CONTACT - info@thegothenburgaddress.com
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The Gothenburg Address are David 'Jeansy' Jeans (drums), Rob Doig (bass), Chris Bathgate (guitar) and Luke Joyce (guitar).
The band formed in June 2008 after Rob replied to a musicians wanted ad put out by Luke. Rob and Jeansy, who were in another local band, were both looking for something fresh
to reignite their musical fires, and so The Gothenburg Address was born. After a few weeks rehearsals Chris, who had previously played alongside Jeansy in Arab Strap and The Zephyrs, came onboard to complete the line-up. Six weeks after their first rehearsal the band played a debut show at Bloc in Glasgow. Since then the band have graced the stage at many venues across Scotland including a triumphant appearance on the main stage in Glasgow's George Square. The band have also had extensive radio play, were featured band of the week on XFM and have been named Radio 1 Unsigned Heroes; all on the back of only rough demos. In January/ February 2009 the band finally entered the studio to record an EP which was released May 5th. A debut album is being recorded for an autumn release.
The List -
'They don't need a vocalist, they don't even need to tell you what their name means. The Gothenburg Address make music that bleeds with so much honest to goodness grandeur that they claim PJ Harvey and Ian Rankin as fans - quite a quick feat for the Edinburgh foursome. With two of the four citing Arab Strap as former musical ventures, what they do now is like updated shoegaze that's neither tiresome nor terribly urgent, just wide open, glorious noise that can do as it pleases.'
The Skinny -
'Whether you want to talk about The Travelling Wilburys, Audioslave, Zwan or Velvet Revolver - the 'supergroup' label hangs like a noose around the neck. Supergroups inevitably have the faint whiff of disappointment permeating their very existence as fans damn them with that same old crestfallen praise: “they're...OK.”
These bands often confuse musical alchemy with a maths equation- if guitarist X and singer Y were good in different bands- won't they be twice as good in the same band? History, it seems, has answered that question quite decisively in the negative.
Instrumental Scots act The Gothenburg Address -composed of former and present members from Sans Trauma, Arab Strap, The Zephyrs and Raising Miss June- are the intriguing exception to prove an otherwise failing rule. While not selling out arenas (well, not just yet), after forming early in 2008 they have soundtracked a short film (Alex Boyd's Sonnets from Scotland) and played to a crowd of thousands on Glasgow's George Square as part of Winterfest.
Fortunately, the diva-like behaviour that often curtails the meteroric rise of the supergroup have thus far eluded the Address. “There have been no ego clashes so far," reports guitarist Luke Joyce. "Though being on a tour bus for months does turn you into the caretaker out of The Shining.” They have, however, witnessed some prima donnas on tour, including “one guy from a local support band in Spain who couldn’t play unless he had a full length mirror to watch himself.”
The quartet attribute their success so far to the contacts they have built up in previous outfits, admitting that they've “been quite lucky with the people who have taken an interest in the band from the very beginning.” They also allude to a philosophy of brutal self-analysis in regard to the quality of the material they're writing and playing: “You have to be honest and ask yourself if you would pay to see your own band- if there’s any doubt, then why would anyone else want to?” This no nonsense approach extends to their advice for any new band looking to make a go of it: "Don’t take any shit.”
Of course, playing purely instrumental music in 2009 comes with the price of having a 'post-rock' sticker slapped on your back. Admirably, despite any negative connotations, this doesn't trouble the band. “The post-rock label is something we accepted just to please the social networking sites," says Joyce. "But if it allows someone to understand what you’re about, then it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Most people are intelligent enough to listen to music on its own merits.”
While there's no singing to be found on their first EP (or forthcoming single The Lesser Coming Home, for that matter) Joyce in particular foresees a time when they might dabble. “Having no vocals was a very conscious decision, as the plan was to play music that moved people emotively, although, after hearing Chris [Bathgate]'s vocals on the recent Sans Trauma album, I wouldn't rule out a vocal track or two in the future.”
Although the genre they've been identified with is often accused of scoring films that don't exist, Joyce suggests The Gothenburg Address are hands for hire since their experience on Boyd's project. “It's such a natural place for our music to be heard.” Such high falutin artistic principles are fine, but you can't eat them, as the band collectively acknowledge: “We want as much success as we can, and if someone wants to use our music and pay us then fine. There is this selling-out argument, but living off music is hard. Any success is a good thing, and if it brings us the opportunity to expand our listening audience, then we're happy to receive it.”
And if this means supergroup style world domination, then we say so be it.'
The Skinny - Single review
'These days, the 'post-rock' label seems to be bandied around in much the same way as 'prog' used to, acting as a lazy shorthand for long instrumentals with overindulgent production, and accompanied by a mish-mash of orchestral and electronic stew. There is no getting away from the fact that The Gothenburg Address do emotive, instrumental music, but their particular brand of post-rock is lean and taut, with none of the orchestral excesses of the overly morose Godseed!, or the delay-fetish of the clinically sterille Explosions in the Sky. Instead, the Address find solace in understated shoegaze guitar, knowing that flirting coyly is better than indulging in a full blown (muscial) orgy.'
The Scotsman
'With the demise of Aereogramme and the endless globetrotting of Mogwai, something like a post-rock vacuum has opened up back here in Scotland.
And if you go along with that tenuous theory, you won't mind if I finish it by saying that The Gothenburg Address are the latest band to attempt to plug the gap.
The Edinburgh four-piece are more qualified for the role than most, consisting as they do of ex-members of Arab Strap, The Zephyrs and Raising Miss June, and having just soundtracked a short film called Sonnets from Scotland with Mogwai.
Like the 'Gwai, The Gothenburg Address, who only formed last year, are purely instrumental, conveying a late night / early dawn atmosphere through chilly guitars and understated harmonies.'
Sic:magazine
There are only two tracks currently doing the rounds from this Edinburgh-based quartet. But their streamlined atmospheric instrumental rock certainly hits the mark. These boys know how to write a tune, a factor often left out by other Post-Rock outfits - they stamp their authority with panache. Radio acclaim from both BBC (‘Unsigned Heroes’) and XFM (‘Band of the Week’) proves they are set to continue their ascent, check the extremely melodic and hugely impressive “A Lesser Coming Home” for hard evidence.
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