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Joey.
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Joey got his way, didn't he?
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Hey, Joey got his Joey got his techno record.
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[laughter] >> Joey finally got his techno record.
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>> Talking about it for for years, but now but then when it came to the crunch, I didn't have to do any convincing.
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He was the He was the man who was ready.
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>> All you had to do was just turn on that old school analog synth and he was hooked. >> We met there. We met.
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We met at the right moment in time.
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>> I feel like we need to do this more than every 10 years.
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It's been like eight, nine years since I think since I've seen you guys. It's been a while.
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>> I came here with with Eric. Although it wasn't here.
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It was at your old place.
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There's the old place around the corner.
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>> I remember it was for Fishing for Fishy. So that was 20. >> It was album 17.
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You've made 11 since then.
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I think >> similar to this new record 18 2018 >> 2018 around that time. Yeah. Yeah.
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Was good to see you again, Jen.
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Thanks for making the effort.
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I know you just got off a plane and >> um I promise to be as kind as humanly possible. How could I not? Um shit's banging, man. >> Thank you.
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>> You know, you know what you've made is is going to raise some eyebrows for people, but I don't feel like there's any How do you put King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in a box anyway? I don't understand. >> Yeah.
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I mean, I think to me it's like like obviously we're in like we're so fortunate being like having kind of settled where we where we have. >> Yeah.
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>> Um >> in terms of like just kind of like our thing is just like doing anything we want kind of doing [clears throat] like polar jumping jumping around. >> Yeah.
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>> And like you know and that's the thing as well.
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It's like if we did the same thing twice then that's when we'd probably I mean we kind of do I guess sometimes we like we but we'll revisit like a certain area but like doing it's it's cool to be like let's see and like satisfy what's the most exciting. >> It's curiosity too.
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Isn't it curiosity that's ultimately driving it?
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>> We're also just mostly trying to impress each other I think. >> Yeah. which is nice.
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And I think that's some of the um circularness of Gears comes from that because ultimately there's just the six of us uh as this sort of little spider trying to be one organism and be happy as a unit which is which is like hard a lot of the time.
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So we do >> end up with these um I think some of the stuff that makes us us or everything that makes us us comes down to that I think.
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And that's the trick, you think, to staying together as ultimate, apart from hard work and and commitment is is finding the thing that gets people to go like, "Holy shit."
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Like, "Fuck, I'm willing to extend myself because you just did something that's kind of it's undeniably cool what you just did."
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Cuz this is this is this is to me, I think, what what probably start this record, right?
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Is like >> I may not know how to relate to that instrument yet, >> but I can't deny it sounds rad. >> Cheers.
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We Yeah, we made this record a lot of times actually.
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>> Um, so I don't we we we've never scrapped so much material as we have for this record.
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We've never >> Why do you think that was?
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>> Because I think that we had um we had a a broad sketch or a broad idea of what we wanted to do, but it wasn't as honed in as maybe we thought it was.
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And we just kept making music that wasn't hitting the pleasure button.
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And I think that maybe we thought that that um was something that maybe we'd be able to fandangle a little a little easier.
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Part of the thing as well is like it's the first which is also just part of like we just try and satisfy like some like try and kind of manifest challenges that for for for ourselves and I think like this stuff and I guess like our little sojour into electronic stuff is the first time we've had to like we've been confronted with gear like like that and having to interface with that and I think that was the thing.
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So, we had kind of grand plans at the start, like naively, and then we just like sit down to make and we're just like, "What the fuck?"
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>> There's a reason why these there's a reason why these instruments sit in people's studios and get and get noodled with for years before. >> Yeah, that's true.
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>> You know, and you never feel like you actually get on top of them.
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I mean, talk to Tom and Ed about this.
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I mean, there's a reason they record 10 hours, 11 hours of them just working these things. >> We did that.
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We did that a lot of days.
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So improv, you can't program these machines the way you have to like break them to like kind of work out like to extract like the good really, you know.
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>> And I think the word was like >> development.
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In hindsight, the album needed a lot of development >> and a lot of it was just like figuring out how to do stuff cuz every other record that we've ever made, even the ones that have been um what we would call as electronic, I suppose, we we're still recording like it's the 1970s. Yeah.
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And so I I don't know that's just the way like we learned how to make music together.
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>> You're making whatever the progression is fit into an existing architecture.
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Whereas this is an architecture to to lean in and make the music you've made, >> which has to if you're going to do it and release it.
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>> It has to be that Giz's best shot at standing next to those records that inspired it.
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You can't have a go and then put it out.
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It's got to be as authentic as you can be. Takes time, right? takes life.
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>> I kind of think you can have a go and put it out to be honest.
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I kind of do have that philosophy with music actually >> cuz I think it's really hard to know what >> dance music is tricky. I'm going to say that.
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I think it's >> I definitely agree. >> I think it's tricky.
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>> Joe doesn't agree with me necessarily, but this is why we have music.
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It's hard to know what's going to resonate people so with with people.
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So, I don't tend to try very hard actually.
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Something that I've learned a little bit along the way is not to sweat too much about that >> and just to go with your instinct of what you like.
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Actually, that's a very corny thing to say.
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I think it's easier to say than to do as well.
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So, I try to remind myself of that.
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>> I think it's easy to have that perspective when you're coming into this world with a very open curiosity of what's possible.
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But I think if you've existed in it, like Joey has and I have and other people have, >> you can't help sort of be intimidated by the steps that have been taken before you.
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And that's what's beautiful about this is that there's balance clearly between the two of you, which is like you're trying to get it to sound as authentic to what you I'm trying to like give it context, you know, and like but then at the same time like >> you know like not just be like we're making a you know what I mean?
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And like and obviously it's the record goes to a whole bunch of different places and like it has tropes but also I think the beauty of it is that like you know where me and Steu meet it's like it still has this giz like there's some spirit that's gized in there which I think is um we don't I don't really know how we we what is happening there but it it's there. So, it's cool.
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Like, I feel like if I attempted to make something like this by myself, maybe I would have been like been able to kind of like just be more, >> you know, like just tunnel vision would have been Yeah.
