He’s been on every Daydream Generation compilation there’s ever been (in various disguises), has a new song on his MySpace page every couple of weeks, and flits from style to style like a butterfly on speed. So I figured it was about time we got to finding out exactly what makes DYLAN GOUGH tick. And tock. And keep on ticking.
Smally: I bet you were a talented musical child prodigy – what was the first instrument you played seriously and when and why did you start writing songs? What were they like?Dylan: Hmm… i was kind of all over the place when it comes to learning instruments. well originally i wanted to play guitar so my parents bought me a little acoustic for christmas i think i was still in like 3rd grade or something. I dont remember exactly how old i was but i took it pretty seriously for about….a week….hahai didnt really pick up music again until 5th grade. I started taking lessons for drums and unlike guitar i couldnt stop playing and i got my first drumset for christmas. It was blue and made by a company called percussion plus. It was a piece of shit but it worked!a year or so later i got a bass and i started teaching myself but i gave that up for a while and a couple years later picked up guitar. so i began teaching myself guitar and started playing bass again. i recently took piano lessons but my teacher was really lame and didn’t seem very motivated to be teaching so i gave up on that i usually only stick with simple keyboard melodys anyways (dinosaurs!) Well around the time i started teaching myself guitar i started writing songs. I listened to alot of Weezer at the time so they sounded alot like that. i actually still remember the first song i ever recorded on my 4 track. maybe i’ll record it again someday just for fun. I kind of like it! but it totally sounds like The Weez. i guess the reason why i started writing songs is cuz i dont really have anything else to do haha and of course all the personal stuff that goes along with writing songs, like that sense of accomplishment and writing down lyrics is a good way to get things off your chest. Its relieving! Smally: If Weezer was the band that got you first writing music, who are the bands/artists that inspire you now? What are your favourite records?Dylan: Weezer was inspiring in the beginning but my musical taste completely changed when i first bought the pixies surfer rosa. that album is amazing and ever since then the pixies have been one of my top influences. I also really like Talking Heads because in albums like Remain in the Light they really got into using alot of percussion and crazy african drum stuff and mixed it with there already ridiculous sound. so good. This one might sound out of place but i also love KISS (the original lineup of course) and i dont give a damn about what people say!! ACE FREHLEY!!!!!!I also like the stooges, i dont like modest mouse anymore, i liked canned heat, i dont know i like lots of bands. its hard to choose favorite albums. Purple Rain anyone…and yea…i mean it. Smally: When you first appeared on a Daydream Generation compilation (“If The World” March 2007) it was as “Not Mr. Bones” – who or what was Not Mr. Bones and what happened to him? Dylan: Let’s see how do i put this. Well when my musical skills (sounds lame) starting evolving i had this idea to do a concept album i guess is what its called. It was about Mr. Bones and he was a dead guy and there was all this shit that went with it. The songs were supposed to be really dark but kinda funny at the same time as kind of a satire on like all those shitty bands that only sing about death and shit. i dunno what im even talking about. It all had a very bluesy sound i guess and i still miss it but basically i gave up because i kind of got sick of it and wanted to do all kinds of different styles of music. i dont think anyone even really got the point either. i still have plans on doing the Mr. Bones thing though. But yea when i started playing different kinds of music i didnt wanna put it under the mister bones thing cuz like i said nobody got the idea. maybe i didnt explain it?? nah. whatever. fuck lost track of my thoughts…umm yea so i switched musical styles and named myself NOT MR BONES because i couldnt think of anything else. Anything under the label Not Mr. Bones should just be considered a Dylan Gough song. i also changed my name to GO GO GO for a while cuz i wanted that to be my band name….but i never formed a band haha. fuck. Smally: That’s one of the things I love about your music – you’re like a Daydream Generation compilation all on your own in that you never really know what style you’re going to get next. If anybody is reading this and wants to apply to join your band, what are you looking for?Dylan: well…heres my dream band. Me on guitar and another guitarist. but he needs to be good enough do shred dual guitar solos until our fingers are on fire. i need a bassist who can groove like a champ. a drummer and a percussionist who are both trained in a wide variety of styles. 