Interviews
Daniel Sanders
Gyroscope

Q. You have just finished touring the East Coast
with 28 Days and After The Fall.  How did the
tour go and what was the main highlight of the
tour.  Do East Coast crowds respond any different
to local crowds?

Yeah the tour was an absolute blast! Good times!
I suppose a main highlight for me personally was spending Friday the 13th - my birthday - in Surfers Paradise playing a show with my best mates. That was the first time most of us had seen the place too. We all got boozy as hell. It's hard to say whether they respond differently. We're pretty much an 'unknown' over there hence us touring a lot so even to get people clapping, enjoying, talking to us after or buying our merch is a nice thing.. but hey - ya can't beat a local crowd.

Q. With two EP's behind you, how long until the debut album comes out?  Has writing commenced and does alot of touring help or hinder the writing process?

We are currently putting down our ideas for our first full length. It's not far away. Early next year sometime I'd say. Writing is a pretty constant thing. Even just parts/riffs/melodies/whatever. We have stockpiled a shitload of ideas into the backs of our brains and through touring we drank and smoked the middle sections of our grey matter away thus bringing our ideas front and center. I don't think touring hinders the process as you can pretty much come up with ideas without trying them out, especially vocal or lyrics, but in saying that - the ideal situation is writing when at home.. for us anyway.

Q.  Will the album have a different sound to the previous EP's or will you go with what works?  Do you believe your music is punk or rock?

Soundwise - It will just have the normal general curve that comes along with maturing and shit i suppose. We don't have boundaries when writing as we are still discovering a lot of great music to inspire us and great ways as to which express ourselves musically. Genres aren't a thing I get into. It's really too hard this day and age to try and genre and sub-genre bands as it just confuses everyone. Since last wednesday - we're now a "grunge" band. Two weeks ago we were "emo". Before that "punk". In all seriousness - "rock" is probably the better term of them all.

Q.  Are Gyroscope songs written collectively or do you have lyric writers and music writers?  Where do you derive your music and inspiration from?

As I sing the songs - I will write the lyrics. If any of the other guys have any cool ideas for lyrics and/or song titles I always love hearing them. We share as much as we can of the responsibility when it comes to songwriting. We usually come up with a main idea that someone will bring in and then from there each of us will focus on their own part - get it sounding nice - then we'll run with each other and combine stuff and see where stuff doesn't fit just so it all gels nicely.

Q.  The Gyroscope live show is a spectacle to be seen.  Is this a conscious thing by the band or does the rockin nature come naturally?  Can you guys bring back guitar smashing coz it is rarely seen anymore?

When you think how much fucking fun it is to be on stage with your best friends - especially touring around and seeing places you've only ever heard of before - it's hard not to enjoy yourself. We make sure that's the attitude we take onto stage. Without being too goofy about it.. we are nerds so it's hard sometimes.
The overall effort is to be focused and aggressive and emotional and intense but structuring any venting into the music. Not through the music as much but channelling it all into it. Hope that made sense?!

Q. There is alot of interest in Perth bands and Perth music at the moment, do you think there is a particular Perth sound and is it very different from bands from the Eastern States?

Perth easily has the best bands in Australia.. easily! In every little pocket of style and scene there's at least one band that has national potential. There is a very big buzz around Perth at the moment which is nice. I'm not sure if we have our own sound but we definately have our own way. As we are quite isolated from labels and all the big gun bullshit - we tend to stick it out in our rehearsal rooms for ages, meanwhile getting our gear together, getting our tunes together and just getting our attitudes together so when a Perth band does finally come to hit the stage and obviously after finding their legs playing live for a year or so - they become a national contender. Overall - our work ethic is second to none.

Q. What bands have had the greatest influence on you and who are your favourite bands at the moment both from Perth and from elsewhere?

At the moment I'm influenced by vocalists. Firstly by their lyrical content and then by their style and delivery. I suppose I'm just trying to learn and understand as much as I can. Right now I'm really into the new Alkaline Trio record (which I think isn't as good as all the previous ones but still kickass), Pavement, the Cure, the new Feeder album, Sparta, After The Fall, Change of Face, Recover... yadda yadda yadda.

Q. What is your favourite live music venue in Perth?  Do you prefer small pub shows with a small audience or bigger shows with lots of people cheering you on?

Soundwise definately Amplifier. Stage and vibe wise it would be the Hyde Park. I like both on their own merits. Small pub shows are great as I like the intimacy and uneasyness but then I like big shows as it's great to have some room on stage so ya don't cop a guitar to the face.

Interview By Justin

For more info visit the Gyroscope official site.