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You would be way more obsessed with fitting into the box, which is what Ste's saying.
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It's not going to you're not going to do it anyway.
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>> If I tried to do it by myself, it would have been way as well.
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[laughter] So, it's it's good that we we make music.
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>> I love our relationship, >> man.
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King Gizzard and the lizard wizard. The gizzard back.
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Uh this brand new album which is called Alien Metal.
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Um, and the cover and everything about it is is great.
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We got to honor the artwork cuz it's kind of beautiful.
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And I mean, you look at it from a distance and think like, wow, what is that heap and sort of molten mess of, but then you look at the eyes and it's pure love. >> Yeah, it's good.
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Our our boy Jace, who does all our record covers, but that is he like like we're kind of taking a bit of a quiet year off the road, but his kind of pro like at home project was buying a 3D printer.
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So, that's like a 3D print.
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That's a photo of >> That's a photo as well.
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And and the sculpture is about like a meter squared. >> Wow.
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>> It's actually massive.
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>> He actually finished this like we were still working on the record and he finished this like quite a long time before the record finished, which doesn't usually happen.
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>> And so the last like couple of months of us trying to finish it, like we had this sculpture. >> Yeah.
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We had this joke that we were trying to make the record as good as the cover. True.
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>> This cover was like it's it's kind of like intimidating actually.
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Yeah, >> it isn't until you look at the eyes.
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I don't know something about the eyes.
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I just think of my little puppy.
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There's some life there for sure.
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I mean, it's like to me it says like, you know what's not I didn't ask to look like this. >> Yeah. Yeah.
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[laughter] >> You know, >> but Juicy Jay, he's the he's the best.
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He's done like all the covers for us. We are. Yeah.
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>> That's cool that you actually had something to inspire you to as opposed to the artist being inspired by the body of music, which to your point is always the order of things.
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the order of things. It usually happens to some degree though with almost every album there is some kind of like he's named a couple of King Gear records >> and there there always is a back and back and forward and there is like a a
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two-way thing happening to varying degrees and I think with this as well like him finish finishing before we did maybe had something to do with about like how many iterations and cutting room cutting room floor versions of this record there was. So there was like, you
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So there was like, you know, we have like countless Soundcloud playlists that we just on our private little thing.
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>> I'm really interested about the context and perspective of music that you leave behind and then go back and revisit.
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I always go back kinder and happier than I did when I left behind.
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Almost always like your brain tricks you into like what the was I thinking.
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It's actually good, you know.
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But um it must have been nice, you know, to have somebody show up and and and kind of take all of this confusion about is this done? Is it not done? Do we start again? Do we scrap it? What do we do?
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and say, "Guys, I'm I need to be paid. I've made the album."
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[laughter] It's like, it's legit. >> What's the thing?
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It's like an album's never finished.
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It's just abandoned or whatever.
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Yeah, >> that's the >> You've um you know, you've been working with this artist, Juicy J, you called him, for a long time.
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Um and that speaks to the um the way that you move.
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You know, you've always really surrounded each other and supported each other and brought people in purposefully, you know, a speed dating kind of band.
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Um, so who was who's the person who is the newest person that's part of the the King Giz family?
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Like like I in my mind everybody goes back to day one or nears.
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It's it's so it's actually so small.
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>> Like we when we make records together, it's still just whether it's this, you know, this one that we made in a um much more [clears throat] modern fashion with a bit more equipment and all that.
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It's still just like us like sitting on like plastic chairs on a bolt out.
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>> We're still using cookies 2000 mbox from 2009 one channeling, >> you know.
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[laughter] It's it's actually the spirit is exactly the same. >> Throwback. Yeah.
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>> No, but I was weirdly thinking about this.
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It's just like, you know, we still are like the exact same kind of like that that garage band mentality like in terms of just like how the how we function.
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>> It's still like the exact same like since from kind of day dot obviously now we're just making like funny electronic music at the moment, >> but like you know what I mean?
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It's just still just like in every it it always just comes down to just like the the most kind of smallest little kind of thing and like such an intimate space.
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And then yeah, it's just like I guess there's a kind of a stew like ethic, but just like having the least amount of kind of gear or equipment in your way bar this record, but like in terms of the in the recording process to like don't we just like don't bog ourselves down with we're not hitting snares for >> So how hard how much hard work is that to actually keep it small?
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to actually keep it small? And I can frame that e a little bit more like you know people think oh with success you know you add loads of people add loads of people and that creates all these problems actually the more successful
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you become the bigger the places you play you play big places you headline festivals you I mean you make you know at what you called funny electronic records but big deals to people >> how hard is it >> the tour thing is like an like a slick operation with amazing people. So what
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So what are you looking for when you bring people into the extended in the extended ecosystem?
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You know, if >> I feel like there's like a there's like a weird kind of magnetism like it, you know, like I feel like honestly Yeah.
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in the studio it's like there's it's still like fairly similar to what it always was just like this the six of us and whatever.
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But like yeah, if it's on the road for like it might be like oh we need [clears throat] X person for X job and [snorts] it'll be like oh like someone like one of the crew cuz you know our crew is kind of all from all over the world but it like oh my my buddy like is going to come and do this show >> [snorts] >> um do lights and then they you meet them on tour and then like literally they become our best friend and like that's the kind of thing.
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So it's like um yeah, so it's it's still I mean still relatively small operation on the road, but um yeah, it's it's good.
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>> It's a slick operation though.
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Our studio operation is not slick.
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It's very messy and like random and bizarre.
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>> We just moved into a new studio.
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>> The first couple of days or weeks are probably pretty dramatic, right?
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Because even just the shift of environment into a new space is like [snorts] >> Well, yeah. like this.
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The new spot's like it's it's a lot it's a lot slicker, but it's still like, you know, it's >> Oh, so it's a lot slicker.
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It's not a little bit slick.
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>> Well, no, but you have to hear how what the what the old place was like.
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It was literally a squat. Like it was so rank.
