Forming in 2010, Genghis Can’t Swim quickly became the quirky named local band you had to see. Since moving to Melbourne, the band are making the trip back to ol’ G-Town for one of the town’s favourite events: the Nightjar Festival.
Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte Magazine, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?
We’re doing very well thanks Forte. The band has made the move to Melbourne recently and we’ve been focusing on gigs up there but it’s always great to play in our hometown of Geelong.
So first things first, for those who mightn’t have seen you around the traps lately, what’s been happening in the Genghis Can’t Swim world?
Writing. Lots and lots of writing. We’ve also been recording some songs that we will hopefully release as singles throughout the next year or so.
You guys are playing at the Nightjar Festival, what’s your favourite thing about heading to a market?
Markets are always great for food but the best thing about Nightjar is discovering all the new bands that are playing. We always manage to find new amazing local acts to follow and become friends with.
You deliver a very energetic live show utilising instruments that aren’t commonly seen by pop-rock bands including a trumpet, piano and megaphone. Will they be making an appearance at Nightjar?
Of course! We used to perform with a shamisen too but they are damn hard to mic up.
And what made you find the confidence to use such instruments in your music when the norm is a bass, guitar and drum kit?
Variety is the spice of life. Harry and Rob from the band both learnt trumpet and piano before bass and guitar so if anything they’re more comfortable than with the usual instruments.
For those who may not have heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
I like to call it energy-rock. Each time we get on the stage we give it everything and aim to get people at the very least tapping their feet to the songs.
Your EP – that was released at the start of last year received a lot of warm reviews online – in particular on the triple j unearthed website, how do you feel crowds reacted to the new material in a live setting?
We’ve heard a lot of good things from people. We have grown a lot as a band and keep improving with every new track – we’re very excited about what we have to show audiences at the moment and it’s a really great feeling.
As a band you have a very diverse range of sounds which is highlighted in your track ‘Apology’ – it can be rock, pop, melodic and funky all within 30 seconds. Musically who would you say are your biggest influences?
Everyone in the band has quite eclectic tastes and somehow it all seems to gel into our own style. I would say that our main influences are The Rapture, The Black Keys, The Deftones, David Bowie, the list goes on…
You guys have been a band since late 2010. What did you find was your favourite thing about being in a band when you first started and has that changed at all over the years?
That’s a really good question. When we first started as a band we were all really excited about where it would go. Genghis was the first band that any of us had been in and it was a very sexy idea to become rock stars and play to massive crowds. We learnt quickly that it wasn’t as easy as that and to really get somewhere you have to put a lot of work in. We have always loved sharing our music with people whether it be only a few people or more. As long as we are writing music that we enjoy, we will want to share that enjoyment with others and that has been the case from 2010 to now.
What’s on the horizon for Genghis Can’t Swim in 2016?
Hopefully a lot more recordings and shows. We’re really happy with the new tunes we’ve been writing and will be releasing a single called Thagomizer very very soon. So keep an eye on our Facebook.
Thanks for giving up some time for a chat, do you have any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?
Keep supporting local music. Go to a gig every now and then. You may find your new favourite artist or band. They can’t keep making the music you love if you don’t support them and live shows are a million times better than recordings anyway.
When & Where: Nightjar Festival, Johnstone Park – February 26
