Introducing Perth favourites GAZEY, who whip up a storm with River

You're well familiar with the Perth live music scene, chances are you're already somewhat familiar with synth-pop outfit GAZEY. Armed with a collection of quick-firing demos and an energetic live show, the five-strong group have blossomed into real favourites of our local circuit, proving time and time again - through releases, headline shows and support slots - that they're a band on the cusp of finding something special - something that feels all the more realistic with the release of a debut album, Sole, planned through Group Therapy Records in October.

After March's Sleep, the second tease of the album - arriving today in the form of River - is the perfect introduction to the band if you're yet to acquaint yourself, showcasing their fuzzy, DIY-shaded sound in all its thumping, nostalgic glory. Drawing comparisons to dance music pioneers like New Order and the synth-driven rise of the 80s, River unites hazy, somewhat lo-fi ambience with house-leaning bass kicks and swift synth rhythms, combining together to create a unique sound that sees GAZEY take old-school influences and bring them forward to 2019 - a difficult feat to achieve, but one they pull off with all class. "Amidst our clumsy and awkward attempts in love, we should want our others to move beyond the patterns we ascribe to each other," says vocalist Josiah Padmanabham on the track.

Dive into the track below, catch them launch it tonight - July 11 - at Hidden Treasures, and better introduce yourself to the group before the full album arrives this October:

Tell us about yourself?

Ezekiel is pretty good at basketball. We try to have band practices but just end up playing CTR instead. Jesus brought us all together. I like to think I’m the dad of the band, but Ryan does most of the work. Caleb is good at shaking his bum. Ezra accidentally almost burned the whole of Ellenbrook down one time.

What’s the vibe music-wise?

People have told us we’re quite synthy, we tend to agree with them. Our sound is pretty energetic and varied stylistically.

What are your production and writing processes like?

For this album, Ezekiel and I were home recording demos to a point where we can pretty clearly see where they’re going structurally and aesthetically. At the point of recording the finals, we’d played the songs a lot, so I decided to record my songs from fresh with the other members. Ezekiel’s songs were pretty immaculate as demos, so they didn’t need that process. The mixing involved Ryan, Ezekiel and I, and a lot of hours and stress until we were happy with the result.

Can you tell us about your new single, River?

I wrote the melodies bored out of my mind waiting for students, and the roots of the lyrics came from sitting anxiously in the Joondalup Library trying to learn about poetry. I was also pretty enamoured with a Bowie epic: Teenage Wildlife. Lyrically, I was inspired by the way he grapples with his own inadequacies in a universal manner, whilst still telling a coherent story. I hope it conveys the eclecticism and depth we seek to express with the coming LP.

Any tour dates coming up?

We have a bunch of gigs coming up. A few that come to mind are a few Katy Steele shows we’re supporting, at the Rosemount and our first show in Margaret River! Also Wave Rock will be dope.

What does 2019 have in store for you?

2019 has been pretty busy for us and it’s going to stay that way. We have a music video coming and a launch for that. We’re releasing the album, Sole, real soon too. On top of that, we have a lot of shows coming up and a bunch of writing for the next project.

Where can we find more of your music?

Everywhere! Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, iTunes, Soundcloud, triple j Unearthed.

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