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It was like which is cool like you know, but it did get a little little old like we just like had like you know rain like falling on your modular rats >> and rats and >> Yeah.
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Ste just got wistful when he thought about the rats.
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He just disappeared back into rats >> and the rats.
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He just looked off into the distance and was like, "I miss the rats."
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I feel like Stu, you're losing grip on this band.
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You need to get a grip, man.
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You know, you've moved into a nice studio.
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You're making techno records.
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What the >> What the >> Who [laughter] are you, man?
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>> I don't even know anymore.
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>> I wondered about that balance between keeping it loose and keeping it intimate between the just the six of you in the in the studio making this music versus what's required to to to create, you know, an incorporated experience.
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That's what touring really is.
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You have to hire people, pay people, it's a business.
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And and how you've adapted to that or whether it just happened organically, if anything, is your relationship.
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What how does ambition and that can seem like a dirty word, but goal driven, you know, goals, whatever.
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Does it ever play a role in decision- making or planning? >> Ambition's cool.
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I think I'm >> It's like >> it's like work and the good work, I think, is the way I think of it.
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And if you can find the good work to do all the time, then you I think you can live a pretty happy life.
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>> And do you feel happy? >> I for sure.
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I feel like I have more work than I have time to do. >> That's great.
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>> And that's I think it's actually a good feeling.
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>> But let's go back to the beginning, right, and talk about what that spark was for each of you.
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Um >> I'd like to know, Joey, you know, where where music showed up for you and it was yours.
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It didn't belong to your parents or your siblings or your mates.
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It was it was your discovery.
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That was your your first t-shirt.
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Like music was big in my house, but my parents weren't musicians.
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But yeah, I feel like >> what did they listen to? What was their vibe?
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>> Oh, like like, you know, when I was like like 2 years old.
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I remember like there was when I was like 9 years old, they had this like Dr.
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John record like from like but like 2002 Dr. John.
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Um, and they just like obliterated it.
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So, like they played it so much that I just like one day when they're at work, I just went outside and just scratched it along the gravel in the driveway [laughter] and then put it back in the CD and said [screaming] blamed on my sister.
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>> Um, [laughter] so that that was I actually don't blame you, dude.
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Dude, I mean that is a like I and God go [laughter] God bless your parents but that's a spooky childhood if you're growing up listening to the music and it's beautiful music but it requires a bit of maturity to understand otherwise that cord change is weird.
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>> All I wanted was just mud vein and some corn some beers but yeah no I feel like >> daddy frown upon that he was like WE ARE NOT PUTTING LIP BISCUIT ON IN THIS CAR.
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YEAH, he [laughter] was he wasn't huge on Fred, but he's he's into him now.
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>> Like we all grow into Fred, mate.
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Once you realize they're not going away and the band actually sm you're like, you know what, they're sick. >> Yeah, absolutely.
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>> We went on tour with Limp Biscuit once or sort of.
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We were did La Palooa with them on the same plane as them every day. >> Yeah. Fully sitting.
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We was in South America and we're like, you know, you're like all the the carriers are like they're budget.
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Like we were doing like Buenoseries to like Bogatar and like on a like that much leg room and like Fred Durst sitting in like row 55 zed and just I was like sick.
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This is what people don't actually don't ever talk about um is the fact that you know you think okay rolling money you know chocolate starfish money this guy's hasn't sat upright on a plane for 30 years but it's it's >> slum it with with us >> it comes down to territory and what and how are you going to get there and and
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what that says is that no matter how rich or successful somebody is if they got their together the show comes first doesn't matter >> but they were really like great people like thoughtful interesting people which was really cool But >> yeah, do you know how you know how you know that? Cuz when you see Lisa, it
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Cuz when you see Lisa, it doesn't matter where they play. It could be an arena.
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It could be like at 5:00 p. m.
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on Sunday at at their 60th festival of the year.
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>> They always sound impeccable. >> True. Fully.
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>> That's how you know their crew is into it cuz they show up for work and put their [clears throat] best into it.
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Back to your question, I feel like weirdly the first thing that comes to mind where like I feel like something that like actually like changed the kind of like my pathology musically when I was really young was straight up like like Prodigy, Fat of the Land.
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Like I that when they came out in 97, I would have been nine.
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[snorts] And there's a there's a really great I mean you're Kiwi you know Rage the it's like a kind of on the public broadcaster thing.
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It's like a video clips show very seinal important show. um for a lot of people.
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But yeah, I remember just like seeing the video clip to Breathe and I was like the >> Yeah, I remember my family ever just seeing them live for the first time at the Big Day Out and that album hadn't even come out yet, but they had a couple out.
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They had Funky and they had like Fire Start and Breathe Out and they came out and a dude.
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I will never forget it, man.
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Because it was like Auckland that day.
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>> 60,000 people that day were introduced to Subbase.
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I go back to like like often even sometimes in green rooms like just to get hyped up but like some of those early like you know I think it's like like Phoenix festival or some and it's like a Prodigy 96 live when they had the extra dancer guy >> and like the the amount of electricity. Yeah.
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Leroy like in like how like explosive and volatile the energy is is just insane.
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I mean, talk to Dave Gro, any of those guys about what it was like trying to get the Foo Fighters off the ground in the late 90s to a stadium when they had to go on after >> after like that >> Prodigy >> cuz they're like our bass like Nate's an amazing bass player, but he's just not going to add up to Liam Howlet's [laughter] productions, you know?
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It's like boom and the stadium just reverberates through the back.
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It just changed everything at that time. Changed everything.
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Which brings us to this new album, Alien Metal, and how um you know, the band um has found themselves um making music that that really pays respect to those times and adds your own unique flavor to that and and we have to pay respect to is it Nathan? >> Nathan. Yeah. Yeah.
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>> Why not name your instruments?
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I mean, you know, Lucille, man, >> let's let's talk a little bit about Nathan.
