DeVotchKa's Nick Urata Defines Success at SXSW

As the SXSW music festival kicks into high gear, Spinner had a chance to catch up with Nick Urata, frontman for Denver-based gypsy vagabondage punk quartet DeVotchKa at their St. Patrick's Day (March 17) appearance at the Austin Convention Center in Texas.

Just like the tattoo that winds around Nick's arm as he pulls the mic close and croons haunting, atmospheric ballads into our ears, DeVotchKa's sound is complex, edgy and mysterious, immersing fans in epic quests across expansive vistas with cinematic splendor.

Read on as Nick reveals his guilty pleasures, influences and definition of success.

How do you define your sound?

A romantic culture clash.

What guitars were you playing in the show today?

I played an old Yamaha from the '70s and a Cordoba from Spain.

Your voice and your look are redux Bryan Ferry. Was he an influence?

I can't say that he was although I'm flattered, and I love that song 'More Than This.'

Who are your favorite bands?

Flaming Lips, Blonde Redhead, Calexico, Spoon. It changes every week.

Guilty pleasures?

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Today during your set you knocked everyone out with 'Man from San Sebastian,' 'All The Sand In All The Sea' and of course, 'How It Ends.' Are these available on iTunes?

Yes, our music is on iTunes. The first two songs are on our new album, '100 Lovers,' which we just released.

Your band has been together for over a decade, nominated for a Grammy, opened for Muse, and scored popular films, TV shows and games including 'Little Miss Sunshine,' 'Waiting for Forever,' 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' 'The Joneses,' 'Weeds,' 'Everwood' and Gears of War 2. What does success look like to you personally and how will you know when you get there?

For me it has always been about sounding good, on record or live. Success to me is seeing an idea come to fruition and connecting with my audience.