Gravel Samwidge | Interview | Riding the Edge of Outsider Rock
Gravel Samwidge has always embraced an outsider rock sound, blending elements of rock ‘n’ roll, post-punk, noise rock, and psychedelia into a unique, discordant mix.
Inspired by bands like The Fall, Wire, and Australian acts like The Scientists and The Birthday Party, the band’s music explores the spaces between conventional notes, creating tones that fascinate and drive their creative process. Gravel Samwidge isn’t about to play it safe. They’re grinding out new tracks, plotting a national tour, and dreaming of crossing the ocean to wreck some eardrums overseas. The band’s songwriting process is organic, often sparked by a single riff or note that evolves into a full-fledged song, with lyrics that have grown from stream-of-consciousness to more deliberate expression. As they look to the future, Gravel Samwidge hopes to expand their reach, potentially collaborating with international labels and artists to bring their sound to new audiences.
“Outsider rock with a wicked twist in the tail!”
You just recently released a split 7″ vinyl release with The Art Gray Noizz Quintet from New York. How did the collaboration come together?
Mark Spinks: Well, the collaboration came about initially because I had been messaging Stu and Ryan from Art Gray on social media from time to time, and I was a big fan of Stu’s previous work in Lubricated Goat, Salamander Jim, and of course, Crunt. There was a bootleg going around of Lubricated Goat and Gravel Samwidge called Unskinned Goat that had Samwidge on one side and The Goat on the other. I came across it by chance when someone sent it to me, and I had spoken to Stu about it. Samwidge had just done a show with Mudhoney in Australia, and John from SoundPressing was in attendance as he had been putting out a few 7 inches of Aussie band Chimers, who also played the Mudhoney show. We got to talking about doing a release for Samwidge, and he suggested a split with a band we admire. So for us, The Art Gray Noizz Quintet was a no-brainer. I sent a message to Ryan Skeletonboy and Stu asking if they would be keen on the idea, and they very kindly accepted!
How did Gravel Samwidge originally form?
Myself and Paul Curran (Author of Left Hand and Generation Bloodbath) formed Samwidge in Sydney, Australia, many moons ago after being inspired by watching bands from the late great Black Eye Records scene that was smashing it on the underground scene at the time. Tex Perkins had bands like Thug and The Butcher Shop, Stu was doing Lubricated Goat (before he moved it to the States), Kim Salmon had moved back from London and had just released the first Surrealists record. Paul and I got together on guitars with Shaun Butcher (bass) and Jay Doherty (drums) from Nunbait, and we played our first show at a party where Monroes Fur was on the bill, which featured Paul Kidney (Southern Fried Kidneys and Paul Kidney Experience) and Guy Maddison, who was in The Goat at the time and later joined Mudhoney. They both really dug our sound, so the next weekend, we were playing with Lubricated Goat. It was a pretty hazy time, lots of lost weekends, so Myself, Paul, and Jay moved to Melbourne and were gigging with bands like Venom P Stinger (who ended up morphing into The Dirty Three) until Jay tragically passed away.
After a small hiatus, Paul and I reformed Samwidge with John McManus (drums) and Todd Pettit (bass), and we won Triple J Unearthed, which is a major radio station out in Australia, so we recorded 3 tracks with them that can be heard on our album Nonchalance.
After Triple J Unearthed, there was another Split EP that featured Trumans Water from San Francisco through Area 52 Records in London until I hooked up with Ashley Jenkins (bass) and Alex “Sleepy” Morrison (drums), and we released Nonchalance through Turkeyneck Records, followed by a number of releases like Trough (Long Gone Records) and Home Brand on Sydney’s Chemical Imbalance, and of course, the more recent vinyl releases through Swashbuckling Hobo Records!
We had also recorded a six-track EP in Townsville, QLD, with John on drums and Brent Summerton on bass, which really was the deep north swamplands of Queensland. Before that, myself and Paul recorded some songs on a Tascam eight-track with Hamish Bond from Hell Meat Loser / Lunarcide, but after Jay passed, we didn’t have our shit together to actually release it until it mysteriously ended up on the Unskinned Goat bootleg!
