Introducing #0078 - Gaffa Tape Sandy
Let us introduce you to Gaffa Tape Sandy, the newest signing to Alcopop! Records. This week they released their single ‘Headlights’, the first taster from the EP that is due out this summer. We had a chat with them about their hometown Bury St Edmunds, dance moves and their new track.
You are from Bury St Edmunds, where is your favorite place to go for a pint there?
The places we like to go for a drink in Bury are all in pretty close proximity to one another; there’s the Hunter Club, which is essentially our place of musical birth, and a fantastic place to go for a pint, or see some bands, or neck a vimto. Then there’s The Masons Arms and Oakes Barn a few strolls away, which are homely and bucolic old pubs with old men in the corners and dogs wandering around at your feet.
Your new single ‘Headlights’, has a unique blend of rock and roll with a hint of Garage, if you were to name a dance move to go with it, what would you call it? And what would the moves be?
I think it would be called the “Help me Help Me” and it would involve just SO much crying. Then laughing. I’d ideally like it to be just a cathartic explosion of limbs. But I’m happy for people to interpret it their own way.
The track is produced by George Perks, how did that partnership come about?
George is the best. Everything we’ve ever released has been recorded by him, so he really understands what we’re looking for and how we want to sound and come across. We met him when he was playing in bands around Bury St Edmunds, before people realised he was a genius, and we did our first ever demos with him not long after. He’s a talented producer and engineer, and we love him. He is so handsome.
What is the inspiration behind ‘Headlights’?
It's inspired by the urgent need to talk about mental health and how we’re all doing. It's so important, and sometimes it can be really hard, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t experienced difficulties in discussing their emotions. I suppose Headlights was written as a response to that difficulty, and if this song starts one positive conversation about mental health then I’d be happy.
Now the track is out there, what are your plans for the next few months?
Recently we’ve been working with the lovely lovely people over at Alcopop! Records. They’re a great bunch who have worked with loads of bands that we love, (such as Get Inuit, Art Brut, Peaness, Hellogoodbye, Tellison, DZ Deathrays, and so on) so we're extremely excited and lucky to be putting an EP out with them later this year. We're just in the middle of finishing off the last couple of tracks and then we're all good to go.
As well that, we’ll be playing at a load of really great festivals such as Washed Out, The Great Escape, Truck, and a few more still to be announced. So come say hi!