Just Trust Me

So I wasn't the first person to hear about Boulder-band 3Oh!3. By the time I arrived in the bubble town just northwest of Denver, the duo of Nathaniel Motte and Sean Foreman had been around for a few months and the buzz, albeit small, was growing. My friend dragged me to their first show at RailJam in the parking lot across the street from Half Fast Subs on Boulder's campus ghetto, the Hill. I'd imagine there were 50 or so people in the parking lot, but when 3Oh!3 came roaring out on stage in their wolf t-shirts dancing to their almost ridiculous music, the size of the audience didn't matter. Those kids exploded and I knew 3Oh!3 were going to be huge.

Now look at them. An MTV Spring Break appearance. A live performance on Jimmy Kimmel. The cover of Alternative Press (AP) not once, but twice in the past 6 months. Their single, "Don't Trust Me," is still killing it on the charts and has been remixed by Kid Cudi of "Day n' Night" fame. Word on the street (ok, so Twitter, but same thing) is that they've just recorded in the studio with Lil John. Yes, THAT Lil John. And no, the song has nothing to do with lollipops.

For those of you who know my past employment history (and we're only going back two years folks, so keep up) you've probably heard the story. In 2007 as an intern at a local magazine, I had pitched an article about 3Oh!3 to my editors, who, initially, loved the story idea. Two white boys from Boulder who are poised to be the next big thing in hip-hop/electronic music. I told my editor that I had exclusive access. I had met these dudes before (briefly, and they still couldn't pick me out of a line up) and they were from my Boulder hood. I had friends who knew friends who knew these dudes. I had dated a girl whose brother used to hang with them in High School. Sure they'd talk to me...

I was told to proceed with the story, and I did, in effect land one heck of a interview. We met in a park close to both of their houses in Boulder, Motte showing up early and Foreman rolling in a little late on his girlfriend's pink scooter. We spent the afternoon in the rain, talking shop, just a few months prior to Photofinish Records lighting their already massive fuse. I wrote what I thought to be a very good article. The editor who assigned it to me loved it. It was rewritten three times and ready to go. We had artwork. We had a publishing date in Januaray. Then a new editor strolled in December and said they story was too young. "Not our demographic," he said to us and killed the story completely.

I have always wanted to publish my 2007 article. I think it should be read by anyone who has any interest in the band and their persona. I tried in vain to pitch it to numerous publications, but unfortunately, by the time the article was blown out of the water, everyone and Helen Keller knew about these two white boys from Boulder, Colorado. "We've already got a 3Oh!3 article in the works," was my response from everyone.

So, here it is, for any 3Oh!3 fan out there who wants another article on their beloved band. But please understand, this was written in 2007, not yesterday, so if it seems a tad dated, you'll know why.

Holler 'Till You Pass Out - The Article