Start small, think big, never read reviews

Cincinnati-based indie rock duo Bad Veins are touring in support of their recent album, “The Mess We’ve Made.” The duo garnered attention for their live shows and videos before releasing one album.

Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz are idea men. They make up the Cincinnati-based indie rock duo Bad Veins, who made a name for themselves with their live show and videos before even releasing an album.

“We’re always thinking of new ways to up the ante,” Davis says during an interview. “What’s great is that a lot of our ideas start out small, but we’re able to execute them and come out with something fun.”

They have been around since 2006 and have released four albums. Their latest is “The Mess We’ve Made,” which was released in April.

	Bad Veins With The Great Depression WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24 WHERE: Launchpad, 618 W. Central HOW MUCH: $7 at www.holdmyticket.com

Davis primarily writes the music, plays guitar and keyboards and sings, while also recording backtracking music on a reel-to-reel tape player, nicknamed Irene and often thought of as the unofficial third member of the band. Schultz plays the drums and helps produce the music.

“We really wouldn’t be anywhere without Irene,” he laughs. “She is the one that really captures our sound. She really is a member.”

Davis says he and Schultz are working on a treatment for their next single, “Kindness.”

“We’re working with my old friend who helped us with the ‘Dancing on TV’ video,” he explains. “I can’t reveal too much or any secrets about what we’re building. But the music video will involve a beauty pageant.”

“The Mess We’ve Made” was recorded over a three-month period at Audiogrotto in Newport, Ky. The recording studio used to be a church and gave some inspiration to the duo, Davis says.

“There was a lot of introspection on this record,” he explains. “Our last album saw a lot of success that we didn’t anticipate. So we were in a place where we didn’t want any pressure on this album. Being that I am the primary writer, I locked myself up and just wrote down what I was feeling.”

Davis says the day the record came out, his stomach was in knots.

“I don’t like being that vulnerable,” he says. “But I had to suck it up and just hope that the fans get what we’re doing and that we’re confident with what we’re putting out.”

Davis says that the duo doesn’t read any reviews of the band.

He says they were featured in Esquire magazine earlier this year and it was something they never saw.

“This was national exposure for us, but we didn’t care to see it,” he says. “At a certain point, you stop reading the reviews and have to be happy with what you are doing. I can’t allow myself to be excited about something like Esquire because then I would have to allow myself to be down when someone writes that we are horrible. I don’t find validation in positive press nor get torn down in negative press.”