Band of the Month: Unicycle Loves You

Chicago band mixes pop sensibilities with psychedelic inspirations.

By Sarah Collins
Published: September 26th, 2009 | 5:30pm

WHO IT IS
Vocalist-guitarist Jim Carroll, vocalist-bassist Nicole Vitale, keyboardist Adam Labrada, and drummer J. T. Baker.

LOCATION
Chicago

FILE UNDER
Dreamy pop-scapes and well-crafted hooks with a modern sound and ‘60s sensibility

IN A NUTSHELL
Not everybody can make the transition from marching band to indie rocknroller, but Nicole Vitale, frontwoman for Unicycle Loves You, did it just fine.

“I was a band geek in high school,” says a cat-eyed, curly-haired Vitale. “I was on the football field while everyone else was out partying.” It’s hard to see the geek looking at her today, but she swears it’s a recent turn. “As far as being in a rock band goes, this is new for me.”

But that’s not stopping her from taking full advantage of it. Always attracted by rocknroll aesthetics, the well-dressed singer has an arsenal of vintage gowns and bubble-wrap frocks to keep shows interesting. She’s also picked up the bass, giving her a way to bring her band background into ULY’s intricate sounds.

“I think the musicianship involved with each member. I think we’re a tight band,” muses Vitale when asked why everyone seemed so surprised by their first few shows. “We came off polished from the start.”

As quick as they took off, they weren’t planning on starting a band. It was a crappy day job that the three original members shared that led them to their rocknroll career.

“I had been recording for many, many years by myself and didn’t do anything with it,” says guitarist Jim Carroll. He passed along the tapes to his co-workers, Vitale and former guitarist Jon Pollock, who flipped at the dreamy and muscular sounds.

Vitale was planning on leaving music behind for art, but the tapes changed her mind. “I listened to it, and I thought I had to do something. He doesn’t have a band!”

The three roped in Carroll’s ex-manager as a keyboardist, picked up a drummer, and started rehearsing the songs. “It took us two months and we were like, ‘Let’s play a show,’” says Carroll. “It was very natural.”

Performing bands need a name, however, not something the group had discussed before. Carroll had been recording demos under the name of Unicycle, a name the band unconsciously adopted. “Then when we went to do our first show, we thought that would get lost in the shuffle, so we added the Loves You,” explains Carroll. The added endearment must have worked. ULY has a who’s who of compliments from Pitchfork to Time Out.

They still can’t ride a unicycle, though.

“We are bad luck magnets,” says Carroll, rattling off a list of current band injuries that include two wrist braces, a back brace, and a bum ankle.

With the hazy pop gems coming off of their new record, expect that luck to change.

WHAT’S AHEAD
Unicycle Loves You is currently shopping for a label for the follow-up to its self-titled debut.

MORE INFO
Unicycle Loves You’s official site

Unicycle Loves You’s MySpace

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Unicycle Loves You is Venus Zine’s "Band of the Month" for September 2009. Visit Venus Zine’s Sonic Bids page to submit your profile for coverage consideration.