Sketchbook Interviews: Great Gable
There’s a lot of great music coming out of Western Australia right now - and Great Gable (Alex Whiteman, Matt Preen, Callum Guy & Chris Bye) are right at the forefront of it. After kicking off 2019 with a bang (capitalising off a huge 2018 where they sold out two national tours), the band’s back in their hometown, getting ready to release their debut full-length album. Their simple, yet extraordinarily beautiful music is unforgettable, and the perfect backdrop to an endless kind of summer. Check ‘em out on spotify here!
I’ve got a scribbled set-list from one of their shows in my room, so it felt like there was no better way to kick off our new ‘Sketchbook Interviews’ series than with Great Gable. We emailed them a print-out PDF and had them split up to sketch out answers to a stack of weird questions. Turns out, they can actually draw? Really well? And possess a sense of humour that made me laugh the whole time I was putting this together. Either way, hope it makes you fall in love with them as much as we did.
(P.S., if you don’t already know the publication POND, they’re some really cool people who are just as passionate about music as we are! This series is inspired by their games of Pictionary with bands. We love them very much, so make sure to check out their site and all the amazing content they produce! <3)
- Abby Strangward
Hey guys! So, 2018 was a huge year for you, and you kicked off 2019 with a bang. What would you say you’re most proud of, so far in your career as a band?
MATT: Hey! There are many things we’re proud of, from playing a sold out tour in New Zealand to making it to the airport on time. One of the things that we are proudest of is the fact that we’ve gotten to where we are completely off our own backs. We recorded our first EP on a super tight DIY budget and now one of those songs is about to hit 5 million streams on Spotify. We are also proud to be working with CanTeen to support young Australians affected by cancer, by providing them with free tickets to our shows in Australia.
You just wrapped up your first international tour (and completely sold it out, may I add!). What was that whole experience like?
ALEX: I think we’re still trying to wrap our heads around it to be honest. It’s an incredible feeling landing in another country knowing people are waiting to watch you play. I think New Zealand will always be a special place for us after that tour.
So far, you’ve released the 2 EPS and a handful of singles - can we expect a full album anytime soon?
CAL: We are looking to release our first album soon which we are pretty stoked about. We just been hanging out heaps and getting creative and writing new material. To put out a debut album is really exciting and daunting at the same time, but we’ve just been really enjoying the process at the moment. We love playing and writing new music and can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Who are your biggest influences?
CHRIS: As individuals, each of us have a pretty diverse range of artists and genres that influence our playing and approach to our given instrument! From Alternative Rock, to Jazz Fusion, Desert Rock, Folk and Drum and Bass. As a collective, recently we’ve all been cranking Matt Corby, Andy Shauf, King Krule, Arctic Monkeys, Deer Hunter, Alfa Mist and Anderson Pak to name a few...
What advice would you you give to a young, local Aussie band just starting out?
CHRIS: Say yes to every performance opportunity that comes your way in the early stages of gigging! You never know what one opportunity may lead to… Every gig, even ones that may seem significant at the time, may potentially have a person in the crowd that turns out to be important connection for your band further down the line!
Musician Half Mood Bay explores what it means to navigate transitional periods of life as a young black artist, while finding a soul’s purpose through challenges. A year later, this EP has manifested itself into a filmic journey that works to translate these experiences of love and life through the lens of reincarnation.
“I was looking at a photo yesterday of me drinking a pilsner at 10am in Prague, so that’s the first moment that comes to mind when I think of feeling free. More than anything I want to be able to dance in a room full of people again.”
“Ideas have been running dry, I usually write about things going on in my life but nothing is happening right now. I try to force it, but I just can’t write anything that sticks.”
“Playing for an invisible audience feels lonely but also intimate in a way that could never exist outside of my bedroom - weird to think about how many people I’ve invited to see the mess on my bed or the view from my window… I’m pretty delusional about it all.”
“There are struggles, inner, and outer, there are love birds, here and there, there is wind air all around. It's all beautiful, it's all random, it's all unique, it's all my personal human experience.”
“I ate my birthday cake in one sitting and didn’t share it—it was a tiny gourmet one from my grandma. I have no regrets.”
“I had a dream last night that the boys and I were on the roller coaster goliath at six flags. I tried to channel that feeling into vibes on a demo… we’ll see how that turns out.”
“What I will take from this is the reminder that there are infinite ways to be. The way that society is set up obviously has so many flaws, and that's a beautiful reminder to live innovatively.”
“When you're not around people and not able to go places, it’s hard to create like normal. It’s been making me look inward - maybe too much, to the point of overthinking… but, that makes the work really honest I guess!”
