The rock world has seen many two-member bands so far. However, as you know, the division of labor is there to lighten the load, but when you are just two people, your responsibility increases. It seems like the Ulrich brothers did not hesitate to take this responsibility for their band, Taipei Houston; on the contrary, they started thinking about how they could increase their creativity. In a recent interview with Loudersound, Layne Ulrich explained why they decided to continue as a duo.
“We had planned to get a singer,” Layne said, revealing their initial plans for the band. “Then Myles started playing a lot of guitar and I started singing, so we were like: ‘How can we actually just do it with just us two?’”
He continued, “What I really like about being a duo, is that because it’s restrained, you have to get really creative with it. You have to be constantly thinking about your limitations. And also how to break your own rules.”
Layne and Myles Ulrich were born right in the middle of the metal world, and unsurprisingly, at a young age, they started working to carve out a different path for themselves in this world. Taipei Houston is a product of this effort.
They began playing several instruments during their childhood, and the two brothers also often played together. But it was in 2021 that these jamming sessions turned into a serious project. They announced that they would form their band in the summer of 2021, and they gave their first show under the name of ‘Taipei Houston’ in Long Beach, California, the following fall.
The Ulrich brothers said this band was about ‘going against the grain.’ The two young people were aware of the chaotic nature of our time and the challenges it presented – political polarization, environmental crisis, and many more – and preferred to deal with them the best way they knew, using music as a vessel.
They were designing their music as a medium to escape from ‘digital anxiety,’ even for a few seconds. Nourished by this motivation, their debut album ‘Once Bit Never Bored’ was released last November. The first reviews came out shortly afterward, and their effort was especially praised for the capability of the two brothers to ‘elastically bend around one another.’ So, it looks like their preference to continue as a duo has worked out.
