Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
On the new record from GOZU, Remedy, (PRE-ORDER) the band are bringing a fuzz-laden, groove-heavy blend of grunge, psychadelia and 70’s rock swagger straight to our earholes. With the album looming heavy, due 19 May from Metal Blade Records, TGEFM was able to have a chat and roll the dice with frontman Marc “Gaff” Gaffney to discuss the new record, their influences and writing music at the current crossroads of mankind.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the upcoming release of Remedy. What should TGEFM readers know about Gozu and the new record? What stood out most to you with this recording compared to your 4 previous albums? How does new drummer Seth Botos impact the sound/songwriting on this record?
Thank you. This album is our heaviest, most melodic work to date. Recording went incredibly smooth and it was fun! Each member came in bringing their best work and I feel sonically it’s a delicious wall of guitars, groove of an Angel, bottom end of a dirty junkyard dog, and choruses that make you feel bad and good at the same time. (Wink wink) Seth brought in such beautiful energy that was infectious. He made us better players and a better band. We were able to break down the songs and try many different things writing and recording. He was described in a review as “if George Clooney and Steve Gadd danced in the moonlight of Dorchester, Seth would be playing a tambourine.”
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do.” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
Buying Back n Black in 1980 was monumental for me. Phil Rudd‘s playing made me understand the power of 4 on the floor for heavy music. The groove on “Let me put my love into you babe,” mmm mmm mmmm. Seeing Stevie Wonder was the first time I looked at music as a spiritual endeavor. Every song the crowd danced and sang along word for word. The Allman Bros, the guitar interplay, Greg’s voice, forget about it. George Benson with my dad as a young kid. D’Angelo, Voodoo tour. That was an awakening of my soul. The groove of Questlove, Pino Palladino on bass, D doing his thing really hit me and made me wanna shake it and break it. Van Halen in the Carrier Dome definitely left a mark. Music is the elixir.
What’s the state of the scene from your point of view? We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked. What impact, if any, does the current cultural and political landscape have on the band? Did the title of the record come from all the shit thrown at the world’s feet over the last few years?
Covid completely fucked everything up. That was the longest I had not played out since I was 18 and it was rough. Not having that outlet was detrimental to many musicians. We play music that’s honest and emotional. Culturally and Politically we hopefully can bring people joy. The music is written for the soul by the soul. The world, especially the states, are at an interesting crossroads and I can only write about what I go through and people close to me have gone through. Politics, check please. I’d rather throw myself down an elevator shaft than get caught up in the deformed intricacies it has engulfed. We play to bring out positivity not for old guys measuring their wallets and wielding yarns of fabrication. Can I get an Amen playah!
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
Check out CSNY Live 1974, Wimbledon. If you dig harmony you will dig this. Anything by Yob is scrumptious. Roxy Music‘s Avalon. Donald Fagen‘s Kamakiriad, Allman Bros Eat a Peach, Aretha Franklin and Duane Allman‘s “Just Ain’t Fair”. Give those a listen and thank me later.
Thank you again for your time. Before we say our goodbyes, was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Much obliged and thank you. Please come out and see us starting May 19th and definitely check out Remedy as it drops also on May 19th. Life is too short to hem and haw over nonsense. Make sure you say I love you to your people and enjoy each moment as it’s your last. Let out your BGV’s. Take care, Gaff
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
