earth. Of course, Cory and I love to go to our favorite spot in Utah and dance like fools.
Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
Our facebook, instagram and twitter are constantly being updated. We’re big fans of social media. I update instagram everyday.
Oh, Be Clever – “Next To You”
