Tyler Gurwicz

Harris Decker: Can you talk about where the name of the band came from and how the group initially formed? 

Tyler Gurwicz: The Urgency formed in late 2005 after I met Ian [Molla], Kevin [Coffrin], and Guerin [Blask], who had been playing music together in Brooklyn and were looking for a singer.  It turned out Ian and Kevin were fellow Vermonters and had heard some old bands I was in before I started college in New York.  In the beginning, our songwriting veered toward fast, spazzy rock with really urgent lyrics and delivery.  The Urgency fit. 

HD: Your new album is really great. Could you give us some insight on some of your favorite tracks?How did some of the songs come together, and what are your favorite songs on the record? 

TG: Thank you!  I’m especially proud of “Revolution,” “Move You,” and “In The Band.”  They came from a really honest place of pure excitement for the music, and it came from a place where we were completely free to experiment and collaborate, and lyrically they mean a lot to me.

HD: Who are your musical influences?

TG: As a band?  Too many influences to really do justice, and all for very different reasons.  As a singer, I’ve always really admired beautiful, powerful voices that are also open to experimentation — open to sounding ugly — versatile artists like Björk and Jeff Buckley…artists like Daryl Palumbo, Chino Moreno, Cedric Bixler Zavala, and Anthony Green, to name a few.

HD: Do you have any non-musical influences? 

TG: Every facet of life seeps into our music somehow.  

HD: Where do you see yourself in the next three years?

TG: Playing music in whatever capacity we can.

The Urgency

HD: Your MySpace page is filled buzznet and purevolume links, among others. Do you find using social networking effective in your marketing campaign? How has this helped you connect with fans better? 

TG: As a band, we find the Internet is a great place to share our music with folks interested in that sort of thing.  Anyone can go on and experience what we’re all about — the music.

HD: What bands have you shared the stage with? Do you have a wishlist of bands to play with in the future? 

TG: The Rivalry, Alien Ant Farm, 311, Romans, Kid:Nap:Kin, The Cambiata, Shiny Toy Guns, TV On The Radio, Slightly Stoopid, Lights Resolve, Filter, Bayside, Inner Party System, Eyes Set To Kill, Little Fish, Circa Survive, A Rocket To The Moon, The Lives Of Famous Men, We Are The Ocean, Envy On The Coast, Person L, Hoobastank, Evaline, The Bled, Craig Owens, The Used…tons more I’m forgetting. We’re about to tour the UK with The Blackout, Silverstein, and Hollywood Undead. There are so many artists I’d love to tour with, just to hear their music every night.  Any band that is really good at what they do and are truly in love with it.  

HD: What advice would you give other artists just starting in the industry now? 

TG: Make sure you’re in it for the right reasons.  You’ll know.

Rapid-Fire:

Tyler Gurwicz

HD: Here are some rapid-fire questions, just tell me the first thing that comes to your mind: Blink 182 or Green Day?

TG: Blink.

Harris: Coke or Pepsi?

TG: Neither.  If I had to choose, it’d be glass bottled Coke.

HD: New York or Los Angeles?

TG: How about outside of LA?

HD: Britney Spears is good or bad for music?

TG: Britney Spears is something else entirely.

HD: Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

TG: Lord of the Rings.

HD: MySpace or Facebook?

TG: YouTube.