Gossling - BIGSOUND Live 2013 Feature Artist

BIGSOUND Live is now a month away and the two night event has assembled a truly impressive roster of rising acts that are going to rock Brisbane's socks off! Coinciding with the BIGSOUND Conference (featuring talks from artists like Amanda Palmer and Gurrumul) and the inaugural BIGSOUND Music + Design event (with Nick Cave as a keynote speaker), BIGSOUND Live will take over Fortitude Valley venues (like the Black Bear Lodge, The Zoo and Ric's Bar) on September 11 and 12.


You can see local favourites like Thelma Plum, The Trouble With Templeton and The John Steel Singers take to the stage alongside the likes of Megan Washington, Xavier Rudd and Adalita during what will definitely be Brisbane's most exciting music event of 2013. You can check out the full program (and get info on all of the fun events) over at the BIGSOUND site and you can grab your one or two day passes through Oztix and QMusic! 


Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be shining a light on some of the brilliant acts you can see at BIGSOUND Live 2013. First up, we've got the fantastic Gossling stopping by for a chat. Enjoy!

GOSSLING

Performing Live: 8:20 @ Black Bear Lodge - September 12, 2013

as part of BIGSOUND Live

Interview by Lou Endicott

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions! Earlier this year you traveled out of Australia to tour to Paris where you recorded your take on 'La Minute de Silence' - a song about lost love recorded with Oh Mercy. How did this project come about?


Gossling: Melodie Francaise is a compilation CD of Aussie acts recording cover versions of French songs. I was one of the artists who were approached by the team putting it together and was told I could pick whatever French song I wanted to do. I did a bunch of Youtubing and came across 'La Minute de Silence'. It's a duet and I'd always wanted to collaborate with my mate Alexander Gow of Oh Mercy on a music project, so it seemed to be a great way to get to do that. We recorded the song in Melbourne and it was chosen as the lead single for the album, so we got to fly to Paris for a few days to film the film clip for the song. All up, it's been a pretty incredible project to be involved with.

I can imagine that the Parisians really took to your voice and your style. Your film clip for La Minute de Silence almost looks like a French art postcard. Tell us about the filming of this beautiful clip and a little of your experience with Paris.


Gossling: It was a very quick trip to Paris unfortunately. We were there for just 4 days basically wandering the streets of Paris with a camera following us. Everywhere in Paris is so incredibly beautiful, so it was a pretty easy shoot. We were very lucky in that the Moulin Rouge allowed us to film some of the clip on their stage. So we spent an afternoon walking on the stage and through their back stage costume areas.


You have participated in BIGSOUND before. What is it that attracts you to this festival and how do you think it benefits Australian artists?


Gossling: Yes, I performed as a solo act back in 2011 at BIGSOUND and enjoyed myself so much. Brisbane crowds in general are really generous crowds to perform in front of. I definitely feel welcomed by a Brisbane audience and the festival is a great mix of industry and general public. Having so many venues in close proximity of each other creates a mini music town which is a lot of fun to be in.


You are releasing a new album soon and you and your band are giving the lucky goers of BIGSOUND a few tracks before anyone else. Where was the album recorded and what process did you undertake to create it? Can you give the rest of us a sneak peak into what we can expect to hear on the album?


Gossling: The album was recorded in Melbourne with a producer by the name of John Castle. I've definitely moved in a slightly different direction with this album compared to my previous EPs. There are still the slow ballads on there which people might know me for, but there are also some more upbeat tracks with a bit more of a pop-vibe, with electronic drums and synths.

You have done a lot of touring and live performances over the last few years - including the stand out performance with 360 at the 2012 ARIAs. Is there a highlight of performing live you can share with us?


Gossling: The performance at the ARIAs is definitely a highlight of my gigging career so far. Performances at festivals like Blues and Roots, Riverboats and Peats Ridge have also been pretty special. I get the biggest kick out of smaller shows in intimate venues when it's so quite you can hear a pin drop. We had one of those shows in the Speigeltent of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. It was such an incredible feeling to play a show with an attentive audience - it was like I'd won the lottery. 


Your songs are always crafted in an original and thoughtful way with beautiful lyrics and catchy melodies. What inspires your process of songwriting? What’s the difference between writing alone and collaborating with other artists?


Gossling: Many things inspire me, from other artists to films, to friends and their relationships. My songwriting process is usually to create a melody idea or chord progression first and then the lyrics are the last things to arrive. Writing alone is definitely quite a different experience to collaborating with another artist. They both have their pros and cons however. I guess when you are writing alone you are in compete control and only have yourself to consider, however you're then stuck with only one brain and sometimes two brains on the one job can create something even more unique and original.


You did a Bachelor of music in composition where you met your talented band members. Do you have any advice for emerging artists who are choosing to either study or to go into the industry on their own?


Gossling: It sounds cliche, but only do music as a career if you truly love it. The nature of the industry in Australia means that you need to be versatile to be able to make a living off your craft. It's a great idea to develop a multi-skill set so that you can do multiple jobs in the industry such as teaching, composing or engineering.


Short and Sweet


Who inspires you?
Gossling: Irish singer songwriters such as Damien Rice, The Swell Season and James Vincent McMorrow.

Favourite song/singer as a child?
Gossling: I loved the female belters as a child. Celine Dion and Mariah Carey.

Who would you tour with again? 
Gossling: Lior, Oh Mercy, Josh Pyke.

First instrument you ever played?
Gossling: Keyboard

Best advice ever given to you as an artist?
Gossling: Make sure you portray how much enjoyment you get out of music and your audience will love it just as much.

If you could collaborate with any artist living or passed who would it be?
Gossling: Freddie Mercury