Music Week Interview: Tito Uquillas, The Hipwaders

San Francisco Bay Area trio The Hipwaders [website] are in deep with their third album, Educated Kid; thanks to a slot at this year's Lollapalooza and a catchy set of new songs, they seen their latest beginning to receive the kind of press that can snowball rapidly, even in the kids' music genre, and their new album's title track has made it to the #1 spot on XMKids radio. You can read our review of Educated Kid here - it's one of our favorite of the 35 albums of music for children we're reviewing this Music Week, and a ZRecs Top Pick - but we liked the music so much that we thought we'd better head to the source and talk to frontman and singer-songwriter Tito Uquillas.

ZRecs: Who are Aidan and Declan Rae? They're frequently referenced on Educated Kid, and I'm gathering that Aidan at least is real... a band member's son?

Tito Uquillas: They are my sons and muses. I originally wrote songs for oldest son Aidan when I found out after my wife's sonogram that he was going to be a boy, rather than the girl she was so convinced was on the way. I immediately came up with the song "So, You're A Boy" - that we've yet to record, although you can see a live performance of the song on YouTube - and then wrote several other songs for him that I recorded by myself and put onto a cd as sort of a "baby gift" for him.

I then would occasionally write more songs to entertain him as the years passed. When my next son, Declan, was born four years later, I again compiled a few songs I had written for/about him (e.g. "The History of Declan Rae") and gave to him as a baby gift.

Right after he was born, my not-so-trusty four-track cassette recorder started to fall apart. I acquired a new digital recorder and not risking my "real" songs, Chris (bass) and I recorded a few songs I had been playing to entertain my boys (Disney songs, some traditional kids music, and some not so traditional - "Mothra's Song" from the Godzilla movie). We compiled some of my four-track recordings I had done for my sons in addition to the new recordings into the album The Smile Project and handed out copies to friends, family and our day care providers. Soon, people were telling us how much they as adults enjoyed the music, "It's the only kids' music I can stand to listen to in the car."

People kept telling us we should perform for kids and families. I was happy just recording my regular "adult" pop/rock music for fun and wasn't that enamored with the idea of performing live again. After being cajoled by my oldest son's first-grade teacher into performing for his class several times and seeing the the awesome reaction the music was getting I started thinking about it seriously. Finally, Chris and I took our family out to see a very well-known children's music performer (I will not divulge) who seemed kind of smarmy and really wasn't as impressive as their recordings. We then decided to make a go of it. We had to come up with a new album very quickly as The Smile Project had too many cover tunes and the overall sound was not us at our best - most tracks were recorded on my four-track cassette!

ZRecs: Tell me a bit about the band members. A couple of you are EMTs, right? And a ceramics teacher? Tell me more! Do you write your music in the ambulance?

Chris (bass) and I are paramedics who met at work in '91. We immediately formed a band and performed until '95. We then continued recording my original songs until 2003 when we switched to my kids music. We finally met the drummer of our dreams a year and a half ago. Nick Baca plays killer drums and sings harmonies like an angel. Chris and I are currently partners and work 24-hour shifts out of an ambulance station where we're able to rehearse between calls. Sometimes I do get ideas in the ambulance!

ZRecs: Tell me about your musical influences. At least 20 of them.

Uquillas: The Beatles and all of the other British Invasion bands (e.g., The Kinks, The Who, The Stones, Eric Burdon, Zombies, etc...) '60s American garage/pop/pscyhedelia (e.g. Hendirx, Monkees, CCR, "Nuggets" box set bands). I'm also a huge Stax Volt, Motown fan, especially Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Supremes, etc. Anything out of New Orleans in the '50s & '60s, 1920's hot jazz, Thelonious Monk, Brazilian psychedelic band Os Mutantes.

I guess high school and college days made a huge impact on me musically as I loved all the '70s/'80s punk/new wave sounds like Sex Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Jam, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Graham Parker, Squeeze, db's, The Bongos, et al. Then the whole post-punk thing of The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Kate Bush and REM got my creative juices going.

