Start Listening To: Ugly

Ugly talk emotional reinvention, six-way songwriting, and why their next chapter is all or nothing.

Since forming in 2016, Ugly have evolved from a Cambridge-born project into a fully-fledged, London-based sextet whose sound defies easy categorisation. With roots in indie, folk and prog, but a restless spirit that veers towards the absurd and the artful, they’ve become known for longform epics, choral flourishes and emotional depth, all while keeping a playful sense of mischief intact. Following the release of last year’s ambitious EP Twice Around the Sun, they’ve returned with Next to Die, a track that signals a new, more concise era for the band without shedding the intricacies and vocal interplay they’re loved for. Ahead of their biggest headline show to date at Village Underground, we caught up with them to talk transitional periods, choral music, and finding clarity through collaboration.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We’re Ugly (UK) - the uk is still there because there’s a few other Uglys out there and we didn’t quite make the cut. But we are indeed from the UK, so it all makes sense either way. We’re Sam, Harrison, Tom, Jasmine, Harry and Theo. Five out six of us are from Cambridge but we’re London based. The band was founded by Sam and Harrison whilst in college back in 2016. On paper, our music is probably a mix of indie, folk, freak-folk, art-rock, post rock and prog. We’ve been given some rather questionable comparisons along the way, some of which we can definitely understand (Glee, we’re looking at you).

‘Next to Die’ feels like a real statement piece - emotionally raw but musically refined. Why did this feel like the right song to mark your return?

Sam: it felt like a good next release for a couple of reasons - the song itself is not necessarily where we were or where we’re heading sonically but it still marked a point in the journey that we wanted to express. It has a strong emotive quality and a strong chorus too, we wanted to return with a bang. It also seemed like a fitting song for the season as we’re all defrosting and the sun is coming out - a little.

You’ve described ‘Next to Die’ as “rejuvenating and transitional.” What kind of transition are you in the middle of right now, both as a band and as individuals?

Sam: as a band it feels like we’re coming out the other side of a sort of liminal transitional period, where it was all a bit uncertain in terms of what we wanted new music to sound like. In our personal lives, we’re all in our mid 20s trying to balance work and music which can be difficult at times, but it’s great to be releasing music and we have a fun summer ahead which is exciting!

There’s a real emotional weight in the lyrics – “Leave the crutch to fall and claw to clutch the grass instead” is such a powerful image. Where did that line come from, and what does it mean to you?

Sam: this song was written after the end of a relationship, it suggests the idea of letting go of something that you were dependent on and reconnecting with yourself and your surroundings - it’s quite a meaningful song to me and it’s great to have it released at last.

Your EP Twice Around the Sun pulled from all corners of indie, prog, and folk. With this new material, are you deliberately pushing into new territory, or letting things unfold more instinctively?

Jasmine: The next phase of Ugly is definitely purposeful. We never do anything half hearted, it’s just not in our nature; it’s all or nothing. Twice Around The Sun comprises of a collection of songs we had under our belts for two years, hence the name. These songs don’t particularly make sense at all, but we wanted to house them together and release them as a project that, for the first time, was written by all of us as a sextet. Most of the songs on the EP were rather long, epic and overindulgent, with some of the tracks being between 6-8mins long. This is something we have decided to mostly steer away from for the new material. We want something that has the Ugly sound, with the harmonies, nonsensical imagery and off-kilter use of phonetics, but that is also shorter in length, more considered and concise.

I don’t think we’ll ever shy away from the absurd, and as a band we don’t take ourselves so seriously. Ultimately, we write songs that we want to play and that we enjoy playing. So, this next venture has been us trying to craft songs with charm, a mixture of ugliness, tongue-in-cheek and mischief, all the while keeping the sensitivity and authenticity. At the end of the day, I don’t think even we can predict what will come out of a writing week away. We ultimately will go with what feels right for us.

Ugly’s journey from a Cambridge post-punk outfit to a collaborative sextet has been fascinating to watch. How does your songwriting dynamic work now with so many voices and ideas in the mix?

Sam: our songwriting process has taken a long time to reach a place where we all feel totally comfortable and assured. It takes a long time and is very collaborative, we all write in the same room from the ground up which can be a very painstaking but rewarding process when it finally clicks. Lots of revisiting and refining ideas.