2 keyboards. maybe another guitarist who also plays various other instruments. and at least half the band has to be able to sing. if not i’ll get some back up singers. so whos game??? Smally: Songs appear on your MySpace page with an almost alarming frequency – so how come you don’t have an album yet? Where can people get hold of your music if they want to hear more in the meantime?Dylan: well if people want my music they just gotta ask! i dont like making them downloadable off my page cuz i like to know whos getting the songs which is why i have no problem just emailing them myself. haha i could make an album i have more than 2 done. (If the World, and Dinosaurs) but im not gonna release them until A. i like all the songs on it. B. theyre all redone in better quality (refer to new version of Somewhat Upset) and C. someone will put it out properly. im pretty patient. Smally: Like your namesake, lyrics seem to be the cornerstone of your songwriting – what do you write songs about?Dylan: Hmmm well i guess the same thing most people write songs about. jsut stuff that goes on in my life. I have alot of songs about not being able to sleep. im not an insomniac but im definitely a night owl. ive seen the sun come up 3 times this week! its not good but thats just how i am. so theres alot of songs about that as well as dreaming (dinosaurs was about daydreaming… coincidence??) but yea i feel like i write basic stuff but of course i try to do it in my own style. lately ive been trying to be more artistic about it thanks to my poetry class last semester haha. Smally: You’re involved in several different collaboration projects/bands – can you tell us a bit more about them?Dylan: yes i can!lets see we’ll start with Magic Magic cuz im sure alot of the people reading this know of themMagic Magic is a band started by my friends john and mike and not to long after brendan joined the band and basically there was magic magic! they wanted 2 drummers so i joined in and eventually our friend george started playing bass although now we’ve got a new bassist named melvin. John and Brendan primarily write the songs but lately we’ve all been working together and making some really cool stuff which gets me super pumped on playing music so i really enjoy being part of it and playing shows is always awesome and loud and fucking fun so if your ever in town, come see a magic magic show and you”ll have a fantastic time (wink wink) but really…do it. i should also mention that The Magic Magic LP will be released later this year through Mushpot Records. i already got a copy and it sounds real good. so look out! www.myspace.com/magicmagicbandAMF! AMF! AMF! – A collaberation of the Arts and Friendship! started by my boy Mike Chew, it was originally an idea for a clothing line and is slowly evolving into exactly what i said, a collaberation of the arts and friendship. I really enjoy experimenting with hip hop of course being a drummer i like working with beats and shit! but basically its a fresh project for me and its always evolving and chew understand hip hop so we make a good team. but really its not just us its all my friends! so go check out our page and watch all our promos and i promise you’ll be entertained. www.myspace.com/amfbeatsDrum Machine Dating Service!- My friend Jenn who runs Mushpot Records started this before i met her which happened through Magic Magic. She plays keyboard and DJ’s and shes super cool and wrote a bunch of tunes and i added in some drums and a little guitar. the only problem is she lives in New York and i live in Boston so so far every-thing’s been done through email but we made plans to record this summer so hopefully that works out! i dont know what else to say im still fairly new to the band haha i guess just check out Mushpot Records cuz theres alot of groovy bands on that label. and also check out whats on the DMDS page and expect some fucking awesome stuff for the future!http://www.myspace.com/drummachinedatingservice http://www.myspace.com/mushpotrecords Smally: Haha, no wonder you’re up all night with all that going on. What do you think about us trying to get the Daydream Collective (mass collaboration project involving various artists from the DG compilations) up and running again this year?Dylan: I really like the idea and was gonna do it last time. you sent me a song to sing on but i never got around to it. but this year i’ll be prepared!!! do it! do it! Dylan: I deleted the last question by accident. im pretty sure it was WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLd FOR DYLAN GOUGH!umm well! i duno! more songs maybe an album someday! maybe a new band. Its a mystery but i’ll keep it fresh! im starting to forget what im doing! so thanks for interviewing me. i hope i wasnt boring or confusing although im sure it was both! haha
Listen to the new single by Dylan Gough
“I’ve Got A Uke”
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