1) Gengahr! How you doing lads? The first question, what does ‘Gengahr’ mean?
It’s a pokemon, the best one I might add. I have no idea why we are named after a pokemon.
2) You’re just about to embark on a UK tour in October, which city are you most looking forward to playing?
Probably Glasgow because King Tut’s is my favourite venue, plus there’s always the best after parties.
3) It’s been a busy summer for you guys with the release of your debut album ‘A Dream Outside’. Can you tell people a little bit about the sound of your album?
I’d say it’s a mix of genres we are all into, hopefully cohesively into the sound of Gengahr. The washed out sound of the vocals is a big part of bringing everything together. Everyone is into quite synth heavy alternative music but we all suck at keyboards so its my job to bring the different textures of sound to the band while everyone makes an effort to try and recreate hip hop or sampled grooves. I’m probably the biggest fan of 90s guitar music so I cant help but incorporate that into the blend as well.
4) Which artists influenced you when writing the songs?
Absolutely loads, too many to list. I personally discovered Chromatics just before Genaghr started when my friend played it to me on a long drive home after a rave and I was really into the way the record gets across feelings of anxiety and melancholy without beating you round the head with heavy guitars or pounding drums.
5) We’re in the age of social media and live streaming, so what made you think to make the album available on vinyl?
I went through a long period of collecting vinyl when I was working a real job, then the band happened and no way can I afford it now. If I really like an album then I want to own it. I like CD’s and cassettes as formats aswell, just to have an object in the analogue world feels so much more real then streaming it from the cloud. Plus I always want to see the artwork on the back and spine of a record. I’m not to fussed about audio quality, I could go on a long nerdy rant but I’ll save you that. I really like spotify and apple music and all those services, I just want to own music I love.
6) Your hometown is London, but what’s the best show you’ve played outside of the capital?
Maybe Splendor in the Grass in Australia, just because I never thought I’d be so far away from home. I have no memory of the ‘big’ gigs we’ve done, like the O2 arena with Alt J or Glastonbury, just sort of blacked out on stage.
7) What can we expect from you after your UK tour?
We’ve got a few more festivals outside the UK and then new music as soon as we can get in a studio.
8) What’s the ultimate goal for you guys as a band?
I have no idea personally. I just always wanted to dupe someone into pressing my music onto a 7” and tour for a solid year. Now I kind of always want to be at the next stage up from where we’re at, I see our friends bands doing so well, playing bigger gigs and festivals and I want to get to that stage, literally
9) If you could choose to go on tour with one band at the moment, who would it be?
Good question, either one of our friends bands just so we get to hang out with them every night like Wolf Alice or Slaves, cant imagine Slaves crowd loving our soft indie though, I’d hate it if I was waiting for Slaves to play. Otherwise I would love to be supporting Deerhunter just so I get to see them play every night.
10 What song in your set in the most well received with you fans?
robably ‘She’s A Witch’ or ‘Heroine’. There maybe the most fun to play as well.
