Husky talks us through “Late Night Store”, swapping Australia for Berlin and plans for 2017

It’s been a hot minute since Husky have been on the road through Australia but recently that’s all changed. Returning from Berlin brandishing new material to follow on from 2014’s Rucker’s Hill, songwriter Husky Gawenda and Gideon Preiss returned ready to reintegrate themselves in the Australian scene once more. And that, they most certainly have. With their national tour wrapping up with a hometown show at Melbourne’s Howler tonight, we find out about Husky’s time abroad and what he’s looking forward to with 2017 just on the horizon.

Husky has had a twelve month absence from the scene here in Australia, has it been a full-on time for you guys working on your third album?

Working on albums is always ‘full-on’ but this time around it has been easier, somehow. I think we stumbled upon a bunch of songs and a sound that felt right. We’ve been confident about what we’ve been working on. So while it has been difficult at times, it hasn’t been a struggle.

“Late Night Store” is the new single from the album due for release next year, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for this track?

“Late Night Store” came after a night of lots of drinking and confusion and heartache and longing and ecstasy. We were living in Berlin at the time and this was a typical Berlin night. I think it deals with feelings of confusion and detachment from the world around you, which can be hard sometimes but it can force you to look within and sometimes that’s where you find what you’re looking for.

You’ve both spent the better half of a year residing in Berlin. Was this a spontaneous decision and if not, why Berlin?

We had a lot of touring throughout Europe and the U.S. planned for 2015 and it made no sense to go back and forth from our hometown, Melbourne. So we set up shop for a while in Berlin. It’s central, affordable, our label and most of our European team is there and it’s endlessly entertaining.

For those who’ve never been: #1 must-do in Berlin?

Buy a 1 Euro beer at the spaetkauf (Late Night Store), go sit by the canal with your legs dangling (if possible, with a cute date or friend), will be the best beer you’ve ever drunk.

Since your last Australian visit you’ve been touring extensively in Europe and the US – how was the crowds’ response to Husky overseas?

The response has been great. It seems we’re very lucky to attract good people to our shows. So much of how a show pans out depends on the audience. There is an exchange that begins with the people who come to the shows. If they are open and passionate about the music, we can lift off, but only because they raise us up. And then they can lift off. Then we’re all lifting off and it’s a very powerful thing.

Fans back home probably remember your intimate live shows of 2014, can they expect a few changes this time round for your national headline tour?

Our show has come a long way. The intimacy is still there, it has to be. But there are bolder moments. The show is more dynamic now. I don’t think the band has ever sounded this good.

We last heard new music from Husky nearly two years ago – is your approach to making music still the same or have you found yourself embracing new styles and techniques?

We are almost finished our third album – it will come out in April next year. It’s 10 songs long and it explores a different sound for the band. We came to a fork in the road at the end of our last album and all the touring we did. We’d worked for a long time with the same sounds, the same palette . We felt for our own sake, we needed to be adventurous, make some fresh discoveries, in the writing and in the production. So we freed ourselves up to do that and the results are really exciting.

As well as new material, can we expect some old favourites nestled into your shows in the upcoming tour?

Of course. There are still many old songs we love playing and audiences like to hear.

9) Gearing up for 2017, will you guys be working on any other projects?

There’s always a few projects going on. But the focus will be on album #3 next year and a fair bit of touring for that.

 

 

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