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They are modern day funk music revivalists. Featuring glowing synths, gritty drum-machines and booming vocals, Melbourne based duo GL have revamped 80’s dance music and given it a fresh new vibe.
They are currently working on a brand new album, and with anticipation building GroundSounds decided to catch up with Graeme Pogson and Ella Thompson to find out what exactly makes them tick. Check out our exclusive interview with GL below!
For those just discovering GL, can you tell us about how you two came together and started making music?
We have known each other a long time having played in various bands in Melbourne for the last 8 years roughly. We’d never tried our own thing and it came about pretty suddenly, just decided to write some stuff and then bang it was done!
What do you guys enjoy most about Melbourne? What is one thing every visitor should see or do?
The live music scene in Melbourne is really good and there are always parties all over the city at all times it seems, so its not hard to find a good place to go and see great music.
What is it about glowing synths, gritty drum-machines and the 80’s that attract you two to this sound and vibe?
The electro funk of 1983/84 has always been very appealing and is made with the type of instruments that you can sequence yourself. So making music in this style can be instantly rewarding because you can basically make it in your bedroom without the need for a large studio and several musicians. We’ve played in large bands before so its refreshing making music in this way for a change.
We have had “What Happened To Us?” on repeat…can you tell us about creating this track and bringing it to fruition?
It was made with various pieces of old gear, an Oberheim DX drum machine, a Juno 6 synthesiser, a DX7 and an SE1. I sent it to Ella to write to and what she sent back fit perfectly. We recorded the final version but it really came to life when it was mixed at the Shed by John Castle.
You guys will be going on tour with Chet Faker very soon, what do you guys enjoy most about being on the road and what was it like when you found out that you would be on tour with Chet?
It was a great surprise when we found out we’d be supporting Chet. It’s going to be a really fun tour, we’ve never played in such large venues before so we’re really excited to be a part of it. Its great fun touring, especially playing so many shows in such a short time, you can really start honing the show.
During a performance what typically goes through your mind and what are you feeling on stage?
Pre performance its mainly nerves, worrying that all of our gear will fail mid song! But once we start that all washes away and we just have fun. We’re quite new to playing live as GL, so we often have lots of parts and things to remember to keep us focused.
Can you tell us about the creative process and inspiration for “Won’t You See?”
I’d just procured a LinnDrum which I put to use on the track with some synths, sent Ella the instrumental and again what she wrote was cool so we just put it together! It’s inspired somewhat by 1984 style funk but also has a pop element to it.
Are you guys coming to the states anytime soon? We want you in America!
Thank you! We are dying to get over there, there are so many different things we want to check out, so if we can find a way to get there we definitely will!
Are you guys currently working on a full-length? If so, what can you reveal to us about it? What can fans look forward to from GL?
We are working on an album currently which will be ready soon. We’re trying to keep the formula mainly the same as before, but might change it up a little, possibly with a duet featuring a male singer. We love Rene and Angela so would love to try something in that vein!
