tUnE-yArDs on how to succeed in the face of criticism
- Text by Huck HQ / Nick McGregor
- Photography by Mike Belleme
#2 – tUnE-yArDs
tUnE-yArDs, founded in the late 2000s by native New Englander Merrill Garbus, is the definition of joyous cacophony. Together with partner Nate Brenner, the band’s music is an intriguing mish-mash of ukulele riffs, looped beats, propulsive percussion, fluid bass lines, and full-throated howls. Visually, Garbus trends toward the riotously kaleidoscopic, rocking face paint on stage and punching up tUnE-yArDs’ imagery to retina- scalding levels. Here, Garbus explains how letting go helped her hit her stride:
“Is it personally gratifying to succeed in the face of criticism? No, it’s terrifying still. I wish that I could be so confident about my future and myself and turn away so easily from negative criticism. There are always people who really don’t like this stuff, and as a perfectionist, that hurts. I really have this vision that I can get every single person in the whole wide world to like my music. But again, as I get older and mature in this industry, I realise the championship is really just creating more work. Letting go of all the fear around what people think about me. And having a dialogue with people. Like, ‘So my cultural appropriation is offensive to you? Let’s dig into that conversation.’ But if anything ever gets me to stop making music, then I’ve truly lost.”
This is just a short excerpt from Huck’s Fiftieth Special, a collection of fifty personal stories from fifty inspiring lives.
Grab a copy now to read all fifty stories in full. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.
You might like
The art of paying attention: How Austria’s Alps reward slowing down
Lebensgefühl — With a growing movement of art and music rooted in the area’s mountains, trees and waterfalls, the region is showcasing the importance of the human relationship to nature.
Written by: Sophie Lou Wilson
Grainy, yearning memories of Europe’s ’90s free rave heyday
Never Alone — A new photobook from Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi presents pictures they made over seven years while touring the continent as part of the Tekno Mobil Squad soundsystem crew. It archives parties, people and a lifestyle largely consigned to the past.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As Hanoi’s nightlife faces raids & repression, its underground scene modulates
Spaces Between the Beats — Tensions between nightlife and authorities have grown in recent times, as police target venues and their patrons with increasingly frequent drug testing and searches. With clubs becoming hostile spaces as a result, Hanoi’s electronic music community is finding new spaces and forms of expression, reports Martin Guttridge-Hewitt.
Written by: Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
American Football: The One With The Feelings
Many moons — The Midwest emo architects transformed a college experiment into a coming-of-age soundtrack. 25 years on, their latest iteration sees them bottle the same magic for the ups and downs of middle life.
Written by: Tracy Kawalik
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