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Nathan. how Nathan became a member of the band because and this is going to we got to really suspend any >> bear with us >> fears here like that we know we've lost our like these instruments are alive >> definitely >> they are they are communicating at all times it's just whether or not you open
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the door by turning it up and listen to what they're saying they are on >> right >> yeah fully we we spent a long time trying to figure out how to make our like uh we're on Eurorack is the format since and it's like the patch cables on the outside synthesizer guts >> cut kind of kind of thing. And we spent
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And we spent a long time trying to figure out how to get >> five of them to five sort of like um separate systems to to actually communicate with each other effectively cuz you're essentially passing voltage around [snorts] >> and uh there's like so many reasons and so many um there's so many problems you can encounter along the way.
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So troubleshooting can be hard.
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And we we also started off with uh one of those kind of like tables that you find in a morg that's like um metal [laughter] >> and I think it was conductive.
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>> So we we were having some problems to do with that.
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But um it is alive like this is this sort of five five sort of system um >> standalone kind of yeah like machines.
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It's actually totally alive and all sort of five of our setups are kind of worked individually, but we all affect each other as well.
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>> And each and each one is kind of like, you know, like it's it's you build it all kind of configure it in in the way any way you want.
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So, I mean, like that's another another challenge as well is just like work like it's one thing to get it to work, but then the other thing is to like work out like where everyone fits in to that and like how the dynamic kind of I guess operates within this within the space and like not stepping on each other's toes, you know, and it's still like completely ongoing in terms of us like working through that.
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Well, because to your point, I mean, you are in charge of a station.
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It's trying to play a role the way you would with your instrument under regular circumstances, which after years of the playing and practicing and being in shows or whatever, you're like, I kind of >> I got some dynamic control here.
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[snorts] >> You know, you you can't dynamically control these things.
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It's like sometimes they'll just scream at you. Mhm.
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Well, you kind of you kind of can if you know your setup well enough like over over time, but there is quite a lot of elements of um >> it's it's electricity.
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It's like it's it's >> shorting out and surging and all kinds of crazy stuff.
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>> Um and we we have like learned how to improvise together with guitars and with instruments like that.
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And I feel like we have kind of worked out this um um telepathic or not telepath it's it's a it's a spir spiritual sort of like connection that is really hard to explain to to anybody else and we can do this beautiful thing together easily now over these years.
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That's it's just the thing that happens to anyone if you play music together.
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That's an interesting observation though because a lot of people look at the chemistry people have on a stage and yes it's personal and it's human but also it's in relation to the relationship of instruments and the way that you play.
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What you're saying is it's actually not that.
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It's the it's the group of people because it's the same language regardless of the tool. >> Yeah.
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>> Yeah. I think chemistry is the right word actually and I've I've kind of thought about this a fair bit because and especially relating to this project because um we all all of the things that we have learned to do with each other or a lot of the things that we've learned
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to do with each other and a lot of the directions that we follow and a lot of the cues and leads that I'll that I would pick up from Joe or he might pick up from me or with any of any of the guys some of them don't work in this format and to like a large degree. All the records
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All the records that we've made have followed these instincts that we have that are not to do with us as individuals.
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It's us as some kind of chemistry combination. Yeah.
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So, you know, when Joe and I make something together, we have this we we make this chemical like, you know, that's different to the way that Cavs and I interact or that Cavs and Joe interact for instance or Lucas and Ambrose or whatever.
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So you end up with these quite complex little um molecules to follow the to follow the analogy through.
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But um yeah, a lot of those um instincts don't work as well with this kind of music and that was something to learn.
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>> You've named this this you know body of electricity and energy and music and math magic and math.
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Um because it because that maybe that's why maybe because you've actually you've got a new member of the band.
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I think the chemistry has changed a little and I think it does change over over time naturally as well as you become a different person naturally over time as well.
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But this is >> it's it's like playing with each other and also playing with this new >> guy.
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[laughter] So fun >> this new this new dude.
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I mean, I know it was a lot to make and and it and you know, um that many versions of a record doesn't doesn't bode well for mental health [laughter] after a while, but man, when you listen to it, you can you really did land it.
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I wanted to talk about the the the rhythmic aspects of it.
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I mean, it's all rhythmic, but you know, in particular the drums because I I really assumed that you leaned into programming on those because it's just so fast and there's so much going on. It's so qbase for me.
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>> Um but that's not the case.
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I mean, we're talking about a better drum kit. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah.
24:43
Like, um, for for Level Five in particular. >> Um, yeah.
24:48
Uh, Cavs drummer just kind of just has like a e kit, drum kit thing.
24:54
And I feel like honestly there was like same like early iterations of a lot of these songs.
25:02
Um, like I think there was kind of like a placeholder like maybe last year like Cavs like in between tours like recorded like a kind of like a sample pack like just for us for us, right?
25:11
Like that we could just like kind of to like just exchange within in our little network to if we're making demos or whatever, but >> you made it on the record. >> Yeah.
25:21
>> But that that's what the drums were in level five, but it just wasn't hitting.
25:24
And then we're just like, it.
25:25
>> He needs to call Massive so he can get his drum pack put on sale for 30 USD.
25:27
I need those bloody splice credits, baby.
25:32
>> Oh [laughter] >> No >> Um, but yeah, so that was a thing.
25:34
I was like, okay, like I think we just need he needs to like, you know, I think we really also really wanted we wanted to keep this album like digital like for in the kind of broad sense like, you know, even the commitment to only having like vocoded like there was many a time when we were like let's just like, you know, like let's just sing and stuff.
25:57
But I think that's just part of that thing with gears.
25:58
It's like no it's like commit like kind of create the parameter and then you can see the end and then >> sometimes it forces you to do something that you are not sure about but follow it actually all the way% follow it all the way through.
26:14
>> Limitation limitation creates commitment. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
26:17
We we've always we we've figured that one out early for some reason.
26:18
I'm not sure why >> early formula.
26:22
>> Um but yeah, no for level five. Yeah.
26:22
So Cavs just played on his E kit and I kind of like I could just talking about Prodigy but I could hear like that kind of like >> big beat kind of breaky aiming type thing. Yeah.
26:32
And I just kind of like built uh like uh layered a bunch of kind of a things like uh drum samples together >> and yeah just kind of loaded loaded actually. Yeah.
