by lys ziada
photo by alice baxley
On September 21st, rock band Ultra Q released their latest single, “Handheld.” In this interview hear more about the song, the band's dynamic, and one of their most memorable moments on tour. After falling in love with the band, don't forget to check out the music video for “Handheld” below!
How did the group meet?
Jakob: “Chris, Enzo, and I all met in elementary school after a school play dinner where Enzo played Elvis in Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. One day shortly after that Chris and I decided to join the after school rock band where we started jamming both in that band and outside of school. Kevin met Enzo in middle school and joined the band in high school.”
What do you like to do as a group outside of music?
Jakob: “We like to play video games together. We also enjoy a good home cooked meal by Enzo.”
How would you describe your genre of music?
Jakob: “We play rock music with a focus on guitars. Our favorite bands are The Cure, The Strokes, Interpol, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive.”
What was the process of making the music video for “Handheld” like?
Jakob: “We met Hassan on Instagram and he came up with the idea for the video. We all drove down to LA for a weekend and filmed the video with Hassan at his house and in various parts of the city. Very fun!”
What message do you want listeners to take away from the song?
Jakob: “The message of our song isn’t specific, but we hope it inspires people to go out and experience things. Including coming to our live shows. :)”
What is your funniest tour or show memory?
J: “On one of the tours in high school, we had warned a band member (who shall not be named) to not get high before shows. Shortly after, we found said member completely zoinked and having just remembered that his grandparents were going to be at the show that night. He proceeded to have a bad time during the show.”
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
Jakob: “We opened up for The Matches at The Fillmore which is a venue we’ve all dreamed of playing.”
Do you have any projects in mind that you are excited for?
Jakob: “We’re very excited for the Title Track music video to come out this November. We had a great time making that one.”
Where do you see yourself at the height of your career?
Jakob: “It would be an absolute dream to play The Greek Theatre in Berkeley at some point. It has been a lifelong dream of ours.”