Band Of The Week #0089 - Gaffa Tape Sandy
This week's Band Of The Week is garage rockers Gaffa Tape Sandy, who have just released their sophomore EP 'Family Mammal' via indie label Alcopop! Records. The band took a moment to talk to us more about the EP, their love for dogs and why Piers Morgan needs to stop moaning about vegan sausage rolls.
What is a family mammal and why is it the name of your EP?
A beloved canine companion. A lifelong house compatriot. We’re really big fans of dogs. They represent love and strength in friendship. We think..
How long did it take to put it all together?
All in all, about two years. Which seems crazy. But we’ve been busy ok! We’ve all been studying, Catherine runs a clothing brand called “Pink Neck Collective”, Robin runs Tell Everyone Promotions, and Kim has been trying to convince people in studios that he knows what he’s doing.
Do you all contribute to song-writing?
Yeah, absolutely! We all love it. So it would be selfish if one of us was to dominate the process. Kim usually kicks it all off, but then the tender knives that are Catherine and Robin meticulously whittle it into shape. It’s really so similar to a wooden spoon building workshop.
Who’s the adorable kid that declares you make banging music, in the intro of ‘Beehive’?
That is the second born son of Seymour Quigley, Isaac Quigley. We wouldn’t be a band without that man and his wonderful family. He runs a promotion company in our hometown called Washing Machine, which has been the wind in our sails since the beginning. He was previously in the bands Miss Black America & Ten City Nation, and is currently in Horse Party, which Catherine also plays in.
What song was the most fun to record?
This is tough. We love recording as we’ve always had the pleasure of working with the handsome engineer and producer George Perks. But it’s gotta be ‘Headlights’! It came together so quick and felt so great to hear blaring out the studio monitors.
Is ‘My Desperate House’ a love song, or anti-love song?
It could be interpreted as both. We love the idea of people having their own subjective ways of listening to our songs. So make what you want of it! I think personally, it’s somewhere in between.
The off-set vocals in ‘Turnstile’ represent mood swings in such a great way. How do you choose who sings what?
It all comes out naturally when we write really. It’s really fun when songwriting to totally utilise having two voices, having them overlap, harmonise and play off one another. Failing that, we bare knuckle box for the funnest parts.
Is there a specific person who inspired ‘So Dry’?
Not a specific person - but a specific type of person. You know. Your average insufferable asshole!
‘Kill The Chord’ feels like a jam session that came about after a real-life conversation. Is there a story behind it?
It’s no more of a jam than the rest of our songs really, but there is definitely an element of recklessness to it. It was originally a song that Kim was going to sing, but the guitar parts are a little tricky and we loved the way Catherine sounded singing it.
You’ve often described your music as noisy – what’s your favourite noise?
Catherine - my cat purring
Kim - a Danelectro Fabtone guitar pedal running out of battery
Robin - One of those sticks that you move around and it goes "rurhhhhhh, ruuuuuuu, aruuuuuuu". I think it's called a groan tube or something.
If you could stick some gaffa tape over the mouth of any popular figure, who would it be and why?
Piers Morgan. So he could stop giving the Greggs vegan sausage rolls grief. They're lovely.
Feature created by Tyler Damara Kelly