26:42
He played the kit and it was just and then he gave me all the MIDI which was also insane. Yeah. And then just built it. >> Um and it just Yeah. slams. >> Slams man.
26:51
And I mean, amazing job programming that kit, too, because the thing about the aiming brake that's so unique is it's not actually about the kick and the snare and the hats or whatever.
26:57
It's the crashes and the rides that are washing it out the whole time and almost creating a natural side chain.
27:02
So, it's like, you know, it naturally makes your body move differently than a than a than a fastpaced break.
27:07
And it's like, you know, you try to we try I mean, I feel like I was like, oh, let's like we were kind of messing around with different like samples or like kind of building the drum kit in like a certain way, but it just like you just can't we just couldn't like it couldn't not be a version of the aim and break. You know what I mean?
27:22
>> Because it was recorded in a room in one day and it was magical.
27:24
Someone captured something magical that we've been trying to that we've been interpreting and sampling ever since.
27:30
>> That one singular moment.
27:30
What was the moment on this record that for you Steu was the most joyous moment when you captured something that ended up making on the record that was like an aim and break moment where I was like we nailed that that was beautiful.
27:42
I mean, one interesting thing about this record is that um this was early earlier on in the process and we'd been making we'd been doing the thing that you were talking about before where we would record all day, record everything and try our best to catalog it and give all these little takes, you know, whatever silly names and add them to a playlist.
28:02
to a playlist. and we were kind of just in that process of [sighs and gasps] developing but with quite an open mind and we've made records like that before that have started like that and naturally coalesed >> as we've figured out what the concept is and we've just given it enough um >> work out what it isn't >> yeah work out what it isn't I suppose and yeah we actually made quite a few records that have that have started like that and this one
28:29
>> we were having a harder time like that I suppose And there's probably a ton of ton of reasons for that, but we had this one session where Joe and I stayed later and it was just the two of us and Nathan and we uh we recorded kind of like a
28:47
little bit later into the night and it might have been a 90minute stretch or a 2-hour stretch or something like that which was sort of which was uh we didn't we barely even stopped and looked up at each other. we just played and it was I
28:57
each other. we just played and it was I remember that it was 143 beats per minute in F and it was kind of had this like quite hypnotic flowy flowy thing and we cataloged it and listened back you know the next day or a couple days later and it and it was like this is
29:16
special like this has this kind of quite rare sort of um chemistry and it was ultra ultra raw though but there was that was the thing there was like a kind of just little spark or something there that was like it there the the foundation if if there was anything was energy. >> Did it make it on the record?
29:32
>> Did it make it on the record?
29:34
>> Well, we actually thought I wasn't sure whether this might be um a shorter kind of project to um maybe just get us started.
29:43
Like I wanted to get some runs on the board, so >> to speak.
29:46
>> And so I just pitched this idea to the others about what if we just break this jam into, you know, I don't know, eight 10 parts or something like that.
29:53
It felt like it had these distinct sections that maybe carried on for 10 minutes or so each part.
29:57
And we've sort of finished it or just added some extra production elements and let's just let's just put that out as like an experiment and that will kind of help us to finish because we're not finishing stuff at the moment.
30:10
And so we broke the the the jam into all these parts.
30:17
And I think there was nine and and and uh we cut one and the other eight uh is this record.
30:27
>> So the which is why the whole album is the same tempo in the same the same key.
30:32
>> You have to go through all of that to do it in 90 minutes flat late at night.
30:36
I I will I will at some point like put that jam like that unedited kind of like jam up online cuz I think >> there is something quite >> cool for us in hindsight.
30:45
That's quite interesting to listen back to >> and it's cool to hear like you know because it is like like we've we've we developed it like significantly like what the record is but it is so interesting to hear this like completely like kind of like primordial like and you hear you hear you hear elements of what become the songs on the album in throughout this whole thing but it's just like I don't know.
31:06
Yeah, it's going to be interesting.
31:08
It's going to be cool to to have the to to kind of AB that, you know, like and and for people like fans to AB it as well be like, "Oh, that's interesting to see how you get today."
31:17
>> And by the way, I thought maybe we would like develop it for a month and then and put it out, but this was like a year ago or more. I don't know.
31:25
>> But but but I mean, what a beautiful thing to have something that you know is the is the foundation or the um the architecture of this record and then cuz I think that's the most fun part.
31:35
Like I make music, but I just love to go in there and I record a ton of get the basis of the song, figure it out, and then record 600 guitar parts.
31:40
And then I go on a plane and that's what I do on my plane, right, is I arrange. And I love arranging.
31:51
>> That's the fun It's like that's the most private, beautiful, creative thing you can do.
31:54
So I can see why it took a year cuz why wouldn't you explore all options? >> Yeah.
32:00
>> Now you've cracked it.
32:01
>> We didn't know that the record would be this at that point.
32:03
M >> so it was it was nice to just um have like a canvas to paint on and I maybe maybe no painter knows when the canvas is is done but we we did have like the we we had the sort of base layer there and we just probably kept going on it longer than I thought.
32:22
longer than I thought. Maybe Joe always thought that this was how far we would kind of like >> I think that was a thing as well cuz it was like you know back to Stu and I's relationship especially with something like this but like you know maybe he my
32:36
vision for it was slightly different because like you know it's sick that we're just like acting and like on this on this like just the pure fun and like you know just like kind of naivity of like us doing this together in the in the context of King Gizard. But like I
32:50
But like I guess yesterday was like, "Oh, cool.
32:54
Like this will be this thing that's like raw and blah blah blah."
32:55
But I guess bringing it back to where we were going before, it was like it kind of we kind of have to like if we're going to do it, it wants more. >> It wants more.
33:04
>> It can't just be thrown out there.
33:04
I mean, it could be, >> but I I just felt like it just like it's >> we didn't want to be I didn't want to be like I didn't want it to be like us just being tourists and like dropping.
33:16
>> It's not honor and and I use this word really deliberately.
33:18
It's not honorable in the sense that, you know, people aren't, you're not going to honor it and play it live or tour it or bring it to life.
