Go Van Go

Photo by Freya Lamont Photography

Go Van Go are killer two piece, they are launching their EP  Kill City: Switchblade this month and going on tour for it. This what they had to say about it all.

https://www.facebook.com/govangoband/

1. What was the inspiration for the up coming EP?

We wanted to expand on our sound from our first EP (Taking Hostages), which was recorded before we’d even played any shows together. The experience of playing a whole bunch of shows got us inspired to get a bunch well honed songs together while exploring different arrangements and sounds. Lyrically, there was a continuity between all of these fictional characters and gritty situations occurring in the same city, which happened organically, so we went with it.

2. How did the song writing process go for the EP?

As soon as we finished our first EP and got ready to tour we realised we’d need a few songs to augment and fill out the set. Dan set me the task of writing 20 good riffs, so I brought those to him and he connected the dots until we had a decent set of tracks, enough to fill two EPs, so we picked which ones sounded most cohesive and released them, saving the rest for the second part of the Ep.

3. What was the recording process like for the EP?

We were totally prepped to the point where we only had to focus on capturing a great performance of us locking in together.

We spent two days recording the main guitars/drums, then another three days in a tiny studio in Maleny for guitar overdubs, bass, percussion, and vocals.

4. Did you prepare for the recording process or what is it a case of see what happens in the studio?

We had extensively recorded demos of 15+ songs so we each knew what we had to do.

We wanted to record the main guitar and drums to tape, so we had to be well prepared. Each reel had 15 minutes, so we aimed to capture a definitive take within 3 shots. The second was almost always the best.

5. How was the recording process different to earlier material?

We were prepped, and had way more songs to choose from. Recording together to tape, instead of separately, made us play tight as hell and really listening to what the other person was doing. Not playing to click tracks or endless overdubbing makes a rock solid foundation to work with. All of the lyrics and vocal melodies had been worked out before hand, we’d lived with the songs for several months, and it was about capturing killer performances.

6. What did you learn from recording the EP that you will take away for future releases?

We’re writing a lot more in the jam room and have developed an almost telepathic connection between which allows us to go to places we wouldn’t ordinarily venture to with traditional song writing. Next time, I’d like us to spend a couple of days riffing off each other and capturing the spontaneity of what we are capable of to add to typically structured work.

At first I thought a two-piece would become restricting, but it has actually liberated us, and forces us to explore sonics and dynamics much more than if we had 3 or 4 other members to rely on.

7. Are you happy how things have gone so far for the band?

Yeah, we’ve come a long way. We’re really finding ourselves as a band, playing some great shows and having a pretty rad response to our music. It keeps getting better, and we’re on the right trajectory, I hope hahaha

8. What buzz do you get out of playing live?

Playing live is a special animal, anything can happen. We feed off of the audience and each other, time expands and contracts, there’s nothing like it. It’s just all kinds of awesome.

9. Do you have rituals before playing a show?

One beer, one tequila shot, one fist bump.

10. What is your go to album when you need to feel inspired?

The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band