‘The Eighth Note’ is 8 quick Questions with Wellington Musicians.

A chance for us to catch up with people & see what they’re up to, or introduce you to a new musician/band and their music.

Today’s guest is Lucas from Church of Goya.

Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
My name is Lucas, I play guitar and sing in the band Church of Goya, along with Jono (bass) and Frazer (drums). We’re heavily influenced by 70s and 80s post-punk, no-wave, and hardcore. Our sound is dynamically quite varied, we’ll go from quiet and clean to heavy and fuzzed-out, or from steady and rhythmic to the brink of losing control. I like music like that, it’s dialectical, it goes to the edges of what people think music can be, at both ends of the “spectrum.” I think through all variation, the core components of our sound stay the same – the drums are big, the bass is thick and round, and the guitar is toppy and abrasive – whether we’re playing loud or quiet.

What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
We will be recording an album very soon with Oli Devlin from Hans Pucket. He knows his way around a drum mix, which is great, because I don’t. Our live sets lately have more or less been the tracklist for the album, there’s old songs and one or two that some people might not have heard yet.

Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
On Facebook – & we also have a Bandcamp page. Getting that URL right is important, there’s a stoner metal band from the US called Goya and if you click the wrong link you get taken to the page marijuana.bandcamp.com, which I guess is ok and pretty funny.

What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
Honestly, I grew up listening to classic 60s and 70s music, I think my mum just likes the hits so all we had were compilation CD’s of various artists so it’s hard to pin point a particular album. My dad likes a bit of New Wave – he got me into Talking Heads – and that was definitely influential. In terms of albums that influenced the music I play now, that formative period only happened in the last 4 or 5 years, and it’s still happening. Here are some picks from that/this time:
1. The Gordons – 1st Album/Future Shock EP. I hit a creative block at the end of 2015 and discovering the Gordons blew the mental wall wide open. They’re loud, raucous, chaotic, and musically and texturally very interesting.
2. Women – Public Strain. Sounds like the Beach Boys from a dystopian parallel universe but recorded from far away in some cavernous industrial space. A beautiful jumble of odd rhythms, interlocking guitars, and really original vocal melodies. They’re one of my ‘blueprint’ bands, every time I listen to them I get inspired to do something else.
3. Skeptics – Skeptics III. It’s abrasive, it’s noisy, it’s groovy, it’s full of beautiful contrasts.

Which other Wellington musician (s) would you most like to work with?
Sophie from Beatcomber and Emerald from Draghound. Sophie’s singing is so loud and confident, and Emerald is one of the best guitar players in Wellington. I would start a garage rock band with either or both of them anytime.

What’s your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
Valhalla. Best sound, cheapest drinks. When you pay $10 to see a gig, you shouldn’t have to pay another $10 just for one drink. You go to a gig for the music, not for the craft beer.

In your songwriting or composing (or the band’s songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
It used to be that I would lay down a bass track over a drum machine beat, and then work out guitar and vocals over that. That was when I was solo. Now I have a band, and it’s much more collaborative. Frazer is such a proficient drummer, so letting him do whatever he likes usually works out for the best. Jono comes up with bass stuff I’d never think of. Generally, I come up with lyrics first now, then work them into and around guitar parts, then bring them to band. I’ll give some direction, but it’s more or less a fully collaborative process.

Where/when is your next gig?
San Fran, March 3rd, with Human Resource (AKL) and Unsanitary Napkin. It’s an exciting lineup.