Interview with Velvet Starlings: ‘The song goes to so many different places so fast, it gets in and out like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody”

LA-based, neo-psych garage rock band Velvet Starlings released their delightfully rambunctious single ‘HG Wells’ today (16 June), from their second album, Pacific Standard Time, due out after the summer.

The band comprises Christian Gisborne (vocals, guitar and organ), drummer Foster Poling and his brother, bassist Hudson Poling and new guitarist Alex Thorton, who joined them three months ago. Gisborne met the brothers somewhat serendipitously at a Cage The Elephant gig close to where he lives in Mar Vista, just down the road from Santa Monica: ‘They liked my dad’s Who t-shirt and said how cool it was. We got talking and they said they knew all the Jack White chords and I said “Dudes, I know all the Jack White chords!” It was awesome.’ Their name is a reflection of Gisborne’s love of the 60’s and garage rock, including The Beatles, The Doors and Cream.

‘HG Wells’ is, as you’d expect, inspired by the science fiction writer of the same name, although his name only appears in the last line of the song; he is best known for his novels ‘The Time Machine’ and ‘War of the Worlds’: ‘I haven’t fully read ‘War of the Worlds’, Gisborne confessed, chatting to me from the Isle of Wight festival. ‘I read ‘The Time Machine’, the condensed version! The song is about going back in time, about being a time lord. Those guys who can bend time in the multiverse. We’d been working on this song for the longest time. Joel Jerome, our producer, put his spin on it. We went in and took some of the sounds from the demo and added them in before the bridge, it’s time-bending, it gets all quiet. It’s not a theremin, we couldn’t afford one (laughs), it’s from an app. There are little nuggets of awesomeness and easter eggs in it.’

‘HG Wells’ is a snappy, psych guitar rock anthem, kicking off with a swirling, fuzzy theremin style organ intro and looping guitar riff, paying tribute to the legendary time lords and sci-fi heroes, such as Dr. Who, Doc Brown and H.G. Wells himself, and the wish to be able to send a “real genius” back in time to change the state of things and what’s going on in the world today. As Gisborne sings: “Guess the party’s nearly over, madness taking control, and these vampires are real, gonna suck out your soul”. It is an uptempo, dancey number right up until it hits the middle eight psych trip break down, before swinging back around for one more verse and chorus outro.

‘I like it when an album sounds really different but there’s a running theme across the songs’

Their second album, Pacific Standard Time, sees them switch it up once again: ‘It’s a rockin’ album,’ Hudson Poling said proudly. Gisborne chips in: ‘You can expect a different sound, every song sounds really different,’ he said. ‘I like it when an album sounds really different but there’s a running theme across the songs. The way to do that is to use the same instruments in every song, like on ‘Sgt Pepper’s’. Thorton agrees: ‘It’s the band that brings it together,’ he said. Gisborne interjects: ‘It’d be cool, though, to make an album with a different bass on each song!’

Next up is the title track from their upcoming album, ‘Pacific Standard Time’, which will likely come out in early August: ‘It’s about everything BUT Pacific Standard Time,’ Gisborne quipped. ‘It starts with a bunch of clocks.’ Foster Poling adds: ‘It’s about a fun time.’ Gisborne nods: ‘That one is a later addition, an afterthought that took it all together. PST still applies to places with a beach. The drums, bass, vocals and guitar are very similar to on ‘HG Wells’ but they all have different colour schemes in my head.’

I ask if their next album will showcase more of their beach fuzz sound and they laugh: ‘There’s implied beach fuzz on the songs,’ Thorton said. Foster Poling agreed: ‘Make room for more fuzz!,’ he said. The album will comprises 10 tracks, plus a bonus track. Hudson Poling cites ‘Turning Point’ as his favourite song on the album and his brother agrees: ‘I was going to say that but I also like ‘The Reckoning’, he said. Thorton picks ‘Amazon Prime’. Gisborne plumps for ‘H.G. Wells’: ‘I’m sure that it’s this, the H.G. Wells dude. The song goes to so many different places so fast, it gets in and out like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.’

‘Liam Gallagher…would rub my mum up the wrong way’

We somehow get onto Liam Gallagher and Eddie Vedder and the conversation turns to who would be best to have a pint with: ‘He’s my least favourite grunge singer but I still like Eddie,’ Foster Pohling said. Gisborne is giving the matter serious thought: ‘If you’re the right kind of person, I’d say Liam Gallagher but he would rub my mum up the wrong way (laughs). Hudson Poling jumps in: ‘He says funny things, that’s in short supply at the moment. He has a big heart – and a big mouth!’ Thorton agrees: ‘Gotta be Liam,’ he said.

Last September, they brought out their debut album Technicolor Shakedown comprising 10 tracks, including the titular track that kicks off with an instantly infectious, frenetic guitar riff over a Kinks style rhythm as it builds into a blast-off singalong chorus inviting the crowd to, “turn it up and turn it on”. It’s an anthemic ode to the joy of live music. The video has a great retro feel to it; they’ve spliced together shots of them in Venice Beach in LA with commercials from the 60’s.

Another track on the album ‘She Said (She Said)’ features a signature Doors style organ riff but quickly shifts into frenzied beach fuzz, garage punk territory, and tells the tale of instant attraction, coupled with the excitement, energy and adrenaline of “cutting a rug” on the sweaty dance floor of an all-night Californian house party. They used used a Nord Electro 5, 73 keyboard, with has six organ sounds to create a faster and crunchier distortion of their beach fuzz sound.

They are fans of Melbourne-based psych rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, The Beatles, The Stone Roses, Supergrass and Oasis and their dream line-up would be as energetic as the band itself: ”Humble Pie, ‘cos Steve Marriott (their frontman, who was also in Small Faces) was a crazy singer, the best of all time. He’s very underrated,’ Foster Poling said. Gisborne agrees: ‘He’s technically better than the Beatles.’ Thorton chips in: ‘And we like his voice better than Freddie’s.’ Hudson Pohling disagrees: ‘I would say Queen, they’re legends, you can’t argue with that.’ Thorton is thinking. ‘I might just go with The Beatles, wouldn’t everyone want to see that?’ Gisborne looks at him: ‘You took my answers (laughs)! Maybe The Who. Who are we bringing back from the dead, Freddie and Keith Moon?’ Foster Pohling shakes his head: ‘Steve Marriott!’ Gisborne laughs: ‘Who are the architects of the four person rock band?!’

(Photo from left to right: Alex, Christian, Foster and Hudson)