Profile - Michelle DuBois

Michelle DuBois wrote her first lyric at the ripe and worldly age of 7. It went like this: “I feel so queer, I can drink a beer.” But it was with the profound words of her second lyric, “He’ll be a preacher, and I’ll be a nurse, but he’ll love me ‘cause I’ll carry a Bible in my purse,” that she knew music was her destiny.

Born in Oklahoma to musically gifted parents, DuBois and her family moved to Nashville when she was 9 so her father could pursue a budding career in country music songwriting. It was here that she met and quickly befriended Shonali Bhowmik, who would join her in Atlanta years later and form the band Ultrababyfat.

While Ultrababyfat was on tour with David Cross, DuBois says new songs began germinating in her head. It was also on this tour that she found herself alone in her Las Vegas hotel room one night watching the World Cup. At some point, the name on a player’s jersey flashed across the screen: Luigi.

After Shonali moved to NYC and Ultrababyfat ended, DuBois enlisted her friend Scott Rowe to help her record the songs that needed to be set free from her head. As luck would have it, but quite accidentally, Luigi was born.

DuBois has recently taken up knitting and is perfecting her scarf-making skills. She also vows to one day complete the patchwork quilt that she began seven years ago.

Luigi will debut its second full-length release, Found on the Forest Floor, Oct. 28 at the Earl. It’s Halloween weekend, so don’t be surprised if the band members have some tricks up their sleeves.