Music Spotlight: A Conversation About Gay Pride With Odd Hours

Natasha and Tim of Odd Hours are some talented mofos (besides music).

Tim is responsible for the photography of my book, Keep Your Panties Up and Your Skirt Down.

Natasha is the director of Tunde Olaniran’s bad ass music video, Cobra; which I have a role in 😉

Their trashy art rock group, Odd Hours, will be performing live Saturday, June 29th during Flint’s Pride In The Park celebration.

I got their take on Gay Pride and Gay Icons.

Check it out…

What does Gay Pride mean to you?

NATASHA: For me, Gay Pride highlights and helps expand equality for everyone and hopefully reinforces the beautiful breakdown of ugly gender stereotypes. I hope that one day all people will realize that our bodies are only here for us to walk around in- they have nothing to do with our minds, hearts, or souls.

TIM: Really, I think it boils down to lending a sense of normalcy to a lifestyle that can be seen as ‘alternative’ to some. I think Gay Pride is the first thing that has to happen on the way to losing that ‘alternative lifestyle’ label, among others.

Name a Gay icon that influences you!

NATASHA: I love how powerful and absolutely terrifying Grace Jones is. Whatever wave she’s floating on is where I want to be when I’m on stage — super focused and strong. She inspires me to push myself past my comfort zone when it comes to fashion and my body.

Who is your gay/lesbian celebrity crush?

NATASHA: I don’t have celeb crushes. I only have crushes on people I can kiss in real life.

TIM: Do you mean they are gay/ lesbian, or a crush I have on a gay or lesbian person? Closest I can think of is Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Portlandia. Hilarious, and badass singer/ guitarist, and also adorable.

What’s the oddest thing about Odd Hours as a band?

NATASHA: It’s odd that we can transition so nicely from our organized professional day lives to a dirty, sweaty, sexy mess that we become on stage — but I guess being organized is sexy too.

TIM: This is completely true. I’ve gone directly from reporting on a school board meeting for my job as a reporter with shirt, tie and everything, to throwing my clothes off, and setting up on stage for a show an hour later.

Besides music, how do you express your art and creativity?

NATASHA:  I’m a video artist. Images are just as important in my life as sound. I teach video production and animation and I also co-own a video production company, called Gold House.

TIM: I’m a photographer, writer and I also do documentary work. I did a documentary in Benghazi, Libya. Now I’m working on one from Appalachia, and the Michigan State Police.

Odd Hours (OH) is a four-piece post-punk rock band based in Detroit. Formed in 2010, OH has played major Detroit festivals and released two EPs, which can be heard on oddhoursmusic.com. The OH line-up has been fleshed out with the addition of Clint Stuart on bass guitar, and Randy Hanley Jr. on drums. Leading the band are Natasha Beste on vocals and keyboard, and Tim Jagielo on guitar.

The drummer in the video is Hakeem Ouhammou. He filled in for two shows while Hanley began to learn the songs.