Uzi & Ari was an American indie rock band based in Salt Lake City, Utah that has received favorable comparisons to artists such as Thom Yorke, Mogwai, The Postal Service, and The Album Leaf.

He left the band in 2001 to live in Santiago, Chile for two years (to serve a mission for the LDS Church), and returned to the United States in 2003, relocating to Utah, where he began playing with assorted musicians under the name Uzi and Ari.

[4] Because of its low key nature, Shepard was able to work on Uzi and Ari's second album for a number of months in Henderson's studio, rather than purchasing recording time in a block as he had done for Don't Leave in Such a Hurry.

Finally, in April 2006 the new album It is Freezing Out was released, featuring cover art work by renowned painter Thrush Holmes[6] (also known as "Truman Couture" and "Herman Weiss") who has since used the song "Don't Black Out" in his promotions.

The band toured the western United States in promotion of this album, playing mainly small venues in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Tijuana, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, and Colorado.