Dark electro-pop group THEM GUNS keep shimmying their way up the ladder. The four-piece based out of California keep things real with their own line of synth performances and embracing the eerie electronic aura. Recently, we sat down with the group to talk career, aspirations, and their relationship with one another. You can also check out their new video for their track, “Somebody Called The Cops” below.
How did you form?
THEM GUNS was formed in 2013 by Navarone Garibaldi (lead vocals & guitar) and Kyle Hamood (keyboard & vocoder) in Santa Cruz, CA. Nav met Chris Hudson (drums) while attending high school in Los Angeles, who years later joined the group. Chuck Holiday (bass & vocals) and Chris were the rhythm section of a previous band, and the pieces all came together after the rhythm section was complete.
What would you like to see your group accomplish within the next three years?
We’d like to release a couple new albums, go on a worldwide tour and expose our music to a lot of people. Play bigger shows, get an opening slot on a major tour and keep recording all our new material. We keep stockpiling the new stuff and we can’t wait to get it out there. We want to keep writing and become a household name like Comet Cleanser! Ha ha…
Talk to us about the writing process and environment, what are some of the factors and influences behind your instrumental and lyrical content?
We try to not spend too much time trying to be creative, but rather just let inspiration and influence hit us naturally and then act when the moment strikes us. Just let the process happen, as opposed to having a set pattern or ritual. That process has been working well for us so far, so we’re sticking with it.
If you could collaborate with any artist or group, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Kyle: Jimi Hendrix was supposed to collaborate with Keith Emerson, that would have been great to be part of that musical meeting of the minds.
Navarone: Elijah Blue is really cool, working with him could be really interesting.
Chuck: Trent Reznor would be great, because he makes really dark and inspirational music, we often see ourselves as part of that tribe.
Chris: I’d like to collaborate with Incubus…when I first discovered them, it was when I was really getting into drumming and their music is powerful – and the drumming is completely manic!
Tell us about your day-to-day lives, discuss the role of music as either a full-time job or the time it shares with other obligations, etc.:
Kyle: I work as a live sound engineer at S.I.R. (Studio Instruments Rehearsal based in Los Angeles), so I’m surrounded by music and gear all day, every day. Everything blends together, so my musical obsession feeds into my profession, if you will.
Chuck: I work as a BMW mechanic during the day, so it’s really two separate lives. They’re both great and challenging in their own ways, it’s a duel existence that works well for me.
Chris: I work in film production for TV Shows, Commercials and Music Videos. The hours can get crazy sometimes, the work and challenges are unpredictable…but it’s never the same twice!
Navarone: My days can be completely random…music is my mistress and reptiles are my passion, I’m happy in both worlds and when they collide, it’s even better.
What has been the highlight of your magical journey so far?
Playing in London was amazing for us, the people we worked with were so generous and hospitable, the reception was amazing. We played an after-party for The Tribeca Film Festival in New York last year, that was really cool. We have three songs (“Close Your Eyes,” “Devil’s Eye” and “Heard It All Before”) in the indie film ‘Shut Up And Drive’ and the director asked us to perform following the screening.
Playing Seattle was very special. We had a residency in San Francisco playing the Boom Boom Room, that was an adventure and we all love Northern California.
We can’t wait to play SXSW in Austin on Tuesday, March 15 at the Dirty Dog Bar!! We’re opening for P.O.D. and we know that will be yet another…”HIGHLIGHT,” ha ha…
Tell us what artists/bands you’re listening to at this moment in time and why they appeal to you
Deadsy, Mindless Self Indulgence, Alt-J, Eagles Of Death Metal, Queens Of The Stone Age, Korn, Jagwar-Ma, anything coming from the desert here in California all seems to be really interesting too…
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