Project Description

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A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase.

Interview with
A TWENTY-TWO LETTER PHRASE

(aka Angus Frederick Gardiner)

(28th September 2021)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase

Photo credit – Alex Bennison

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
Yes I’ve always thought I wanted to be a musician, but I haven’t always thought of myself as a songwriter. I love making music, playing instruments. I had always written music but it wasn’t till last year that I decided it was time to actually knuckle down and release something. It has taken a bit of a shift in attitude about my music making – not to be perfectionistic and just release stuff.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
Well I’m not sure that they do at the moment, i’m just getting started and people are still getting to know me, but the fact that bands like Wilco, Grandaddy, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene… those sorts of indie rock bands which operate more or less on the fringes of the mainstream, can have long and storied careers gives me hope that there are people who resonate with this music. 

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today? 
The most direct inspiration I got for this body of work was probably Jeff Tweedy and reading his books and listening to his music. He’s someone who I identify with in terms of his outlook on music making and artistic expression. 

Your new single has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution.
The song is about feeling a bit disconnected from yourself, and finding a blueprint for making meaning out of your life. It’s a bit abstract I know. I’m sorry. I felt like the person who I was before wasn’t really me, or at least only tenuously me. I wrote it around mid-late 2020 with pencil, paper, and typewriter and recorded and mixed it all in my music room. Miles Thomas contributed the drums from his place and Jenny McCullagh came over and played the violin. Aside from that I did all the instruments. 

Your new EP is about to be released! Tell us about it.
The EP is called Just Tell Me What I Gotta Do. It’s a set of songs that are all in some way related to my processing and gradual acceptance of the passing of my close friend and band mate Luke Liang. It’s quite a personal thing and some of the songs are quite raw. Making the music helped me regain my sense of self, my self confidence, and gave me something meaningful to work towards. I hope other people can find some meaning in it as well, or maybe it’s just something nice to listen to. 

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I am doing a YouTube livesteream on the 1st October. Aside from that, things are just so uncertain with COVID. I hope that next year i could get out on a tour and do some proper shows.

How has COVID affected you to date? What have you introduced to balance the losses from missed events?
I am studying Psychology, which is taking up a lot of my time since I am not on the road. I also have a few other projects on the go, but COVID also gave me the time at home to record this music and launch this project, so that is a silver lining. 

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Your name A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase is interesting, where did that come from?
Well my legal name, Angus Frederick Gardiner, is a phrase of 22 letters, as is “A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase”. I liked the idea of it being an arbitrary thing… ‘just a name’… and it being itself.  

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist? 
Yes I just aspire to keep making honest and hopefully quality music for the rest of my life. 

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
I think when you are performing and you are in the zone, and pushing the limits of maybe what you practised, and everyone in the band is doing the same, and you’re not sure if you’ve gone too far… and then you finish and there’s that moment of quiet after the final note before the applause… that’s a great moment… uncertainty about how it’s gone as everyone digests what just happened…. It doesn’t happen very often. 

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – maybe Revolver – The Beatles
Artist –  JS Bach
Movie –  Apocalypse Now
Place to visit –  Vietnam
Venue to play – Paradiso Amsterdam
Food – Italian
Drink – sparkling water w ice and lime
Person in History –  Rosa Parks
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?)  I wouldn’t get one, but if I did, maybe something for my friend Luke

Angus Frederick Gardiner is A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase.

Predisposition is out now, the EP Just Tell Me What I Gotta Do is out September 30.

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A Twenty-Two Letter Phrase

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AMNPLIFY – DB



Press Release 9th September 2021 (below) HERE

A TWENTY-TWO LETTER PHRASE
Shares new single + video
PREDISPOSITION

NEW EP JUST TELL ME WHAT I GOTTA DO
OUT SEPTEMBER 30 – PRESAVE NOW

EP LAUNCH LIVESTREAM OCTOBER 1

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AMNPLIFY – DB

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