San Diego’s Ypsitucky’s new album How the Hell is out this weekend, and it’s a banger! Fans of their 2017 release 4 song 7-inch will be happy with the band’s next logical step forward in songwriting, playing, and production.
Ypsitucky - How the Hell
The material and vibe on How the Hell is inline with the feel of that EP, but everything has been elevated to new heights. It’s got shades of A.M.-era Wilco, Lucero, and Whiskeytown, but incorporates a Midwestern sensibility those bands lack in Ian Trumbull’s earnest and charming, but cautiously-pessimistic yowl. (Yes, I know Wilco is a Midwestern band…) One of my favorite moments is the intro riff and vamp in “Josephine” (not the Slobberbone or the Chris Rea songs…). The track is a standout among standouts, and would make a good first single, if that was a thing.
How the Hell is a record that checks all the boxes - twice - and ends at just about the moment you’re inclined to drop the needle back on track 1. It sets the stage for dinner with friends, an end-of-the-night night-cap in the living room after a rowdy show, or a weeknight break from the rat-race in front of the stereo.
Ypsitucky
GET YOUR COPY OF HOW THE HELL HERE!
Main-dude Ian Trumbull stopped by the Pencil Storm compound on his promotional tour and chatted with us about the record, the future, and what life in San Diego is like for a Michigan transplant.
Ian! Congratulations on the new record! Please tell our readers how you approached the project and how it went? Where and with whom was it done? Did you enjoy the process or was it a pain in the ass? (My experience…..usually a bit of both.)
Thanks, Jer! We did it with our buddy Christopher Hoffee, who has helped with our last few projects and plays in White Buffalo. I'd say about 90% of what's on the record was tracked live at his house, we could pretty much see each other from the open-ish floor plan.
For the band itself, it was fairly smooth, and the basic tracks were done over a couple weeks. I was striving for a diverse interpretation of what we play live. Used at least a dozen different guitars, and Hoffee added some great additional textures.
Personally, it was a challenging time. I happen to be diabetic, and my pills weren't working anymore, so my blood sugar levels were ridiculously high every day. Every 7-hour session felt like a marathon. If anything sounds like my back was against the wall, it's because it was really was. Thank jeebus for insulin.
I hear all sorts of influences, including obvious traces to your previous bands (that I loved) Ghost Town Deputies and The Deterants, but also Lucero, Old 97s, some rockabilly riffs, some classic country flavors here and there, a bit of Minneapolis. What’s on your turntable these days and how does what you’re listening to creep into your songwriting?
I still listen to a lot of Lucero, DBT, Replacements (duh), along with a ton of jazz, surf, and instrumental music. And lately a shit-ton of punk. More than I have in decades, because "gestures around himself wildly". I really don't know how much filters into what I write, because I'm limited by my own guardrails. I overthink everything, and it's simply impossible for me to write a 3-chord song like most everybody else. I wish I could.
You moved from Michigan to San Diego, what, 20+ years ago? I am in the know, but a lot of our readers are wondering, what’s up with the band name Ypsitucky?
Well, I lived in Ypsilanti for 8 years. Ypsitucky was an insult, basically saying that you were a hillbilly living in the city. I mentioned it to our drummer when we were kicking the band off, and he liked the name. I think it fits the situation here in SD. There's a super-talented roots-based guy in the local scene here from Kentucky, and I think he absolutely hates us because of that name
You’ve made a name for yourself out there in San Diego, playing some great gigs and getting a lot of positive press. You also seem to have acclimated to the region and the culture really well, but I’d be lying if I said you weren’t missed here in Michigan. Any thoughts after 20 years on that move you made, how it’s gone, and what you maybe still miss in Michigan and the Midwest?
I definitely miss Michigan and the people there, especially family and friends. I miss all of the shades of green. I don't miss the 40-minute drives to destinations, and months upon months of gray. San Diego is basically a huge small town, so little sparks turn into fires much quicker. Plus, the Mexican food. Le sigh.
Now that the record is out, what’s next after the release show? Gonna jump in the van and go for world domination? Continue to keep it mostly local? Bring in a keytar player?
Hard to say what's next in this timeline of instant fads and short attention spans, but I'd like to do short bursts of tours, 3-5 days or what not. As a bit of a Luddite, I'm not planning to do much outside of my comfort zone for clicks or anything. No keytars or congas.
What I'm probably most proud of is that this record is strongly representative of the various styles I've tapped into over the years, other than mellow singer songwriter stuff like John Moreland or Mark Kozelek. That might be next, but for now, I think we can stretch this out for a couple of turns around the sun.
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit, fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos, and plays acoustic shows all over the place. Follow him and them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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