Interview with The Gorgeous Hussies

Who: The Gorgeous Hussies
What: Jam-band in concert with Broke City
When: Saturday, July 11, 2009 9:00pm - midnight
Where: Benton Street Bar & Grill, Pocatello, ID - map

I first heard of The Gorgeous Hussies shortly after they burst onto the Northern Utah music scene, and I've been following them ever since. They've had great successes all along the I-15 corridor, from Idaho to Southern Idaho.

I have special reason for being excited about this show - I'll be cooking dinner at the Benton Street Bar & Grill on this night, so come down early, grab something to eat and stay for the show.


SLG: Describe your genre of music in as much detail as you like. Maybe list your three best crowd-pleasing songs? Can you explain in what way do you most appeal to your fans?

JO: People who enjoy big epic rock and jam bands will find a lot to love about The Gorgeous Hussies. We describe our music as Alternative Jam. To our knowledge we’re the first to describe music that way, but we think it’s the most fitting sub-genre that describes our live show - big alt-rock songs mixed with improvisational jams that pull from our love for hippies.

We gain a lot of inspiration from jam bands from the mid-west like Umphrey's McGee, Perpetual Groove and fusion bands like Robert Walters and Galactic. But we can’t escape our rock tendencies so we’ve done our best to find a balance of both worlds.

One of our biggest crowd-pleasers is a song called "Pop Chanteuse." It unfolds the seedy underworld of late-90’s bubble-gum pop. Sounds dramatic, eh? It follows the Britney Spears timeline from nobody, to somebody, to father-doesn’t-want-anything-to-do-with-me-now-that-I’m-not-a-big-star.

Jordan Olsen – guitar/vox
Ryan Smith – drums
John Chatelain – bass/vox/keys

SLG: How long has this line-up been together?

JO: The band has been together for around 3 years. We’ve recently signed a record deal with Slothtrop Records (blog post) out of Madison, WI, who will be releasing our next three albums. We’ve also recently released a new live DVD titled "Luscious Ladies." (buy or download)

SLG: Tell us where you're from and currently based in what town?

JO: Our home base is Ogden, Utah. However, we seem to spend the majority of our time outside of Northern Utah. We seem to be better received the further away we get from Salt Lake City. I’m not sure why that is. But Pocatello has always been a good city for us to play. We normally play the First National Bar but we’re really looking forward to play with Broke City at Benton Street.

SLG: Past shows or venues you'd like to brag about? Past or future shows in the Pocatello area?

JO: As of late we’ve been playing a lot of fun summer festivals. We just played a big stage at the 4th of July celebration at Brian Head resort in Southern Utah. Good times.

SLG: Describe this particular show. What can ppl expect?

JO: This is going to be one of the bigger shows going on in Pocatello this month. We’re really excited to play with Broke City (interview - Broke City) who has done really well throughout Southern Idaho. And it’s been awhile since The Gorgeous Hussies were in Pocatello, so we’re really looking forward to getting back and playing to our fans. This is definitely a do not miss show!

SLG: Any comments about the local live music scene, the music industry in general? What do you think is the best way to get your music out there?

JO: Even though I’m from Utah, I’m really diggin’ on the vibe going on throughout Idaho right now. It seems people are really receptive to jam & experimental bands in your area. Bands like EqualEyes and Finn Riggins are two of my favorite bands in the West right now, and both hail from Idaho. In a world of YouTube performances it’s nice to see people are still going to see live music!

SLG: Do you have any favorite videos of your band or your music on YouTube?

JO: We have a new 2:00 minute trailer on YouTube for our new live DVD titled "Luscious Ladies." It demos a lot of what the new DVD is about.



SLG: Recordings? Will you have CD's or more for sale at the show?

JO: We’ll have our CD “Oh! Hello” as well as our DVD “Luscious Ladies” available for sale at the show on July 11th.

SLG: How can fans contact you? Myspace? or another website?

www.thegorgeoushussies.com or www.myspace.com/thegorgeoushussies