33:23
People aren't going to honor it by coming and exposing themselves this new thing to see if they dig it or there's no there's no tangible relationship in it just being a fuckound. >> Mm- No.
33:31
And I would not have wanted that either.
33:34
Like whenever we do um try to uh >> um I guess challenge ourselves with something, it's always done with love and respect.
33:48
And it's um it comes from like a personal place of um curiosity and from and from just love of music. >> Totally.
33:56
>> So there is but there is there is a back and forth there that we we we challenge each other to see what we can kind of get away with that still feels in the spirit of what we're trying to do and what the is the purpose of music and genre and what is it for and what does it mean?
34:16
Well, you just said it before.
34:17
There's I mean there's got to be a deep curiosity there to want to explore things that you're interested in and then like what is my taste when it meets that >> and how it has become my version of that based through my taste and the taste profile of the band and what you actually love. Right. Which is right here. I love it.
34:30
It blew my mind when I pressed play on it and I was hearing you wrestle with this with this machinery and I was like, "Wow, this has been a real battle in a great way.
34:40
It doesn't sound like it came easy at all.
34:41
It doesn't sound like you know you It's definitely not AI." [laughter] >> Yeah. It's definitely not.
34:45
Although in a weird way, it kind of is the precursor to AI in a sense because it is it does have ideas for you.
34:51
It does present music to you and asks you how much you want to make it your own, how much you just want to let it be.
34:58
>> And also like participating in music is is what it is all about as well. >> Yeah.
35:03
>> And so whether that's clapping hands or dancing or like playing an instrument or singing at a concert or d Yeah.
35:08
It's >> I think it's uh we ultimately want the connection to other people.
35:14
I think I think mostly that's what we want.
35:18
>> No, >> music can be a lot of things. >> Know that to be true.
35:20
That's all that's all it is.
35:21
>> That's all it is, right?
35:21
And that's for for us when we're making music like I think >> at least for me >> the the most in like yes, it's c curiosity and all those things, but >> I'm curious to see what we can do together >> as much as like what you can extract from some like album making process.
35:40
It's actually kind of like the experience along the way.
35:41
Again, as corny as that sounds, it's actually totally true. >> Yeah.
35:46
But you know, you got to stop worrying about that cuz it's totally true.
35:50
And >> yeah, I'm actually trying to be more earnest in my life. >> Good. >> Yeah.
35:54
I think >> How's it working out for you?
35:54
In fact, I should ask Joey that.
35:56
How's it working out for him?
35:58
>> Uh, it needs needs work.
35:58
No, it's [laughter] great. It's like I mean, yeah.
36:01
I I mean, you were never overtly like arrogant or anything, so you couldn't hurt.
36:07
>> It's part of the Antipodian way.
36:07
It is for us to check ourselves when we take ourselves a little too seriously or life a little too seriously.
36:15
>> But we are at a serious turning point for the arts right now where this whole scale conversation needs to be dealt with really carefully cuz we know what happens when big scale meets tiny little intimate art.
36:29
>> It's it's it can be great and it can be really devastating and I just want to be on the side of great at all times.
36:35
Um, it's just another King Gizard and the Lizard Wii Wizard album.
36:39
If you if you take a look at where you've been, it's a it's a total forend to something new.
36:44
I say that with respect to the people who might sit there and scratch their head, but it's like, hey, man, it's 28.
36:48
Like, we're not we're just going to keep on running.
36:52
>> So, for people I mean, do you how often do you meet fans that are just discovering you? Do you know what I mean?
36:58
Because when you make 28 albums and you've been around and you've been building your fan base the way you've been doing as this kind of beautiful bespoke cottage industry adding as you go very purposefully, you imagine that it's a very slowm moving thing.
37:06
But that's not how music works.
37:08
People are finding and discovering you all the time. >> Yeah.
37:12
I'd like to think I'm actually quite happy that for whatever reason and not engineered by us or anything that we have never really had a moment or a hit or a thing that's happened where everyone's jumped on at the same time or everyone gravitates to the same songs or whatever.
37:30
So I think it has been quite a steady thing [snorts] that I don't know I'm quite grateful for that because it it it does mean I think it gives us license to um do whatever we want for the most part and and not really sort of like devastatingly piss off any segment of the kind of like fan base or anything >> because we're in it for different reasons.
37:54
We're not here for the hit. >> Yeah.
37:55
Well, we don't really have any of them.
37:57
And I think we established quite a long time ago that you maybe didn't know what was going to be played at the show, so just kind of going with the >> How do you decide that when you have so much to choose from?
38:07
Now, I know not all albums are going to lend themselves to that because they were made for different reasons, but there's still a hell of a lot of eligible material.
38:12
So, how do you go ahead and pick >> spreadsheet, mate?
38:17
>> We got a good spreadsheet. >> Google Sheets, baby. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's It's actually deep. >> Go on.
38:22
>> We should share this one day as well. It's It's actually sick. I'm quite proud of it.
38:25
It's It's um the same spreadsheet that we've used for years, but we add sort of songs along the way.
38:31
>> All the like all the albums are colorcoded and then that's like kind of like >> annot it's all annotated with like columns of like each of our names and like what everyone's doing in the song and like all that stuff.
38:41
And then each show we play, we also uh where like [snorts] we we don't repeat from the night before.
38:48
So, I guess we just kind of like Stu will just we'll just like be in the green room an hour or two before and be like, "What are we doing?"
38:53
And then we just kind of drag it into the sheet and then print it out and then but it's like our tour manager Jess like is always just like kind of pulling her hair out like cuz we're about to go on stage and she's like, "Where the is this?"
39:05
Like, "What is the set list?"
39:05
And we're like, "Oh, yeah."
39:07
Um, but [laughter] yeah, it's good though.
39:10
It's like it is that thing.
39:11
And it's just kind of just I feel I feel like a live Giz show for me personally, there's always this element of like just like I feel like I'm I'm about to like I don't know like something's going to happen cuz I'm just like is this am I going to forget or like you know are we all is it all going to fall fall apart?