After Triple J Unearthed, there was another Split EP that featured Trumans Water from San Francisco through Area 52 Records in London until I hooked up with Ashley Jenkins (bass) and Alex “Sleepy” Morrison (drums), and we released Nonchalance through Turkeyneck Records, followed by a number of releases like Trough (Long Gone Records) and Home Brand on Sydney’s Chemical Imbalance, and of course, the more recent vinyl releases through Swashbuckling Hobo Records!
We had also recorded a six-track EP in Townsville, QLD, with John on drums and Brent Summerton on bass, which really was the deep north swamplands of Queensland. Before that, myself and Paul recorded some songs on a Tascam eight-track with Hamish Bond from Hell Meat Loser / Lunarcide, but after Jay passed, we didn’t have our shit together to actually release it until it mysteriously ended up on the Unskinned Goat bootleg!
What inspired the decision to collaborate with Stu Spasm and Skeleton Boy for this project?
The inspiration really came from the aforementioned bootleg. I had a number of peeps that really liked that release, and I think in the States, people may have even thought our songs on the bootleg were unreleased Lubricated Goat songs!
I don’t know how because, to me, there’s a clear, distinct difference, but hey, we’re chuffed that people thought we were Lubricated Goat!
I would say there’s your funny moment right there! It didn’t take long for Stu and Ryan to jump onboard the project, so we will always be grateful for that!
Can you share a funny or unexpected moment from your time spent convincing Stu Spasm and Skeleton Boy to join forces for the split 7” single?
I would say there’s your funny moment right there! It didn’t take long for Stu and Ryan to jump onboard the project, so we will always be grateful for that!
What was the recording process like for the tracks on the split 7” single?
Well, for Gravel Samwidge, it was just a matter of ringing up Sean “Dr. Rock” Tracey from Swashbuckling Hobo Records, who had released our last two vinyl ‘Complaints’ and ‘Medicinal Requirements.’ We went into his studio and performed them live straight to a 2-inch analog Studer A827 reel-to-reel tape. We added the vocals later, but the music was done live. Swashbuckling HQ is an amazing studio, all analog, and for the Art Gray Noizz Quintet, I believe it was recorded at Rich Hutchins’ Studio H in New York. Rich is the drummer in the Noizz Quintet and a member of Live Skull, but the process you will have to ask Art Gray themselves!
Can you tell us more about Mikey Young’s role in tidying up the masters for pressing? How did his involvement enhance the final product?
After both bands recorded the tracks, John from SoundPressing recommended Mikey Young as he seems to have an uncanny knack for understanding where the music comes from and adjusts accordingly. Mikey always gives the music a great lower end that really resonates on vinyl especially. Plus, it was also a no-brainer; we had used him before with our previous release on Swashbuckling Hobo Records, and SoundPressing had also used him before with the Chimers release, I believe.
Are there any specific influences from bands like Lubricated Goat, Tex Perkins Butcher Shop, Munroe’s Fur, King Snake Roost, and Kim Salmon & The Surrealists that are evident in the music on this split?
For Gravel Samwidge, I would have to say yes. My first experience watching Kim Salmon perform songs like “Human Jukebox” with the Scientists and then a track like “Bellyfull of Slugs” with The Surrealists was pivotal to my influences in Samwidge. My memory of watching Kim deconstruct songs the way he did fascinated me and opened my eyes to a whole new way of approaching music. Combined with enjoying Stu and Guy in Lubricated Goat, this led me to run with that idea in Gravel Samwidge until we pulverized it in the most uncompromising way possible!
How does this project fit into the broader trajectory of Gravel Samwidge’s artistic journey?
It’s a perfect fit, in my opinion. Gravel Samwidge have always been outsiders on the broader music scene in Australia. That may sound silly, but it’s the way I feel. Audiences in Australia really don’t know where to pigeonhole us, and as humans, we like to put things into boxes or categories.
It’s as though we have come full circle with The Art Gray Noizz Quintet, and Stu Spasm, in my opinion, is the ultimate outsider. No one sounds like Stu; his songwriting is unique, and I have also been told the same thing about my own songwriting. Does that sound silly? Probably. You hear this a lot with bands in interviews, but I really feel, and have been told by many people also, that if you hear a Gravel Samwidge song, you know it’s Samwidge—that we have our own sound. And it’s the same with Stu and The Art Gray Noizz Quintet! Unfortunately, that can be to your detriment at times, as a lot of people prefer the safe option with music, but hey, not everybody does!
