"TALKING DIRTY WITH UH HUH HER"
"Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey dish on the new tour, the album and the dirty
little secrets of life on the road."
At a West Hollywood eatery, Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey are loading up on
healthy greens to prepare for their first tour together since 2009. "We
haven't played since then because I've been all over the world with the man in
my life," Grey laughs, referring to her keyboard duties on American Idol star
Adam Lambert's Glam Nation tour. This time the duo are heading out in support
of their sophomore album, "Nocturnes," due out late this summer as well as a
six song EP, "Black And Blue," available now, which is somewhat of a teaser
for what "Nocturnes" has in store.
Uh Huh Her burst onto the scene in 2007 with their breakthrough EP and single
"I See Red." While Hailey split time between touring and filming Showtime
series, "The L Word," Grey was making music with Dr. Dre, Kelly Osbourne and
her former band, "Mellowdrone," among others. The initial success of Uh Huh
Her took them both by surprise with a whirlwind of interviews, photo shoots
and television appearances, as the pair struggled to balance time on the road
with other projects.
"I like touring," says Hailey. "I feel like every night you get a new chance
to improve what you did the night before, instead of this rut of playing one-
-offs."
Gery nods, taking a sip of her hastily ordered Arnold Palmer - a concotion of
iced tea and lemonade named after the pro golfer. She taps out a rhythm on the
side of the glass with her fingertips. "We're loonking forward to that consis-
-tency again," she admits.
Consistency on tour usually means late nights, smoky clubs and a steady diet
of deep fried goodies purchased from drive-thru windows and convenience stores
. When asked about their secrets to staying healthy, Grey is quick to admit
that it isn't easy. "I mean, look at me," she says mockingly, gesturing toward
her oversized Pink Floyd T-shirt and skin-tight black jeans. "You accept the
grunge," Hailey offers. "You accept the dirt."
Gery agrees that it's the dirt, sometimes, that makes a great tour. "It's a
van tour, not a bus tour," she says, relishing the idea of spending months
away from home, occasionally without proper facilities. "It's not fancy. It's
real. Let's get gritty," she says. "Let's get dirty."
Rebuilding Uh Huh Her from the ground up has essentially been the name of the
the game this time around. Being in charge of their own business, from finan-
-cing merch, to crew salaries, tour coordination and the minute details of
everyday tour life, the girls are revamping what it means tp tour with Uh Huh
Her.
"We're having people double as tour managers and merch people. Our sound per-
-son doubles as set-up. Everybody is doing different jobs," Grey says. "I've
done all sorts of tours and this is fun." Stepping out of the shadows of
Hailey's L Word fame, Uh Huh Her has blossomed into a leaner, more focused
collaboration of two highly creative artists. And while the tour for their
first full-length record, "Common Reaction," included a bus and relentless
rounds of press, both Gery and Hailey look forward to the intimacy of a
smaller outing. Even if it means taking a turn behind the wheel.
"I'll drive in the morning after three cups of coffee," Hailey says. "There's
something cathartic about driving and zoning out and watching the lines, see-
-ing the landscape pass by," agrees Grey."When you leave the city you live in,
and pay attention to the cities you pass through, it's magic. You find the
coolest stuff," she says. "I call them twilight zone towns."
Hailey and Grey hail from Nebraska and Texas, respectively, so they know some-
-thing about those small towns. "We're kind of country bumpkins," laughs Grey.
"But I've lived in L.A. longer than I've lived anywhere else, so I call this
home."
Venturing far from home means long hours in close quarters, which can lead to
quarrels for some bands and years of therapy for others. When asked about the
inevitable disagreements and how they handle the non-stop fishbowl of the
average rock tour, Hailey smiles. "We're going to try to not annoy each other
." "That's an interesting question," interrups Grey. "I think we should answer
it."
The two conspire in glances and smirks before Hailey finally breaks the si-
-lence. "Really? OK, if she's in a bad mood [ we talk about it ] to bring that
to light. [ And I try not ] to take Cam's mood personally," Hailey admits,
watching her band mate for any sign of hesitation.
Grey nods in agreement. "Then eventually you get mad at her for being mad and
it's a big hypocrisy," Grey says, pushing a rogue piece of steak to the cor-
-ner of her plate. "How could I annoy you?" she asks, answering her own ques-
-tion. "I'd be in a bad mood all the time."
Hailey looks somber. "Then I would just feel lonely." "But I'm always in a
good mood," blurts Grey, with a grin. "I think lately it's just been so crazy
with the amount of stress. It's kind of beyond normal at the moment."
For the wemon of Uh Huh Her, things might not get normal for a while, but the
new tour brings something that fans have been anticipating for years - new
music. "The [ album ] is really synthy," says Grey. "A little heavier."
Hailey and Grey describe Uh Huh Her's latest album as "more rock" than their
previous efforts. A fact due in no small part to Grey's new toy, a microKorg
synthesizer which plays a starring role. "I literally used it on every song,"
she says.
The band debuted a couple of the tracks from the album "Nocturnes" for a one-
-off festival crowd in late 2010, and the release of the "Black And Blue" is
enough to demonstrate the change in sound. With beefed up guitar hooks and
melodic keyboard riffs, the new Uh Huh Her sound is louder and more energetic,
which is sure to please concert-goers who want to rock out. "New music, new
merch, new everything," says Hailey. "That's what we're doing."
"I'm so excited to just focus on this, and tour together again," Grey adds,
looking thrilled to get out there with her partner in crime.
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