If you were a garage-psych band from another planet with a predilection for cabbages, where else would you make your Earth home other than in Bristol? In a fortuitous turn of events, local labels Breakfast Records and Leisure Records have taken sextet Gork under their wings to release the band’s latest EP Class. You may find out more about the band here; at the very least you’ll find out more about tea towels and dressing up…
You’ve got a new EP out called Class, what’s the thinking behind the title?
It’s because it’s class mate.
The lead single That’s Plastic Mate is an ode to recycling, was it written with consideration of the climate change protests seen over the past year?
We live in a plastic world and it’s hard to avoid. The last year has seen an increased awareness of these issues and people are starting to change their habits but, if you’re not careful, you too could become a Evian bottle.
You’ve released Class on cassette and on a tea towel. Tea towels aren’t commonly used to distribute music, what made you opt for that particular washing up aid?
Not everyone has a deck or a cassette or CD player but pretty much everyone has a kitchen. We don’t want anyone to be left out, ya know?
You seem to enjoy playing around with a variety of sounds and instruments. Can you reveal some of the inspirations behind your creativity, perhaps those that are a little unexpected or unusual?
Recorders are a firm favourite, they can just sound so frantic when blasted. Also a selection of old Casio keyboards, the worse the sound the better they are.
I’ve heard that you enjoy raiding the dressing up box before performing, what’s been a personal favourite item that’s been worn on stage?
Our go to is the over-sized suit, but I recently enjoyed wearing a bin-man’s overalls found at a Sheffield market for £2. But perhaps the favourite is the chef outfit complete with Toque (big tall chef hat).
Much of what Gork produces seems to have a distinct sense of surreal humour – how do audiences usually respond to this, and what would be ideal Gork audience response?
People usually just don’t have a clue what’s going on which is great, the more freaked out the better. An audience that is up for it , and goes along with everything we throw at them, cabbage included, is super!
In your Bandcamp description you mention the inner small clown in all of us, and how your band has set it free and made it king – is there anyone of note in the public eye whose ‘inner clown’ you’d like to see freed?
100% Nicki Minaj ,she’s been papped a few times wearing a red nose but has always been shy to take the next step – I think she can do it.
And what can people expect to see from Gork in 2020?
New recordings, new faces, new videos, new instruments, new shoes…
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Class is out now on Breakfast Records/Leisure Records – you can watch the video for That’s Plastic Mate below and order the cassette or, more likely, the tea towel here.
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