Bothering the Band - Kelley Bader of I’m Glad It’s You

by RYAN BUYNAK

A rock band from Redlands, California, I’m Glad It’s You has seen tragedy and triumph, but they (and their frontperson) set themselves apart by evolving. If you want to know more, look them up, because their story is one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, but that is not why we are here. At the helm of IGIY, Kelley Bader is the captain of tidal emotions which stem from real life and make believe, making Kelley perfect for us to bother. As a swirling cocktail of 90’s alt-rock with a splash of emo satellites and a dash of subtle SoCal charm, the best way I can describe this band is one where you can put on any of their songs and make any closed down restaurant your muse while mopping. Does that make sense? It will to some. Their new album Every Sun, Every Moon came out in May of 2020, and it is a great album in which to get lost, turning any moment poetic.

Have you ever worked in a restaurant?

I have not worked in a proper restaurant. However, I have worked in coffee cafes for the past eight years, until my coworkers and I were recently fired en masse after I tried to head a unionization effort. And because of that I've become a rather vocal advocate for restaurant workers' rights online and what some critics might call an "online social justice warrior" and what others lovingly term "a leftist psycho." I am now part of forming a coffee co-op with a couple of locations coming sometime down the road and am in fact a lefty psycho.

What is your favorite thing that is red?

In light of my oversharing in question one, am I expected to say anything other than blood red communism??

Can you explain what Californication is?

I actually cannot, and I don't think I'm old enough to know what that word means.

If you are wearing a nice button down shirt, do you wear an undershirt?

It depends on the vibe. When you say "nice" I assume the occasion for which the shirt is worn is also "nice." But that is not an occasion I often find myself in. I'd prefer to be found in a button down shirt that is wide open, revealing an undershirt that says something like "I'm not embarrassed to wear a shirt that says the words I'm Glad It's You on it at any occasion" on any occasion.

When’s the last time you just hung out on a curb?

It is a practice I partake of every day. It is my namesake and spiritual discipline, of which I am very spiritually advanced.

If you could have a meal with one celebrity chef, who would it be?

It would have to be the late Anthony Bourdain. I'd have eaten anything, anywhere with him.

When is it okay to lie?

To be honest, I'm a pretty rigid person when it comes to honesty but I like to hold some reservations for bosses, scabs, rich people, government bureaucrats, capitalists, police officers, and anyone who works towards all forms of ill-will to their fellow-human beings. I like to think of honesty in terms of ongoing rigorous self-reflection, and along those lines you can get pretty far before you reach the shores of what some might call "lying."

If you had to eat one of the other members of the band, who would it be and what part of their body would you start with?

That's an easy question. Robi Brown. I'd eat his angel hair like spaghetti.

Would you rather be stuck in an elevator with Kelly Kapowski (from Saved by the Bell) or Kelly Taylor (from 90210)?

I'm no longer what could be considered "young" but I am too young or out of touch to know who either of those people are. I will say I'd rather not be stuck in an elevator with anyone from 90210. There is, however, one point of conversation every Kelley invariably has with another Kelly"; I've seen no deviation from this in all of my days. And in either case I anticipate very little conversation beyond the pre-requisite "do you spell with one 'e' or two?"

What made you glad today?

You.