“I feel like I’m learning how to be an adult in this choked version of our world. I also started a fan cult on Instagram - come join my megachurch, all are welcome.”
“I do love that people can get intimate experiences with their musicians of choice now. I was able to watch Patti Smith live stream with her daughter and it felt like a personal FaceTime.”
“If things keep heading this direction we're about to become an ambient modular synth collective. JK... unless??”
At 20 years old, Fay — better known as FIG — is breaking out of the bedroom pop mold. With her undying individuality and dynamic sound, this New York singer-songwriter dances around what’s expected, bringing listeners something fresh, with an air of nostalgia. After being featured on Spotify’s “Lorem” and “Beast Meets West” playlists, Pure Nowhere chatted with FIG over a Zoom call, discussing how she brings internalized emotions and visuals to life in her music.
Bracing honesty is a consistent theme in Morgan Saint’s catalog, and her latest EP HELP is nothing short of pure, unadulterated authenticity. In a conversation with Pure Nowhere, Morgan shared her cathartic advice, discussed honesty in music, and adapting to being a musician in the age of COVID-19.
How much do we really know ourselves? Valley Palace’s new EP, Pastel Mood, seeks the answer and inspires more questions along the way. Pure Nowhere’s Liv Bjorgum had the opportunity to chat with 26-year-old Nathan Taylor over Zoom about the EP, emotions, and taking the time to reconcile the person in the mirror with the thoughts in your head.
WizTheMc’s latest EP, What About Now, is now streaming on all music services. As the 17 minute EP plays, rap and pop create a warm feeling that spreads throughout your body. Pure Nowhere was able to talk with WizTheMC about this EP and what influenced it.
This is how singer-songwriter Alayna would describe her music in three words. And her listeners would probably agree.
“I realized that my artistry is enough of a statement itself. The joy and the feelings that went into this project are a testimony to my freedom and ability to express myself. That to me is just as relevant: Black happiness, Black contemplation, Black feelings.”
We take a peek into Remi Wolf’s camera roll, and converse about pre-show rituals, making shit up, greenrooms, and drawing inspiration from chefs and jazz musicians.
Up-and-coming rapper and singer-songwriter, Rodney Chrome, describes the title of his debut project, Queer Pressure, as “an acknowledgment of every societal pressure that queer individuals have most likely experienced.” Over twelve tracks, he dismantles these “queer pressures” over hard electronic beats produced by electronic musician underscores and himself.
Tom Verberne takes his self-described somber pop music to new heights with his sophomore album I’ll Watch You Do Anything. The blue album melds his signature melancholy hope with spinning instrumentals to create a defined sound. Liv Bjorgum sits down and chats about his previous album, growth, and more.
Australia produces a lot of amazing music, but there are very few artists out there as beloved, as irresistible as Skegss. Since their 2014 debut, the Byron Bay trio have been spinning garage rock into laid-back storytelling, capturing adolescence like no other band has before them.
In preparation for their latest EP, Acting My Age, Pure Nowhere attends a Zoom press conference hosted by the 1824 press team. Through questions and live performance, we learned more about channeling their creativity and adjusting their vision in a changing social landscape.
“I am black person from a rural community, I am a queer person in the age of the internet. I think to bridge the gaps, in any instance, it requires a human-lived experience to help it along — to make it tangible for those who are not aware. My identity is that intersection.”
Since 2013, this LA-based quintet have been sweeping listeners into instant nostalgia. We chat songwriting, social media, and more.
“We feel like our music is not restricted by borders or by language, but is moved by the feelings behind them.” Pure Nowhere sat down with Nürnberg to discuss the creation of their unique style and the way in which they are able to connect with an audience as big and diverse as theirs.
Contrasting their usual indie rock image, Cars marks the opening of a newly explored depth for the band, expanding their discography in profound ways. Creating a printable worksheet, we asked the boys to answer questions in various forms - from poetry to stick figure drawings - opening up on personal aspects of this release.
The kitchen table serves as the perfect blend between the public and private venues in which we constantly find ourselves. It is as much a space for introspection and reflection as it is for creativity and shared experiences. Somegirlnamedanna recounts memories and motivations behind her newest release in this conversation.
Jacob Allen — better known as Puma Blue — finds light amongst life’s darkest moments with his poignant lyrics and ethereal soundscapes, enveloping the listener in an auditory dreamscape. In his release of ‘In Praise of Shadows,’ Allen marries delicate guitar riffs with airy beats, creating a sound honest to his current self. Pure Nowhere had the opportunity to chat with Jacob over a Zoom call, where we discussed the importance of vulnerability and the moments behind his debut album. His responses were imbued with the same poeticism and authenticity found in his music.