I had first seen Rubedo, a kick-ass Denver band, last year at the University of Colorado Denver’s CAM JAM festival. Their performance was energetic and powerful, while still hanging on to the subtleties that could define their sound in their compositions. When the offer for and interview came through, I immediately said yes. With their new album, Love is the Answer, out now and a tour kicking off on the 25th, I knew they would have something to say. As always, the guys did not disappoint.
Jennifer: First off I want to say a big “Hey!” to the guys of Rubedo, and start this off with a classic question: Where did you all meet and how did Rubedo come to be?
Rubedo: The 3 of us are Denver natives whose roots reach as far back as grade school. Rubedo is a word that describes the process of integrating ones vibrational nature with the physical plane to produce gold. Cosmic chance, synchronicity, fate… I’m not sure how we came to be. All I know is that we are always evolving.
Your new album, Love is the Answer, blends a lot of different techniques and genres. When you guys compose, do you keep a specific sound in mind, or does it bloom into its own sound?
R: I like that. It is a blooming mess. Our sound is found through feeling. Feeling guided mind compositions. Individually our musical tastes are not limited to genre, so collectively we’re able to channel infinite sounds that match the feeling that the song seeks to express.
“My Oh My” is definitely one of my top favorite tracks, I love that you started the album off with a slower song. The brightness of the guitar matched with the echoing vocals provides the perfect balance of musical pleasure. How did you guys decide to arrange the album?
R: Thank you, you know we used to play that song much faster. That is one of the great things that our producer Ikey Owens (of Mars Volta, Jack White) embedded into the album. Each song was presented to him with an understanding that his objective prospective may shed light on the overlooked. His input really is imprinted in each song. By the time we had the final mixes it was just a matter putting the pieces together to see the full picture.
How did the song, “Love is the Answer”, become the title track?
R: Love Is the Answer is one of the first songs we wrote for the album, also one of the most fun to play live. Simply put.
All of the tracks highlight the different instruments and equipment use/d what are your favorite to play, and how long have you all been playing your instruments?
R: It’s hard to tell. You see, we’ve got this time machine that grants us the ability to play lifetimes of music and come back for that next gig. My favorite instrument is a Lunadulcer but alas, it hasn’t been invented yet.
You guys are going to be kicking off a tour on the 25th of January at the Bluebird, ending in Arkansas. What do you guys like to do to prepare for life on the road?
R: We like to gradually incorporate the touring life style back into our lives by routinely sleeping on hardwood floors and eating truck stop snacks to avoid culture shock.
After playing many different venues, which Colorado venue surpassed them all for you? Worst Venue?
R: Both questions same answer Lions Lair
If a fan wanted to get back stage, what would they have to do?
R: They’d have to bring a bottle of gin and some corn syrup for libations, 2 living chickens – one white one black one male one female, and one John the conqueror root.
I noticed on your Bandcamp page that you have a name-your-price option for your record. How did you decide to use this model as a selling platform?
R: We wanted to put it out as soon as it was done and we wanted people to have it as soon as they wanted it. We didn’t feel like money was the good middle man.
After this upcoming tour, what can we expect from Rubedo?
R: We have a year of pretty much nonstop touring ahead of us, a bunch of festivals, and we’ve moved Rubedo headquarters to Dryer Plug Studios to begin the writing process for our next record.
I want to thank you all again for taking the time to do this interview and good luck on your tour!
R: Thank you so much for your support and we look forward to talking to you again!!
Rubedoooodes out
(Kyle, Alex, Gregg)
You can catch Rubedo at the Bluebird Theatre on January 25th! To find out more about the band, watch videos, and buy their tunes, head over to the links below.
CPR performance “Love is the Answer”
CPR performance “Ain’t it Funny”
Moon Magnet Sessions “My Oh My”
WEB: http://www.rubedomusic.com/