UMS Sunday night headliners, The Yawpers, found some time on their tour to write back to us about what they said is, “the best weekend of the year,” playing the Underground Music Showcase here in Denver, CO. Denver should be proud as this unruly trio has taken part in many notable weekends and festivals such as SXSW and Colorado Music Showcase since their start in 2011.
“Every year UMS gets bigger, better, and more outrageous. My memory of most of them, this is maybe our fourth year playing, is appropriately hazy,” explains The Yawpers. Hence the brevity of this article/interview in addition to the fact the guys have been on the road touring.

They will bring the tour to its conclusion this coming Sunday night when they hit the UMS Main Stage at 5:30pm. They knew to save the best for last and will surely end things with a bang as they always do onstage. “I think what people latch onto the most with our band is witnessing the energy of our live shows. We really take ‘leave it all on the field’ seriously.” Along with the guarantee of seeing a spectacle on stage and hearing their “barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world," a Walt Whitman line that inspired their band’s name, it’s the last date of their tour and they will be, “… exhausted and malnourished, which means there is a high likelihood that one of us will pass out (Ralf), or throw a punch at someone on stage. If that's your thing (and why wouldn't it be), we're your guys.”

http://www.theyawpers.com/

Flaural, the psych-pop, new-wave Denver bred five piece has been playing official shows for exactly one year. 2015 UMS saw their first ever official set and they’ve since toured across the nation and released a second EP, Over Imaginary Cigarettes. Their new single “Nonnie” is a stunning track, breaking off with Tame Impala-esque synth and dipping into ethereal, ambient riffs and shoegazey restlessness. Their 2015 EP Thin King was celebrated by Westword as “colorful, bright, urgent yet expansive melodies that feel breezy and headlong but never anxious.” Flaural has built an impressive following for a band that is just about to turn one this weekend and have since played with Wild Nothing and at Treefort Fest in Boise Idaho.

They’ve been on our radar since we saw them open for Gardens and Villa back in early October and on our list of UMS bands to see since the lineup was released. Check them out at Mainstage this Saturday at 3:30pm.

We were able to catch up with five piece during one of their band practices and delved into everything about hair, harmonies and most of all, the UMS weekend which awaits.

Team members: Noah Pfaff, Collin Johnson, Nick Berlin, Connor Birch, Scott Storch

(U5280) What bands are you looking forward to see at UMS this year?

(NP) Personally I really want to see Methyl Ethel, and the Allah-Las, too, really badly. Thick Business is a band from Boise who’s really cool. Sunflower Bean is playing again, Couches from Oakland, Marshal Poole from Boise, and then all of the locals of course, but I don’t want to name a band and have a friend be like, “Why didn’t you say our name?” you know.

(U5280) You’ve been out touring nationwide for awhile. Which state treated you best?

(NP) California probably. Well, South Dakota treated us very really well. I wouldn’t be on the phone with you right now were it not for Boise, Idaho, Eric Gilbert and Megan Stoll [founder of Treefort Music Festival] and everyone else from Boise. They’ve all been so nice to us.

(U5280) You recently released two EPs. Anything brewing in the recording studio?

(NP) We’re waiting for a time frame during which we could put out a full length album and we’ll hit the road with that. We also really want to re-release the two EP’s as an LP.

(U5280) What was your experience like last year at UMS?

(NP) That was our first official show, which is crazy, because looking back, it’s been a long year with a lot of music, and travel. We’ve played over sixty shows this year. We wanted to do a less stressful UMS and just take it easy. Enjoy the shows. We always love playing the Hi-dive, though. Kurt and all of those dudes are super nice. I may or may not being going there tonight.

(U5280) What can we expect to hear- new stuff, old stuff, any covers?

(NP) Strictly covers. Scott was playing Smoke on the Water just a second ago (laughs). Last UMS we only had one EP released, so this year we’ll have a little more to draw from. We’re actually a five piece band now; our friend Scott just joined in, so you can expect some more harmonies and hair. Lots of hair. Yeah, this year we’ve got a lot more hair. Plus, August will be a good month for shows, we’ve got a lot of things planned. August is when we’ll be grindin’.

(U5280) Who’s the most likely to be catching Pokemon between shows?

(NP) Nick, and that’s only because I can’t afford the mother fucking data. Nick will be playing Pokemon Go and I’ll be playing Gameboy.

(U5280) Which band member is most likely to bring out the short shorts to beat the heat?

(NP) Nick, Nick too. I’m the band member most likely to be wearing tight black pants in the heat. All of us. We actually only play with people who wear tight black pants. Except Scott, he’s wearing blue pants. They’re still tight, though.

(U5280) Any advice for this year’s UMS goers?

(List ensues).

Ignore your hangover.
Carry a flask because it gets expensive.
Go to Piehole for a dollar beer.
Don’t be a jerk.
Take it too the limit.
Do not bum cigarettes from the Hi-dive basement.

(NP) Well, my favorite part of the UMS weekend is really just hanging out with people for the same reason. It’s going to be a good time.

Catch Flaural at Mainstage on Saturday at 3:30 during UMS.