London-based Irish psych rock trio Gonzo Fever have released their debut single, Scream. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Speaking about the track, lead singer Jack says, "Scream is about that backwards toxic place that stifled your growth and the moment you decide to leave it behind for a reality of your own making.
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"There's a conversation you have with the two sides of your mind, willing yourself to listen to the pain you’re feeling and act on it. It’s about all the fear and anxiety brought on by a drastic change, but also the sheer excitement and adrenaline of facing your demons and giving them the finger".
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Piers (drummer): I was in a band with my whole family since I was ten years old. God rest my soul. It wasn’t easy. My dad would throw drumsticks at me from across the room whenever I was drumming while he was talking.
Kevin (bassist): I was in a band called Fusebox when I was 13. We played the Rory Gallagher festival around a year later. There were four guitarists in the band.
Jack (singer, guitarist) - This is the first band I’ve ever been in. I formed the band when I was 25. I had never once jammed with musicians before in my life. I used to just make music by myself in my bedroom and perform solo.
How would you describe your music?
Jack: It’s in the name. It’s about being raw, unadulterated and chaotic. The term lends itself to psychedelia with Hunter S Thompson’s style of writing and lifestyle in general and it reflects what we aim to do with our music. If we had to boil it down to genres, it’s a mixture of psychedelic rock, garage rock, classic rock and soul. Lyrically, we want to reflect small town rural culture and the kind of toxicity that comes with it. Our music is like a man in a tuxedo who’s got blind drunk on a bottle of Jameson and dragged his body through a ploughed field and a couple of hedges.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Piers: Although we all come from very different musical backgrounds and have quite varied tastes, we come into alignment with classic rock, blues and psychedelic rock. Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Rory Gallagher and Jimi Hendrix to name a few. Mainly it stems from what our parents listened to. Music about and by drug addicts, drunks and reprobates. We all gravitate towards the humour in the raw and raucous nature of it.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Kevin: AC/DC at the Punchestown Racecourse, 2009. It was absolutely mind-blowing. I’ve never experienced such a wall of sound and to this day it’s one of the best gigs I’ve been to. I was 14. It was pissing rain. I remember before the gig the crowd were making a human pyramid and the guy at the top got knocked down to the bottom. There were mosh pits all over the place. I went with three mates and my dad. There was this platform that came out. Angus Young on top, spinning in wheels on the floor playing guitar like the devil stole his socks.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Piers: Cosmic Messenger by Jean Luc Ponty. When my dad was a postman he befriended an old clapped-out hippy from the 60s. My dad would get me to meet him at the record store so he wouldn’t have to drive the whole way to the school. This old hippy guy would pick out old records for me, specifically, because he knew I was a drummer. And he’d sell them to me at a 95% discount. It blew my mind because I didn’t know an electric violin could sound better and beefier than any electric guitar in the universe.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Jack: Goon by Thee Oh Sees. This is a song we all love. I swear I’ve listened to it over 200 times. It’s a mad, frenetic synth punk number with ridiculous lyrics and incredible forward energy. The band has two drummers. The lyrics are incredibly tongue in cheek but there’s an element of menace to it and it’s so damned catchy. It’s raw, it’s unadulterated and it’s gonzo. Also, the R2D2 synth sound is next level.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Jack: "The soil is so soft I dug my grave just standing still". It’s a lyric from a song called Hurtsville by Jack Ladder. The song is about the toxicity of the close-knit nature of this town and the narrator's complicity in that toxicity. Like with this new single of ours, it’s about a small town where everyone knows you and everyone holds their memories of you in stone and you can’t define yourself; it defines you. Where it feels you have to run to get a clean slate. Or you’ll dig your grave just standing still.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Kevin: Freebird 4:54.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Spotify to hear our new music and. Instagram to keep up to date with upcoming gigs and updates and content of our rehearsals, our songwriting process and general tomfoolery.
Alan Corr