What’s something about the current lineup that’s unlocked new creative possibilities for you?

Jasmine: Having 6 members comes with its pros and cons, but I’d say so far it’s been mostly pros. We’re all individuals with very different personalities and tastes, but somehow when we come together to make music, however long it takes for us to get to that place, it’s pretty epic and rewarding. Most times we surprise ourselves with what comes out (the good, the bad and the ugly). We’re all pulling the weight, and going through what sometimes seems to be an arduous, long slog of trial and error to ultimately create something that sounds unique to us. Currently, 4 of us are singing in the band, whether it be lead vocals or background (apart from when all 6 of us sing the acapella at the start of ‘The Wheel’) - we’ve been experimenting with these different voices, and how far we can push ourselves with harmonies and strong/soft phonetic sounds. I think our current forte lies in recontextualising choral pieces of music and giving them a new sense of purpose or perspective within our songs. But also serving as a nod to the great composers of the past - celebrating and keeping their music alive for a new generation.

You’ve been playing ‘Next to Die’ live for a while now. How has it changed or deepened for you in performance compared to when you first wrote it?

Sam: it’s definitely evolved since its conception, lots of additional harmonies, etc. Now it’s recorded it feels as though it’s reached its final form which is nice.

You’ve played festivals across Europe – Pitchfork Paris, Green Man, End of the Road – what’s a moment from last year’s festival run that really stuck with you?

Jasmine: It’s been a real honour and pleasure to have played/be playing these festivals in the current lineup, and ultimately getting to go abroad as a band and making beautiful memories together. Green Man was probably our largest and first real open-air show, and felt almost like a simulation. It was quite dream like headlining the rising stage - similar to when you have a dream where you’re playing in an iconic venue or with your favourite band, and everything’s seemingly going your way, everyone’s having a great time and then you wake up with that bitter-sweet feeling wanting to relive it. The magical Welsh energy was really in the air that night and was so palpable. Many of our friends were in the crowd too and it was crazy to share the stage with Maruja and have Big Thief on the other end of the field (which we were happy not to miss). Second to that, MIDI Festival in Hyères was also dream-like in the sense that we got whisked away to this balmy little paradise island, lounging around olive trees, the sound of cicadas and performing to an audience sat in deck chairs. A memory that will stick with us from that is when we finished our set, and the audience were still clapping as we walked off through the aisle of deck chairs, all smiling at us widely and almost in slow motion. It was very otherworldly and almost uncanny, but simultaneously very heartwarming.

You’ve said the new album is in the works – how’s that process going, and how is it being shaped by what you’ve learned on the road?

Sam: it’s going well, lots of writing this year. We plan to record this summer - it’s all coming together after a lot of back and forth about how it should sound. We’ve been road testing some of the songs over the past year or so which has helped us massively in figuring out which direction we should be heading in.

You’re playing Village Underground tonight. How are you approaching that show? Is it a milestone moment for you?

Sam: we have been writing a lot of new music for the show, which we as a band are all rather excited about. It does feel like a bit of a milestone, yes - it’ll be our biggest headline yet!

What do you love right now?

Heavy Metal by Cameron Winter. Arthur Russell deep dive. Scott Walker deep dive. Shakespeare. Running. Cricket (anywhere, anyhow). Snooker (anywhere, anyhow).

What do you hate right now?

Hate’s a strong word.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

Jasmine: Clutching At Straws by Marillion. My mum had this album, Script for a Jester’s Tear and Misplaced Childhood on rotation amongst other prog, classic rock, as well as r&b/hip hop albums whilst doing the school run. Particularly love Fish’s era of Marillion, his poetic, image heavy songwriting and strong, eccentric, playful vocals. These songs have stuck with me and have somewhat influenced how I approach my own songwriting/creating worlds within song.

The name Ugly always felt like a statement in itself. A decade on from the band’s founding, what does it mean to you now?

Sam: The name didn’t have much meaning when we started the band, we just wanted something short and snappy. However, now I think it represents a lot of the sound, a mish mash of lots of influences that don’t always work or at least shouldn’t in theory.