Bring Yourself: An Interview with Oh My God's Infamous Ig

Listen Up Toledo  |  09/29/2010 7:00 am

Chicago indie-rockers Oh My God earned accolades in the early part of their career for belting out a wildly catchy original brand of rock that rivaled its counterparts despite its intentional lack of guitar-based tunes, and minimal cymbal usage.

Known for their high-energy, near-theatrical live shows, organist Ig and the rest of the gang clamored up the blogosphere, building a solid fan base, and helping keep Chicago on the rock n' roll map.

These days, the band is branching out more, including guitar, and writing more colorful, melodic music than ever. To get a taste of what's new on the OMG pallate, check out their great new video for "My Own Adventure" (featuring an adorably sexy Miss Tila Tequila), or the heartbreaking/amazingly animated video for "Bring Yourself."

In anticipation of their performance on Thursday, September 30 at Mickey Finn's Pub (602 Lagrange St.), Ig took some time from the road to exchange in a little correspondence with Toledo.com. Here it is.

The most obvious change in this latest record is the addition of a guitar player. After years of sticking it out with no axe, what made the band finally decide to give in to the six string?

Actually, we first added guitar on our previous album, "Fools Want Noise." Also, in the bands earliest stage, we actually did have guitar (before we recorded). We decided to add guitar on "Fools Want Noise" because we had an opportunity to record with Jake Garcia of the NYC band Darediablo. He has a tone and style like no other, and we knew our collective sound would be a Godzilla-sized monster (and it was!). After that, we kind of got addicted to the fuller sound, the added instrumental harmony and the freedom it allowed me on the keyboards. So we utilized guitar on our newest album, "The Night Undoes the Work of the Day," too (this time played by Matt Lenny, who toured with us in 2007 and was in that year's van crash with us).

How, if so, have you been surprised by the change in direction of your own playing since adding guitar?

With guitar playing the power chords, I no longer have to do so, and can add more textures and harmonies and melodies. It's a great thing. There was power in the minimalism we had for years, and we still insist on a "no clutter" approach, but there's just more tonal color now and I love that.

After more than ten years together, you guys are still based out of Chicago, is there anything about the city or the Midwest in general that inspires you?

No one in this band comes from Chicago (our current members hail from Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Michigan and South Dakota). But we're centered here (our practice space is in my house, and Billy and I met here). The city affords the best overall quotient of affordability/club-going populace/parking possibilities/multiple good venues/faithful fans of any city I know. NYC is so great (I lived there for a couple years), but where will I keep an organ and Leslie and how will I haul it around without a van (which can be parked WHERE?)? Also, I think it's harder to build a following in NYC, where it's like an ant colony without millions of little people running around completing their tasks and keeping to themselves. LA seems yet harder to get people excited and unified. Chicago is a big, vibrant city full of people who have their ears to the ground and are looking for good music and a good time...plus I can park here and have a practice space in my house. Chicago wins.

Reading the bio on your website is like reading the chronicle of a doomed band that didn't make it - you've dealt with some seriously bad shit - but you won't quit, and the records keep getting better: What keeps you/the band going and moving forward?

Read about the stories of bands like Badfinger and Small Faces some time (www.allmusic.com). And how 'bout those lovable Canucks in Anvil? We aren't the only ones who've faced bad luck 'n' trouble. We had a fire, but didn't get hurt. We had our stuff stolen, but we had insurance and it got replaced. We had two accidents and some painful injuries, but we didn't die or become paralyzed. We're as lucky as we are bedeviled. If we stop making music together, it'll be because one or more of us find something else we're more driven to do. I still haven't found anything more personally satisfying than a good oh my god gig or creation of a great new oh my god song.

You cut your chops in the music business playing with some notable blues legends - Junior Wells and Buddy Guy alone, much less Van Morrison, Otis Rush - What part of you wanted to play that style blues versus what Oh My God has done? Where, or in what, do you see the connection between blues and punk? Has that been a driving aesthetic influence in the band?

Since I was about 15, I've loved being in two totally different bands. Back then, I was in a blues band with some friends, as well as a punky/new-wave-ish band. It's been that way ever since. I moved to Chicago after being lucky enough to get hired by one of my greatest heroes, Junior Wells. But I kept writing and playing angular, punky stuff in other bands simultaneously. It rounds me out, fulfills me. I love both styles (and generally don't like mixing 'em, though I've been considering it lately). There is absolutely no hint of blues in oh my god, and I certainly don't insert those crazy insect tones of mine that I utilize in oh my god when I'm on a blues stage. I think I'll continue playing all of the above for years and years. I've also started learning standards by Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, etc. on the piano. That's fun, too.

Oh My God plays Mickey Finn's Pub (602 Lagrange) on Thursday, September 30. Doors at 9:30 p.m. $6 advance, $7 at the door. The Matt Truman Ego Trip and The Wobblies open.