GIFT from New York was recently on tour with Sunflower Bean and played the Lodge Room. You can read my review of the night here. I came across this band last year when their PR firm reached out to US Rocker Music about covering a set. Unfortunately, I couldn't head out to cover their set due to, you know, real life work that required some long hours. It was really unfortunate, because one of their sets was with Reb Ribbon who I had seen earlier in the year and had put them on my favorites list, which you can read here.
 |
| GIFT at the Lodge Room |
I was impressed enough with what I heard that I recommended to US Rocker Music that I conduct an email Q&A with the band. You can read that interview here. I think one of the more interesting responses from lead singer TJ Freda is the following:
Question: The band has been together for a few years now and you dealt with the pandemic shutdown. Are there any pearls of wisdom that you would suggest to bands that are just now forming as a group?
Answer: It’s funny to think we have “technically” been together for 5 years but it really only feels like 2. We played 2 shows after forming and the pandemic paused the band for 2 ½ years, so 2021 really feels like when we got going. A 5 piece is difficult, it’s a lot of different personalities and moving pieces. Communication is the most important part. If you’re not communicating as best friends then the music will suffer. It’s always been about friendship first and foremost to keep everyone sane. Do things out of your comfort zone.
 |
| GIFT at the Lodge Room |
As soon as I saw that I'd get to catch the band live in 2025, I immediately new what song I was going to highlight: "Wish Me Away". It was the song that convinced me to do a Q&A with the band. I loved the music video (you can watch it here). Per their record label Captured Tracks, the music video was filmed in Beverly Hills. Though based on the opening scene, the video is supposed to represent an aristocratic European (likely France) estate.
It is a song about thinking about death and if the world will quickly forget that you every existed (my interpretation, which has often proven wrong).
 |
| GIFT at the Lodge Room |
Like sinking sand
Its gone way to fast
After their set, someone mentioned to me that the band could have gone on for an hour and that their thirty minute set went by in a flash. Technically, the set was 40 minutes and not 30 minutes, but that makes what was said even more meaningful, because the person thought that 40 minutes had been squeezed into 30 minutes.
Gift setlist: Wish Me Away, Going In Circles, It’s All Too Fast, Later, Gumball Garden, Pinkhouse Secret Rave.
No comments:
Post a Comment