Do you get some inspiration from people like Emmett Miller and Ukelele Ike—the veterans of ukulele music?
Ari Gold: You know, I find a lot of the ukulele-specific music of the past to be a little too ‘aw shucks’ for me. I like Hawaiian ukulele that has more sensuality to it. There’s a line from George Formby to ‘Eleanor Rigby’ that doesn’t quite work for me. I’d rather go from Don Ho to the Honey Brothers. Andrew Vladeck: A lot of times traditional musicians seem to apologize for the instruments they play. They think the ukulele is too sweet, so they make it jokey, or they think the banjo is too redneck, so they make it hokey. But they aren’t necessarily—they’re just really earnest powerful friction instruments to express feelings of joy. Adrian Grenier: I’m sorry, but we do not apologize—we will not apologize for what we play! Ari Gold: I mean, you look at a man like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, who’s like, you know… I’m sorry—say that again? Ari Gold: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. I’m sure you’ve heard his rendition of ‘It’s a Wonderful World.’ It’s one of the great ukulele songs of the last ten or f
