Q and A: Flynn Gower (COG)

By ADAM COOPER

Hot Metal: How has Northern NSW been treating you?

Flynn Gower: “We’ve had a beautiful winter this year with perfect day after perfect day for the most part … with plenty of that wild and intimate ambience you get during winter in an Australian coastal town The post-flood situation is slowly but steadily improving which is great to see, too.”

HM: Hopefully a creative time for you guys. Any new music in the pipeline?

FG: “We do have new material we’re working on. One song in particular feels like it’s close but still needs more attention in order to craft it into a super special track. On the whole we don’t get to devote as much time to it as we’d like as we all need to prioritise the kids and our businesses and employment etcetera. Hopefully we can have new out sooner rather than later.”

HM: Have you looked back on the early days with Hanging Tree with fondness?

FG: “Yeah totally. Never otherwise. It was such a special time in our lives and we all feel we created something pretty special with the self-titled album. Still love the journey it takes the listener on, the sound of a two-inch tape recording and especially everything Emmy brought to the project both lyrically and vocally.”

HM: A few very cool side projects over the journey.. any word on that?

FG: The Occupants was definitely something Luke (Gower) and I were really enjoying while it was happening. Without a doubt it’s some of the music I’m most proud of creating. Leigh Davies and Forrester Saville were amazing musical brethren and we were lucky enough to end up deep in the flow with that project and preserve some that time in the recordings we produced. Would love for a situation to arise in the future where we could reunite and continue creating. We never got to perform the songs live which would also be something special I feel.”

HM: Every release you guys do is so special. Few and far between. Is that due to production time or purely writing?

FG: “It’s a number of things. We’re extremely fussy about what we create and produce and that can be stifling at times and can also drag things out. There’s other factors that effect things as I mentioned above but generating the finances to pay for things is obviously another significant consideration.”

HM: Do you guys have activities outside of the band ? Sport? Following or playing?

FG: “None of us are avid followers of competitive sports. We all love the ocean though and I sense that love has somehow reflected itself within the music. It’s infused with it. All our children are into different things as well and we often find ourselves vicariously enjoying sports and hobbies through their experiences.”

HM: Which album or artist would you take to a deserted island?

FG: “I’m thinking it would be a Polynesian ukulele group with a deep appreciation for old school island gospel. Super chilled.”

COG are performing at Thrashville. Festival dates HERE