Uniform: Always Looking Forward

2020 may have thrown a spanner in the works for pretty much everyone, but even the current bewildering state of the world hasn’t managed to slow down underground heroes UNIFORM. Earlier this month the trio released their fourth studio album Shame to critical acclaim. Guitarist/producer Ben Greenberg joins us from a studio where he’s already working on something new – “I’m not allowed to talk about but it’s very cool.”

When asked how it feels to have Shame out there for the world to hear he says, “I’m really really proud of it. I think it’s the best record we’ve ever made. I’ve been waiting for years to make this one. A lot of things came together on this record that have been in the works for a long long time. I really couldn’t be happier to see it realised and share it, and the response has been really overwhelming.”

From the outset it’s pretty clear how much Greenberg is looking forward to sharing Shame in a live setting. “All our music is really physical, but we’ve really opened up a lot of the dynamic space this time. I’m just really excited to see the crowd reaction to a lot of this music. I mean it wasn’t written with that in mind but we all grew up listening to a lot of aggressive music and going to a lot of shows.”

Thematically, Shame explores the concept of an antihero stuck in a static state with no chance to redeem themselves. The concept goes well with the band’s bleak, atmospheric music. It also marks the first time that singer Michael Berdan has written down lyrics. “He’s a really good writer. It feels almost ridiculous to say this, we wrote the record less than a year ago, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how we can explore that now.”

Shame is very much a record of firsts for UNIFORM. As well as Berdan’s lyrics, it’s the band’s first release to feature drummer Mike Sharp, who has been playing live with them for a few years now. “He’s a big part of how things have opened up for us. Rhythmically, dynamically, making more space, having quiet parts on songs is something that we’ve never done before. I don’t know that it comes across as quiet, but to me any part that we’re not just full on pummelling feels quiet. I think that there was maybe some reticence to really do that previously, but Sharp really brought it. There’s no way this record would be what it is without him.”

The album also marked the first time Greenberg didn’t handle mixing duties himself. They were instead handed off to the inimitable Randall Dunn. “I mean Randall’s kinda my mentor, I look up to him so much. He just has a really masterful way in the studio. He’s someone I’d definitely describe as a master of his craft. Watching the way he does really simple things, like I’ve seen him put an album mix together just with faders and EQ and have it come out sounding like a fully mixed record. He just has this really intuitive sense.”

“The past 20 years we’ve seen a lot of bedroom production, which is great. We’ve also seen a lot of bedroom mixing, which is not always that great. It’s cool that everyone has access to these tools and access to create – that’s wonderful and amazing. There is no downside to that at all. But there’s been no filter, there’s been no quality control system, because we’ve been in kind of an open platform since the turn of the century. Again, there’s big upsides to that in terms of people being creative, writing music and creating sound, that’s a beautiful thing. But organising sound and actually creating a proper document of the musical idea – that’s something that still takes time and practice. That’s something that we can’t throw out with the bathwater. So handing it off to Randall was a huge lesson.”

Despite having been around for less than a decade, UNIFORM have firmly cemented themselves within the scene with a string of critically acclaimed releases. Their work has also caught the ears of some well-respected names. As well as landing tours with BORIS and DEAFHEAVEN, they’ve released two impressive collaborations and a live album with underground legends THE BODY. All these experiences have proven valuable lessons for Greenberg and co.

“Both [BORIS and DEAFHEAVEN] were an incredible lesson. Just getting to watch both those bands play every night was amazing. The stamina, the level of musicianship, the quality of the writing… I don’t think anyone’s really on a level with either of them in what they do. BORIS were amazing touring partners, we’re so lucky that they took us out, they were incredibly generous and kind to us. They’re just amazing musicians, and they taught us a lot about how to pace ourselves on the road, how to treat ourselves and how to treat the people around us. They taught us a lot about the level of commitment to art and the craft in the first place. DEAFHEAVEN taught us a lot about work ethic and stamina. I think both bands are amazing examples of always bringing your A-game.”

“Working with THE BODY really taught us to not be so precious about what we do. That was a really important lesson for us early on. When we started this band I was coming out of being in a band called THE MEN, which was really a different musical world almost entirely. Coming out of a more complicated social dynamic like that into a duo situation, I was very controlling for the first bunch of years in this band. I think it’s important to acknowledge that and be honest about it, but there are upsides and downsides to it. I had a really strong vision coming into this band. I literally had a dream that this band existed and then I ran into Berdan on the street the next day and we started the band. So I was riding pretty high as far as pushing my agenda and making things the way that I heard them and saw them and wanted them to be. Pretty quickly it got to a place where Berdan was like “this is great, and it’s cool that we’re doing this, but I have some ideas.” When I say early on I mean like within the first year.”

“Once we got on the road with THE BODY we saw the grace and the ease that they handle themselves with, that they handle other people with, and how they deal with each other creatively. And then getting to work together in the studio a couple of times, I was really able to see that first hand. Also working with Seth on those records, that’s gotta be said, Seth Manchester’s a fucking genius. It was a really needed and important lesson in collaboration and the spirit of that and how it can be constructive and effective. I don’t know that we would’ve gotten where we are now with this record without that.”

With those lessons in mind and an already impressive back catalogue, it is perhaps unsurprising that Shame feels like the most forward thinking and cohesive record from UNIFORM to date. But for all their desire to push boundaries, Greenberg emphasises the importance of not losing sight of what matters. “It’s really tempting to fall down the hole and be like “Alright let’s just try everything. What happens when we plug the thing that messes with the fabric of time into the retronebulizor?” But that isn’t always the best use of time and that isn’t always the best musical result. People have a tendency to just get into the gear because it’s in front of them without thinking about the musical results and the end goal. I try and encourage everyone that I work with, including myself, to stay focused on the song and what really brings out the feeling and the meaning of the song itself. Because at the end of the day, regardless of what genre you wanna call it, we’re all talking about vocal music recordings – people telling stories and communicating stories and feelings through sound, that’s all it is.”

“It sounds corny, but that’s really what it is, and it’s really important to get down to those fundamentals and embrace them and respect them. Otherwise you can just steamroll the whole deal trying to find the perfect sub-bass sound or something. Then you’ll wind up with no song but a really cool sub-bass sound, and that’s not really the point. It’s really important to stay focused on the song itself: “What’s the meaning here? What’s the feeling here? How do things develop? Where does it need to get loud and where does it need to be quiet? Where does it need to be totally still and where does it need to become chaos?” To have all of those feelings, not at our command because we’re really at their command, but to have access to them and to feel any sense of control is definitely a blessing for sure.”

The result of all UNIFORM‘s hard work is a record that feels deeply relatable in the midst of today’s chaos. “What we make is very personal but we make it that way consciously so that people can relate to it. We’re not writing songs about other people, we’re writing songs about ourselves. But there’s a way to do that and there’s a level that you can exist on with that type of creativity where people start to see themselves in it. Even if the details aren’t about them they can find themselves in the larger arc. Or maybe they can find themselves in the details. Hopefully that can provide a point of comfort – that’s always kinda been the project of our band.”

Shame is out now via Sacred Bones.

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