All clothing by **THREEASFOUR**.
[Charlotte Kemp Muhl](https://www.instagram.com/charlottekempmuhl/?hl=en), the singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and director behind the band [Uni](https://www.instagram.com/unitheband/?hl=en), didn’t take the year off. In fact, Kemp Muhl, who began her career as a model for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Sisley, D&G, Donna Karan, and Swarovski, has been busier than ever releasing intergalactic visuals attatched to Uni’s psychedelic records, like their latest, "DONNA MARIJUANA."
In honor of the her birthday, Kemp Muhl, along with Uni bandmates Jack James and David Strange, caught up with _Flaunt_ to share their recent musical endeavors, dreams, and complex relationships with social media.
**What have you been up to during the pandemic, other than making music?**
**Kemp**: I got quarantine kittens and became a pro gamer, ha. Was never allowed to play video games as a kid, now I’m blown away by the technology and long form narratives. It inspired me to adapt our rock opera to a game/comic format for Uni, and I’ve been working on that with illustrator Cae Rale in between recording.
**Jack**: Oh you know, cruising down the highway with the fellas—drinkin’, smokin’, straight west coastin’. Capping off my enemies and chasing the muff around - the usual.
But also, I star in a film called _Mister Sister_ which is premiering Sept 12th, am currently in post-production for an audio drama called “The American Immortal”, been working on my online vanity—I mean, variety\* show, and shot a show pilot, which, if I french kissed the correct network exec, should start production in the next few months.
**What's something you learned about yourself over this time?**
**Kemp**: That I can live happily without 90% of human interaction.
**Jack**: I learned that not only am I tall and ridiculously stylish, but that I also have incredible hair. It was truly a humbling experience where I had to go deep inside myself and face demons I didn’t even know existed. Much like my last colonic.
#block-yui\_3\_17\_2\_1\_1629235536868\_25555 .sqs-gallery-block-grid { margin-right: -10px; } #block-yui\_3\_17\_2\_1\_1629235536868\_25555 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid-slide .margin-wrapper { margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }
**What can you reveal about your album coming out this winter? Any themes being explored?**
**Kemp**: Mainly we delve into the great paradox of whether the pants are holding the belt up or the belt is holding the pants up. Along with important sociological questions such as “if WW1 was started over a cheese sandwich, should we cancel cheese?”—and speculation into what the British royal guards keep inside their hats. All in iambic pentameter.
**What were your references or creative points of inspiration for this photo shoot you created?**
**Kemp**: Our alien friends ThreeAsFour created these amazing high tech laser cut garments that they kindly trusted us to not completely destroy. Trying to set up Nick Knight level lighting in my living room with no crew other than me and Nathan West was a bit of a challenge but our guerrilla op has become surprisingly adroit at making stuff appear high budget with some spit and string, flashlights, and aluminum foil. Jack’s boyfriend Daniel Walters even dropped by and got tricked into holding a fan.
**What was it like teaching yourself how to mix and master tracks? Any new discoveries?**
**Kemp**: It would be a helluva lot easier if we were just staying a retro 70s type project—but the attempt to modernize and move away from nostalgia into uncharted territory and new genre seeking has made it a real challenge for me. The epiphany was that it’s impossible for “rock” and vintage gear to compete with radio production in a post hip-hop world. So Ive essentially been taking old analog tape demos, which were recorded live with no click tracks, and trying to add 808 drum machines and string quartet arrangements and synth bass, following their wonky live unquantized timing, and keeping some glam rock feel at their core, while splicing it with cyber elements. Ive never heard this particular genre exist before so there’s no roadmap and Ive definitely gone a little crazy in the process.
**Describe a recent dream.**
**David**: The dream starts last early spring. I’m there with the rest of Uni at HQ and we’re doing our usual thing- Kemp is hacking into underground server farms and reprogramming them to mine Bitcoin, Jack is watching Dancing with the Stars and I’m working on my sex robot. Next thing we know, KABOOM!! there’s a huge crash outside and a rock from the sky lands in the street, sublimates into a gaseous cloud and oozes through the city. We were all wearing gas masks at the time because our neighbors cook crystal meth so we didn’t think much of it. Turns out the next day half the city is sick with some terrible new disease, the stock market tanks, businesses shut down, children aren’t allowed to go to school, the government declares martial law and more importantly every Uni tour is suddenly canceled. Over the next few months we live in isolation and have to find new ways to occupy our time in order to avoid going stir crazy. Kemp gets into body building and gains 300 lbs, Jack gives himself an online law degree and takes on Anna Nicole Smith as his first client and I make millions in Off Track Betting. One day some genius doctor comes up with a cure so we line up with everyone else at clinics around the country. He stabs the needle in my arm and POP! I’m awake again. Laying there in bed it felt like two years had gone by, like I had almost forgotten how to play guitar and that I hadn’t seen a live show in ages. It was weird man…
#block-yui\_3\_17\_2\_1\_1629235536868\_47309 .sqs-gallery-block-grid { margin-right: -10px; } #block-yui\_3\_17\_2\_1\_1629235536868\_47309 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid-slide .margin-wrapper { margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; }
**How are you experiencing your relationship with social media evolve over time, or are you?**
**Jack**: My relationship with social media is so crazy—we started out as friends. Then the flirty texts started to happen, which took me by surprise. Cut to a few years later, and me and social media are getting married in the fall!! I can’t believe it; I’m going to be Mrs. Zuckerberg!
**Kemp**: I didn't join the club until late in the game, and very quickly learned that satire or irony was lost in translation. Also nuance. And empathy. It’s pretty much a sociopathy machine and will lead to civil war as a result of bifurcated newsfeeds. But hey, at least we get to look at a veritable smorgasbord of hot asses! My feed is exclusively attractive girls and science channels.
**What's something you feel is so bad it's good?**
**Jack**: My spiritual being having a human experience...?
**Kemp**: _Red Dress_ by Sarah Brand
**David**: Me.
**What are you looking forward to?**
**Kemp**: Making more videos with Jack and David this fall, we’ve been separated for most of Covid so this creative reunion is gonna be especially explosive. Like David after Indian food.
Photographer: [Nathan West](http://www.nathanwestphoto.com)
Creative Director: [Charlotte Kemp Muhl](https://www.instagram.com/charlottekempmuhl/?hl=en)
Styling: [Charlotte Kemp Muhl](https://www.instagram.com/charlottekempmuhl/?hl=en), [Jack James](https://www.instagram.com/jackjamesbusa/?hl=en)
Hair: [Addam Moreno](https://www.instagram.com/addamartist/)
Makeup: [Charlotte Kemp Muhl](https://www.instagram.com/charlottekempmuhl/?hl=en) and [Ahbi Nishman](http://www.ahbinishman.com)
.jpeg)
