UTS

By Lara Gerrits The Tri-City News
Apr 25 2007


Ask Eugene Kiyatkin to describe what his band Under The Sun (UTS) sounds like, and he stumbles.

"It's kind of, like, dancey, power-pop, indie," he says.

Ask him what mainstream group it's similar to, and he's even more unsure. A moment of thinking renders the answer: "The Killers meets Arctic Monkeys meets Franz Ferdinand."

The 19-year-old Port Moody singer, keyboard player and guitarist isn't indecisive, he just finds it difficult to pinpoint UTS' unique sound. Take a listen and you'll understand why. Indeed, the track Let's Love Like Before is about an age-old topic — the trials and tribulations of relationships — but its sound doesn't compare to anything else common.

Part of the reason for that is the range of musical taste its band members draw upon. Kyle Bullen, who originally hails from the U.K. is big into heavy metal music, for instance, while Kiyatkin is influenced by the Brit rock scene. Drummer John Page and lead guitarist/vocalist Brian Homeniuk bring their own flare, too, especially when it comes to the creative process.

"Usually I'll have an idea for a song and I'll kind of bring it into a practice and Brian will throw a riff into it and we'll find a cool kind of drum beat that somebody can kind of move to," Kiyatkin explains of song writing. "A lot of songs are about people we meet, just things we go through, the opposite sex."

UTS will work on their first full-length album this summer. Until then, catch its music and Vancouver show dates online at www.myspace.com/utsmusic, or head to the PoCo rec centre Saturday night for an all ages concert, beginning at 8 p.m. UTS plays the NewMusicWest showcase May 5 at The Penthouse in Vancouver.

lgerrits@tricitynews.com

- Tri City News

ChartAttack Magazine

1. Who are you? UTS

2. Where are you from? Vancouver, British Columbia

3. How did your group start?/When did you start playing music? We were in different bands but knew one another from our old high school. We all have been playing music our whole lives, but now we have a kick ass band to show for it…

4. Describe your music in 100 words or less. I hope you feel like dancing…

5. How was your recent release recorded? We have a demo out right now, but are going into studio July 2007 with renowned producer, Jonathan Fluevog to record our debut LP.

6. How committed are you to making music a fulltime career? We have so much fun playing our set and doing shows that there is no other alternative for us at this point.

7. What is/are your dayjob(s)? When we’re not writing or out and about checking out local music, we go to school part time and some of us even have jobs… I think?

8. Where can people find your music, either on the web or in what stores? www.myspace.com/utsmusic (our home) - And when the debut record is done (September), hopefully distributed through our wonderful friends - D2 Records (Universal/Fontana North.)

9. What's something we haven't asked about you'd like our readers to know about your band? (upcoming shows, special projects, anything unusual...) We are playing NMW2007 in Vancouver as well as M.E.A.N.Y. Fest 2007 in New York (October)

I wouldn’t say unusual but we are currently all very addicted to Guitar Hero 2 for XBOX 360…

10. Name three other independent/local bands you like. We enjoy our local Vancouver Indie Music Scene; some bands we like to rock out to would be Whitfield, The Sessions & TV Heart Attack.
- Chart Magazine