39:28
So this this kind of like really like I don't know teetering kind of thing.
39:32
At least that's how I feel.
39:35
>> You're on the precipice. >> I'm on the precipice.
39:36
>> Has to stay dangerous.
39:36
I think >> has to stay and ste always like the one who says like we're like you know we might be like we haven't played it in ages like we we and we didn't sound check it like we can't do that and she's like we're playing it like it'll be sick and then we'll do and then every >> sometimes it isn't sick. >> Yeah.
39:48
But no but [laughter] that's the thing sick.
39:50
>> But no that's the thing and it's just like it but it always is sick having done it like it always is a like a kind of it always is better that we've done it.
39:58
Even if it didn't go well or something it's always just like but yeah it's really cool but I I I have been reflecting on that.
40:04
I'm like for every Gizard show I'm just like all right here we go again and then at the end the reward because of that's how I feel going in like it's like really great because you kind of like conquer I guess it's like >> you're testing yourself but it's also a way of staying in the moment.
40:17
I mean can we talk a little bit about the psychology of of what prompts you to um to push the rest of the band at times do if if you are the one that primarily does into a place of the of the uncertain because it is a mentality thing. I'm not built that way.
40:29
I'm obsessivempulsive and I'm a Leo.
40:30
So my thing is just like, "Holy we're doing that. Really? We're doing that?"
40:35
And then like you always feel good about it. >> Yeah, of course.
40:37
>> But I have friends of mine like you used to who are like, >> "Oh no, we're doing it."
40:42
>> What What What drives that, do you think?
40:44
>> I think I'm probably just lucky that I found something dangerous to do that doesn't hurt anybody or myself.
40:49
[laughter] But I think I just maybe need that bit of adrenaline.
40:53
And we and also can can only do it because of this like amazing group of people and we're all in it together as as brothers. >> Yeah.
41:03
I feel like we kind of like, you know, starting out like with a as a three chord like garage band, right?
41:08
Like that's what the first kind of handful of gizard records were like and then it just for some reason just like morphed into the thing that it is and like it >> not everyone does that.
41:18
A lot of people just stay in those three chords and get back to great records, you know? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I don't know.
41:22
It just but it's like it's so interesting to be like, you know, like how did we get here?
41:28
Like, and it would that's the thing where we're so fortunate that we have each other and we've all just kind of like everyone like we are the sum of our parts like you know what I mean?
41:35
And it's like there is something about us six.
41:38
I feel like in the live context is is the thing like it's just like you know >> there is something in the chemistry analogy that does make total sense. >> Yeah.
41:47
And the studio is there also that but it is kind of it's quite binary I would say in the context of Gizard like the studio verse live in terms of >> the chemistry different beasts but um yeah it's it's it's a like I feel like we are kind of bewildered by it as well.
42:04
It's also very fun and addictive. You know what I mean? It must be really fun.
42:10
>> And it is like it is that it is actually it seems like it's a good question, but it also having like doing this for a job.
42:18
It seems like kind of to me at least with the way I process the world.
42:24
a hard question to answer because it's so obvious >> like why wouldn't you want to go and just do that kind of something quite dangerous with with your friends in front of a bunch of people and know that nothing bad can really happen actually tons of bad stuff can happen but [laughter] >> not like super bad stuff I don't know like >> don't overthink it otherwise going to
42:44
change [laughter] it was really that interview with Zayn where things just went really bad from then on Ste just really over analyzes everything we play the same songs every [laughter] night >> you're only going to embarrass yourself I suppose And [snorts] I think that's something that's maybe quite good for you to do that every now and then in life anyway. >> Yeah, I totally agree with you. Um, you
42:58
>> Yeah, I totally agree with you.
42:58
Um, you know, I think the the more we become accustomed to that, the more we realize the folly it all is at the end of the day, you know, a few really important things thrown in for good measure like family, >> even like, you know, that idea of like um just it feeling obvious um and like maybe outside looking in it feels a bit like what's happening here?
43:16
But like same with like you know the main question we get asked is like how do you why have you put out 29 albums?
43:20
It's like how have you been able to do that?
43:24
And it's like that's a thing where I can I understand why people asking that question, but to us it is like only just like cuz you can. >> Yeah. Yeah.
43:32
But like actually it kind of is as well.
43:35
>> Like like don't get me wrong, I'm amazed by that stat like anybody else.
43:36
And and and hugely curious.
43:38
I mean the only question I ask around that ask about that would be like if someone came up to you and said, "I'm new to the band." And you like them.
43:44
They were polite and really nice.
43:45
Maybe an older person comes up to you and goes, "You know, I'm just new to the band.
43:48
I heard you on the radio and I'd love I'd love one of to start with one of your albums.
43:51
What one should I listen to? What you would say?
43:54
Because each of them is to their own part, but actually, you know, question. What would you say?
43:58
What album would you tell them to go listen to if not a two-art question?
44:03
You'd probably ask them what they're into. >> Yeah, >> maybe.
44:06
And then you'd find you'd find you might find a gateway >> maybe that like that >> cuz you're totally a drift like anybody.
44:12
[laughter] Yeah, I don't get that question because I I don't >> I don't think that >> you don't get as you don't get asked or you don't get it as in you don't understand.
44:21
>> Well, the people that I talked to have already listened to our music. You know what I mean?
44:23
Like I don't I don't tend to talk to maybe like No, no, but I maybe like an Uber driver or something.
44:28
>> That's what I'm saying at an airport.
44:30
Like in I was at an airport the other day having a drink before I got on a plane and this woman comes up.
44:32
She's like I had a photo taken with some guy who was a musician and it was nice.
44:36
She's like you are you famous or something? I was like music. She's like I like music.
44:39
We just talked about music from her point of view, not my point of view.
44:43
>> I tell them to look up our Spotify, which is a bit of a lull. it.
44:45
Should we do we talk about that?
44:46
I mean, it's the place to talk about it, I suppose.
44:48
I mean, I I'm not trying to create a um a hierarchy or division between one streaming service or another.
