Project Description

Interview

with

GROUPLOVE

Interviewer – Bri Denmeade

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B: Hey, how’s your day going?

GL: It’s going great. I just woke up here in Melbourne and my girlfriend said my new tattoo is ugly so we got into a fight and then went to breakfast.

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B: Haha, oh no!

GL: And then we just had like 17 pouched eggs, and it was amazing. And now I’m talking to you.

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B: I love a good poached egg for breakfast, and how are you liking Melbourne?

GL: It’s the best. You know that you haven’t even got to ask, you know.

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B: I do LOVE Melbourne, but I’m a Brissie girl.

GL: Ohh Brissie! I love Brissie too, I love your whole country. I know it sounds cliche, but I do.

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B: Yeah, I was going to ask what is it like being back in Australia? GROUPLOVE has performed here a few times but it has been a while…

GL: Yeah, this is literally like our second home. It is my favourite place in the world. I’ve been in love with Australia since I came here as a teenager, and it has always kind of stayed with me. And for GROUPLOVE it was the first place we signed a record deal, and we were twice as big here as we were overseas for a while so we’ve had a really deep connection with Australia.

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B: Your music seems to resonate with the Aussies.

GL: It does! The only downside is that it costs so much, haha! But so what, when you get here it’s not like you are not going to enjoy it.

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B: Do you have any highlights from the tour so far? I know you’ve just finished headlining Party In The Paddock all the way down in Tasmania, was that wild?

GL: Oh My God! It was SO awesome. When we pulled up the rain cleared and there was all these tripped out looking young adults crawling out of there tents. Some were peeing behind their tent, and this guy in acid wash pants just ran up to the band going crazy. And then when it started pouring rain again people were just dancing around in the rain, it was fucking insane! And we all got new tattoos here in Australia, it was so much fun.

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B:  So cool, do you mind me asking what tattoo you got?

GL: Yeah. We all got a tattoo of the next album title.

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B: That’s brilliant! So I guess you can’t say what that is yet, haha.

GL: I don’t know if we can yet. I don’t know. I’ll have to keep you waiting.

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B: That’s such a great memento of your time here.

GL: Yeah, why not? It’s an inspiring place.

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B: You have Mountain Sounds festival while you are here as well, you have really packed in your time. Do you have a different set planned?

GL: Yeah. We’ve been mixing up all the sets here because we have three albums, and different singles. We’ve played our Like A Version song we did ‘Spiderhead’ which has been really fun. And just pulling out a few new songs from our next record. We try to have that balance of challenging ourselves, without being that band that doesn’t play the big songs because fans don’t like that.

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B: It seems like as a band you think about what you are putting out into the world. The ability GROUPLOVE has had to grow together as a band over close to ten years is incredible.

GL: Yeah for sure. We still write all of our own music, do our own merch and artwork for the albums. That way we keep it feeling like a real GROUPLOVE record.

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B: That’s a great way of knowing that the band has ownership over most of the creativity, and as artists that must be fullfilling.

GL: Yeah! I guess a lot of bands don’t do all of that anymore. Which is sad, and weird to me. To each their own, but I think growing up I fell in love with bands. And the idea of a group of people evolving together and changing their style. That’s something we keep as the core for GROUPLOVE.

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B: Well you’ve managed to stay together through close to ten years, and three albums so you must be doing something right.

GL: It’s been a long ass time dude. It’s fucking psycho to be with these people 300 days a year. Seriously, it’s psychotic.

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B: So for those who don’t know the GROUPLOVE origin story can you tell us about how it all started, and how you guys got to where you are now?

GL: Yeah, well prior to GROUPLOVE we all ended up in this little town called AVDOU. The people in GROUPLOVE just became this tight-knit crew while we were there and then it sort of spilt over into keeping in touch. Then we recorded an EP in L.A. in 2009, and we all went back to our lives not thinking too much would come of it but the songs were floating out there. When we realised people were connecting we decided to get together and make a go of GROUPLOVE. We took a risk, and here we are. And it really started in some art commune of all places. It’s weird.

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B: That is one of the coolest band backstories I’ve ever heard.

GL: It’s so ridiculous that when I tell it I feel like a fucking liar.

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B: Have you guys had to collaborate with one artist or band who would you choose?

GL: Someone from Pink Floyd, maybe David Gilmore or Roger Waters. Roger Waters just played here in Australia last night actually. David Bowie, you know all those artists you would kill for a minute with.

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B: I’m being told I have to go because we have been talking so long haha, so good luck with the rest of your time here. Thanks for the chats.

GL: Haha, nice to talk to you.

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Follow GROUPLOVE

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http://tiaf.co/XX66PP

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AMNPLIFY – DB