Wow. You got me going, sorry.

ZRecs: How does composing for kids compare with composing for adults? Does it affect anything you do musically, or just lyrically?

Uquillas: Other than probably a natural maturation of my writing (better!), I love the freedom that writing kids music allows. Having been married for 20 years (10 years before we decided to have children) I just can't write "Girl Done Me Wrong" or "I Love You" songs over and over again. I also rather keep my politics out of my music as it's hard to keep up the anger (ha!).

Children's music has opened up a world of possibilities and subject matter. I just think of all the stuff that interested me as a grade-school aged kid and write from that perspective. Everything seemed so much "bigger" to my psyche then. Things were scarier, and more fascinating. I know when my sons make a big deal about something my first inclination is to dismiss whatever it is or explain why it's nothing to worry about. Still, I remember that feeling of helplessness, worry and wonderment.

ZRecs: Do you think there are basic conflicts between writing music kids will appreciate and music adults will appreciate? What do kids love in music that adults can't stand? Vice versa?

Uquillas: Hmm. Again, from my own 7-10 year old perspective, I want upbeat music with lyrics I can relate to. I don't want to hear lullabies, ballads, or songs that "talk down" to me. I know my own boys love scatalogical humor in songs but I (supposedly) have to set an example so I choose not to include much about pee, poo, farts and vomit. I know as an adult - and most kids - don't want to hear songs about how vegetables are tasty and good for you. I also don't want to hear, or write songs teaching about the ABC's and other very simple topics. There is an over-saturation of the preschool kids music scene and they can have it. Disney, Noggin, Nickelodeon all have kid music shows and they are all skewed to preschool-aged kids. Where's the shows for grade school kids that don't have songs about girl/boy relationships? That's the niche I'd love to see expand.

ZRecs: Which stylistic conventions of children's music should be discarded to reinvigorate music for kids?

Uquillas: I don't think any stylistic conventions should be discarded as there are always a few artists who taken something old and make it sound new again. Just like all genres of music, 95% of kids' music is pretty bad and the rest is pretty good to great.

ZRecs: What expectations do children bring to music that adults don't share?

Uquillas: I really don't think kids bring any expectations to music and that's what makes it exciting for me as a songwriter and performer. I'm always surprised as to what "works." I keep trying to push the envelope with what I try and do and see if the kids can keep up. So far, it seems they do.

I think the biggest barrier to children enjoying good children's music is adults perception of what is good children's music. It seems most adults want children to listen to kids music they think is good for kids e.g. music that isn't "too heavy" (e.g. rock or rap) and has a message about teaching good manners, cleaning up after oneself and eating healthy. Unfortunately, this makes for some dismal, preachy music in the ears of kids and adults really don't like listening to it either. Kids like goofy, weird stuff. They want to be entertained just like adults and sometime silly is perfect for great kids music. Bands like They Might Be Giants, Playsoundz and The Telephone Company are making great quirky kids music.

ZRecs: Do kids demand more of their musical experiences than adults do? If so, how?

Uquillas: Kids don't listen to their own music as background music like adults do. They seem to be active participants in the listening experience. They seem to pay attention to the words and want to understand as much of what the song is trying to say as much as possible. They want the gratifying "hook" and the repetition that lets them "inside" the song.

In the live situation, children always want to move and be physically involved with the music.

ZRecs: Is there something for us adults to learn from kids about how to engage with or appreciate music?

Uquillas: Demand more from your music and support the artists that make the music that thrills you, makes you move, fall in love, or offer catharsis for a broken heart.

Kids already do that with their music. They let the performer know they enjoy the music. Like most adults, I just stand there with folded arms at a performance of music I love. I should be dancing.

Can I go out to recess now?

You can watch videos of a Hipwaders performance on YouTube, listen to Tito's guest DJ set on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, or buy Educated Kid on Amazon.com, CDBaby, or iTunes.