I interviewed Peter Davies, lead singer and songwriter for American Britpop band Uspop from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The following interview is redacted and edited for clarity. Originally published in Minneapolis Music Monthly by Lucius Wainwright LW: You call yourself an American Britpop band. What does that mean? That's a contradiction, isn't it? PD: No, it's not. We're Americans and we play Britpop music. I think that's pretty clear. LW: A tribute band like Uspop... PD: We're not a tribute band LW: But you play Wonderwall, Parklife, Live Forever... PD: Yeah - bands play covers, we play covers sometimes. LW: But they're all British songs from the mid-1990s PD: Oh, are they? LW: Why 90's British music? PD: Why not? It's good music - there should be more of it. LW: But you're American - why not let the Brits take care of it? PD: Well, if they were taking care of it, we wouldn't be here - I don't know why anyone would go to the trouble of Uspop if it was already being done. It's not, so here we are. LW: There are a lot of guitar bands in the United States - there's a feeling guitars are over... PD: Let me stop you there - you might go to places you are, New York or L.A. or whatever, but where I'm from people play guitars. Go to any church on a Sunday morning in Minneapolis and there will be 10 Fenders on stage with fuzz on in front of Jesus. The Good Lord used to like organs but He's all about guitars now. LW: But in the popular sphere - in Minneapolis it's Lizzo now, not the Replacements, not Prince... PD: I don't know why anyone would compare Uspop to Lizzo - it's a totally different thing. LW: But why a guitar-based Britpop band now - you are clearly trying to evoke British music from the '90's - Oasis, Blur, the Verve PD: We're just trying to fit in, like you do. Our songs stand up with that lot anyhow. LW: As good as Oasis? PD: Yeah - why not? None of those bands are doing it like that anymore - we've written some songs, we put them next to some of those numbers and they stand up. LW: Let's talk about on stage. At shows you speak in an English accent, but here in this interview, you're not - are you worried at all about being perceived as being inauthentic? PD: I don't know what you're talking about [says in an English accent]. LW: Ok - moving on - the entire band wears sunglasses inside - is there a band you're trying to emulate with your look? PD: No - it's bright. Can't see anything. Sometimes you don't want to see anything. I've done this for while - there are things you don't want to see. People in Minneapolis are all nice, but late at night after a few, they start throwing batteries. LW: Batteries? PD: Ask Chuck Knoblauch. Mad Vikings they all were, throwing batteries [crosstalk] LW: For people coming to your shows, hopefully without batteries to throw, what would you tell them about Uspop? PD: Nothing. You just have to come see it. LW: Nothing? PD: Yeah - Uspop is an American Britpop band - a mystery band from nowhere.