44:53
There are a lot of things about this this part of this era of music that are very challenging for me as a musician and as a fan.
44:58
Um, you know, and I think the distribution of funds, no matter how it landed and who made the early decisions and how it got over the line is a travesty, quite frankly, in my opinion.
45:06
But we're in this room trying to do our best to raise awareness and tell stories and I've got to go where the music is.
45:12
So, let's talk a little bit about your relationship with um with the modern way of listening to music and what this is about.
45:20
It seems to me like it's more about the use of profit, not necessarily the tech. >> Yeah, it it it is.
45:26
But I also recognize that it's like there is no for for us it is impossible to hold a moral everybody to the moral standard because there's like bad happening everywhere.
45:42
everywhere. Sometimes it's good to do um the hard thing when when you feel like you can for like for us um you know maybe we're fortunate that um streaming doesn't account for a lot of our like it doesn't pay our bills really like and
46:00
maybe that's maybe we're a band with a higher profile than most that exists in that kind of capacity and we can kind of start a little bit of create a bit of noise and uh you know still be okay whereas a lot of our mates, it would be a lot harder for them to do that. >> And you have to really acknowledge, I
46:15
>> And you have to really acknowledge, I think, that what you take a stand on, and you can be disappointed and private, maybe even in public, but you got to accept that not everyone has the ability or the means to join the fight, right?
46:27
And that's the challenge.
46:29
challenge. But that's and yeah and the up thing is that like the the the situation or like the kind of how the the the like the landscape forces artists to like make these decisions where they have to take the sacrifice for being like and make a stand I I okay
46:45
like I guess I am going to like you know like take remove like a source of my income or remove like my ability to communicate with my fans through whatever interface because I am forced to like you know and that that's the like kind of the travesty of it. It's
46:59
It's like artists are being made to kind of be articulate about like really horrible kind of things that are happening in the world and like taking moral stands like outwardly when it's like you know it's politicians and >> system is >> Yeah. >> And art is pure.
47:17
And that's the reason why I get so concerned about I'm like I'm fine with AI being used as a tool or a way to enhance the creative experience if you stand by it or even give you access to inspiration in certain ways. I get it, man.
47:30
>> But um you know I do worry about uh the fate of one of the purest forms of expression and communication and community building being in the hands of gold lustered men. >> Yeah.
47:41
>> You know who seem to just want to collect the coins. >> Yeah.
47:43
When when some of the like AI stuff first came out like Yeah.
47:46
Chat GPT I think blew everyone's mind when it first came out and I actually just thought it was quite funny.
47:52
It it could do these like funny we we would have like some laughs about some prompts you would put in and just funny answers you would get and you could almost gear it in in a creative way or you could ask it some like absurdest question and get an absurdest answer.
48:07
>> Did you ever prompt King Gizzard in it?
48:10
>> Oh, I'm sure somebody has at some point.
48:12
>> It's like that's like googling yourself at a very meta level, isn't it?
48:13
But but it I think actually most people that I speak to would say some version of it's starting to feel boring or it's not starting to feel boring. It's extremely boring. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> This is boring now. I I don't I don't know.
48:29
Like maybe there's I'm sure there's really like useful ways to use it.
48:32
>> Well, if you want to make a few bucks, you can totally slop your way into a bit of earning. And I get it, man.
48:35
People have been hustling through the arts and anything they can for years.
48:38
I mean, there's nothing wrong with trying to make a buck if you have to.
48:42
Everyone's got to keep the lights on.
48:43
like no one's queuing up.
48:45
>> No, it's just boring and it's just annoying hearing like YouTube scripts and just like I don't know.
48:49
I'm I'm just it's just the whole thing is just boring.
48:52
I don't want it to go away.
48:54
>> Well, the good news is that you can go away and leave it behind.
48:56
That's why you built with it with with this band in this ecosystem.
48:59
To your point, you're not relying on technology for your income.
49:03
>> You know, you've built >> baby Google. Shouts to Google.
49:06
Shouts to Google spreadsheets.
49:09
Let's just [laughter] let's keep it organic.
49:12
Uh you know, it's it's that's why it's such an interesting and beautiful story.
49:16
I love to I love to be a part of it every now and then or be invited in to help to help get people to understand it cuz a you don't do this very often.
49:24
>> Not because I think you're trying to harbor some kind of mystery or some dogma of like mystery or anything, but because you don't need any of this >> I don't think it's something that we speak about very often, but I've actually thought this a little bit lately.
49:37
The thing I like about doing these kind of things occasionally is we get these it's this is actually fun for us as well because like the introspective questions are not something that we talk about with each other often like we're just >> in terms of like just like kind of like talking about like the existential like thing like what king is it is. >> Yeah.
49:56
Like we don't talk about that you know like we just go and play guitar and like since and stuff you know.
49:58
But I it's true like I feel like yeah you when we do occasionally do this and like it like it is true like I feel like we will and we will do it today like we'll walk out of the room and we'll be like I love you man.
50:10
>> Yeah [laughter] that's sick and it's really sick there.
50:14
I feel good about this feel good about my role here.
50:17
>> I think it's good to just not like just to like be in a feedback loop of of like >> you know what this can lead to in terms of like engaging with like press and talking about yourself constantly.
50:27
But it is I think it is a good thing for us to like to yeah just kind of talk say things out loud about like oh yeah I guess like this is pretty damn good.
50:38
>> Well I don't know what I did to be one of those people that you've you know you're this is a return you're returners. >> You came back.
50:46
>> I mean that's a that's a good feeling for me.
50:48
Um, and I don't know how the the very deep hardcore fans of the band will feel about the the gobshite Kiwi who's got as many opinions as the band do jumping into the equation, but I love this for us.
51:02
[laughter] >> And I look and I really look forward to it every time and I'm really glad you came back.
51:06
I don't know where you're going to go next, >> but I know I'm going to be right here if you have me. >> Oh, I love it.
51:11
It'll be the the furthest from where we currently are.
51:12
[laughter] That's what we can hope for. Thanks, J. Good to see you. Cheers. Thanks.