Toronto indie-rock duo USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) are revelling in 10 years of making music together on The Bonavista Tour, a birthday celebration of sorts for the band and their fans. Vocalist Ashley Buchholz says that Victoria is actually home to a special moment in the band’s history.
“Victoria was the first big show we played outside of Toronto,” says Buchholz.
The outdoor show was part of the Fringe Festival and, in true Victoria fashion, it was raining that day.
“There’s a lyric in our song ‘2 15/16,’ and the lyric was, ‘You’re like the ideal rainy day activity,’ and when we got there, it poured rain all day,” Buchholz recalls. “700 people stood in the rain for, like, four hours waiting for us to come on, and it poured rain through our whole set, and we were so joyful, and so happy. We were so excited and so happy, and when I sang that line in that song, ‘You’re like the ideal rainy day activity,’ I think everybody started crying. It was honestly one of the sweetest moments of my entire life.” (As an homage to this experience, Buchholz has tracked down the original keyboard he wrote the song on and plans on playing it live—something he’s never done before—at the band’s upcoming show in Victoria.)
In addition to the beauty of that moment, Buchholz says he’s excited to play in Victoria this time around because the energy from the crowd in Victoria was the first time he’d let the wave of energy from the audience hit him.
“I didn’t used to know how to do that,” Buchholz admits. “And that’s, I think, what made that experience so special and unique. Because I used to wear a hat and sunglasses on stage and pretty much close my eyes.”
Buchholz says he put that barrier in place because, like many people, he questioned his worth—a challenge he admits is a work in progress. As the lyricist of the band, Buchholz uses this experience to create a universal message that he hopes audience members can relate to.
“Fundamentally, I’ve just been trying to bottle the magic of this uncomplicating of myself,” says Buchholz.
Allowing that communal energy to be shared between himself and the audience, while incredibly fun and inspiring for the singer, comes with its own challenges, including some unexpected nerves.
“The reason why I’m nervous is because I’ve never done this like this before,” admits Buchholz.
Breaking down that barrier meant accepting that the rock-star lifestyle was not for Buchholz, who—despite some pit stops in debauchery and recklessness—prefers clean living and embracing his athletic side.
“Coming out the other side and actually being like, ‘Holy shit, let’s try this a different way; let’s try this as who you actually are,’ I gotta tell you that I’m really happy about this decision. I’m just so glad to be able to bring this version of myself, so that everyone that’s coming and that’s a part of it, it’s just gonna be so awesome for them and so wonderful for them.”
One of the people who has gotten to see this transition is Buchholz’s bandmate, Jason Parsons. Reflecting on a decade of growth together, Buchholz admits that in order to keep things fresh, they decided to bring in some new talent for their latest EP, Medicine.
“It’s like a marriage—after 10 years you need to start shaking things up in the bedroom,” says Buchholz.
This decision took the duo to Nashville, where they met a bunch of different musicians for an experience Buchholz describes as a swingers’ party for songwriters. During this trip, Buchholz’s journey of self-reflection and discovery deepened when the girl that he was dating completely ghosted him.
“It felt like I got stabbed by a million knives in the stomach because I realized, it was like this satori moment—which is a flash of awakening—that I was so blind and deluded to, that I realized that’s what I was doing to everybody and I never knew what it felt like,” says Buchholz. “Forgiveness is a delicate subject, especially if you’ve been neurotic and doing shitty things like that without being aware of it.”
USS
7 pm Sunday, November 11
$28.50 to $39.50, Royal Theatre
rmts.bc.ca