In regards to the broader trajectory, the release fits in very well to the whole “bigger picture” of Gravel Samwidge and may give audiences who haven’t heard us a leg up, so to speak, on where we come from. And let’s face it, not many people have heard of us, but the ones that have always stand up and take notice, and that’s all you can ask for!
Is that also silly? Who knows…
How do you personally define the sound of Gravel Samwidge?
It’s outsider rock with a wicked twist in the tail! Well, at least that’s what we have been told. I think there are elements of rock ‘n’ roll combined with a heavy dose of post-punk, noise rock, and a smattering of psychedelia in there as well!
It’s very discordant, I would say, and I think that’s the interest I have in the sounds you can hear in between the right notes, those spaces that are not explored as much in music. There’s a tone that you hear when you find that note or an off-chord, and it fascinates me. I like to explore that tone and sometimes drive it into the ground if possible on some songs… not every song…
Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Do you have any rituals or routines that help spark creativity?
It’s pretty straightforward. I just grab a guitar and attempt to play, and like I mentioned in the previous question, if I hear a riff or note that may suddenly pop out, I will go back and explore that riff and try to repeat it. The music always comes first, and the lyrics sometimes would be stream-of-consciousness stuff, but nowadays, not so much. The great thing for me is I have been playing with Ashley and Sleepy for a long time now, and we have added Declan Bradbury on bass from Bin Licker, with Ash moving to 2nd guitar. So now Ash is coming up with great songs too, and Sleepy and I have always worked well together songwriting-wise. Alex is probably the “musician” in the band; he can pretty much pick any instrument up and start mastering it… I could only be so lucky…
What’s next for Gravel Samwidge after this release? Any upcoming projects or collaborations on the horizon?
We head out on a national tour in Australia to launch the split soon, and we are starting to record a new album as I write this to hopefully keep up the momentum after The Art Gray Noizz Quintet release. I have asked Stu as well whether he will guest on a Gravel Samwidge song, which he kindly said he would, so hopefully that’s also in the pipeline if we can work out the logistics. It’s not easy when you are based on the other side of the world! It can be difficult for independent Australian bands to get your stuff out there; it’s not exactly a country with a large population! So yeah, we are hoping to have a new full-length album ready by the end of the year or earlier if possible, and if we can land a deal through a United States or European label, that would help!
Let’s end this interview with some of your favorite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?
If you like Gravel Samwidge, I would also recommend Mark’s Paranormal Dysneyland, which is my solo outfit. It’s probably more nuanced than Samwidge. The first album came out through Eternal Soundcheck, which is Matt K from Kitchen’s Floor label. Matt also guests with Samwidge on some recordings. The Floor has a new album out, ‘Haunted,’ through Petty Bunco in the States. I would definitely recommend that. Plus, Mark’s Paranormal Dysneyland has a follow-up album done and dusted, which features former Laughing Clown Bob Farrell and singer/songwriter Michael Plater. It was mastered by Fabian Tormin in Hamburg, who has done The Kills, Lee Ranaldo, Kurt Vile, and many others, and is due to be released on a new label in Australia, No No Records! Here’s a link to the first album!
I’m a huge fan also of the post-punk period in England, bands like The Fall, Wire, PIL, The Pop Group, and of course, Australian acts like The Scientists and The Birthday Party. Favorite albums that come to mind are ‘Hex Enduction Hour’ or maybe ‘Light User Syndrome’ by The Fall, ‘Blood Red River’ – The Scientists, ‘Hit Me With The Surreal Feel’ – Kim Salmon & The Surrealists, ‘Plays The Devil’s Music’ – Lubricated Goat, ‘Junkyard’ – The Birthday Party, ‘Nadir’s Big Chance’ – Peter Hammill, ‘Godbluff’ – Van Der Graaf Generator, ‘Send’ – Wire, and another great album that comes to mind would be ‘Brut’ by Gentle Ben & His Shimmering Hands, which is out through Beast Records in France!
Thank you. Last word is yours.
Hopefully, we will make it overseas to tour; it’s way, way, way overdue, but it’s not easy, especially after COVID and all the ramifications that come with that. And remember, Gravel Samwidge play music on land where sovereignty was never ceded, and we acknowledge the original custodians of the land!
Klemen Breznikar
Gravel Samwidge Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp
Mark’s Paranormal Dysneyland Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
