The Winter Gypsy are a six-piece indie folk group from Adelaide who have just released a fantastic new single filmed in an atmospheric Mt Barker location and we were fortunate to find out a little more about them.
Hi Tush and welcome to Beauty and Lace, thanks for talking to us.
Can you tell us how you met and formed the band?
I’d originally been working on songs for a project that I was ready to call, ‘The Winter Gypsy’. At the time, I was unsure who I wanted to work with. I met Max (drummer) in 2015, and got talking about our musical endeavours. Both of us were currently in different bands but agreed to meet up for a jam.
The first jam we had, we recorded and came up with our first single, ‘People’, a song that I had recently just written. Jonny, (Lead Guitarist) mixed and mastered the product and in return, joined the band after loving the sound that had been created.
Where did the name come from?
I came up with the name, actually. I used to play backyard shows with Dave, (Pianist) when we both started to collaborate. Friends used to call us gypsies because of the style and the way we’d just set up anywhere, shoeless and play a set filled with random sounds involving, guitar, piano, melodica and xylophone topped off with some vocal harmonies. Winter happens to be my favourite season of the year. During Winter, 2014, I had come up with the name, and it stuck with me.
How would you describe your sound?
Ambient, Eerie, Majestic, Soothing
Can you tell us about new single Took Me By?
Took Me By is actually one of the first original tracks I ever wrote back when I started playing guitar. Actually, most of the songs on the EP are some of my oldest tracks. The song was written in 2014; and it’s about the mental struggle I was going through while my mum was suffering from cancer in 2009, (she’s all cleared and is keeping healthy). It’s mainly about the uncertainty of and fragility of situations that are out of your control. I couldn’t help my mum no matter how much I tried, and it drained me emotionally. A few years later, I was finally able to put something to paper and wrote ‘Took Me By’. Mum loves the track (thank god).
The video is shot in the picturesque Adelaide Hills town of Mt Barker, can you tell us about how you chose the venue?
I sat down with Gerard Wood, our amazing director for a coffee one afternoon and he told me about this amazing abandoned railway line that was up in Mount Barker. Gerard said he’d been wanting to film a video there for a while. So Max, Dave and I went up one afternoon and instantly fell in love with the spot. That same night, I came up with ideas for the video and pitched it to Gerard, and it was all set in stone from there!
Where did the concept for the video come from?
The idea of having me tied to a couch and letting others run past me at the end of the clip is the first idea I thought of, and it’s the most meaningful image that relates the song to me, personally. As I wrote this song about when my mum was battling cancer and I felt as though no one could help her, it was all just a waiting game if she lived or died. So I wanted to portray that thought into having a visual of someone restrained and ‘crying out for help’ but having everyone run past me through the tunnel to show that sometimes there’s nothing they can do to help. You’re more or less ‘too far gone’.
How did you come to be working with Gerard Wood?
I went to school and am close with Gerard’s brother, Louis. I met Gerard through Louis and Gerard always knew that I was making music. Luckily enough Gerard is into the type of music that we make, making it that much more fun to work with him. Such a good dude and a great family.
Can you tell us about the EP Page 1?
The EP has been in the works for a surprisingly short amount of time. We started in April, and we actually finished it in the same month. The recording process was relatively quick because I had been playing these songs since 2012-2013; it was just the addition of a full band that made the prospect of recording even more exciting.
The name of the EP “Page I” pays homage to the original and first songs I ever wrote, and having all of these recorded and finalised provides a sense of closure, as well as a drive to create new material.
You head out on tour in August, what can audiences expect?
Our love for instrumental jams on stage. We absolutely love it!!! Our songs usually go for another minute or two because of the additional intro or outro that we throw into it. It’s so much fun, and we’ve realised that it brings our audience members closer for a more intimate session. We can’t wait to play our first tour!
Can you tell us a little about the behind the scenes tour experience for The Winter Gypsy?
We don’t really have much of behind the scenes to talk about really. Generally just the planning side of things. But I will say this. I would like to give a massive shoutout to Emily Cheung from On The Map PR for being so lovely and helping us every step of the way so far. What a beautiful lady!
Great to hear from you, and you’re right Em and the team are lovely. Thanks for your time and good luck with the tour.
THE WINTER GYPSY EAST COAST TOUR
Sunday 28 August
BAR OPEN, FITZROY MELBOURNE
18+ – Tickets available at the door
Sunday 4 September
THE JADE, ADELAIDE
All Ages – Tickets available at the door
Thursday 8 September
PLAYBAR, SURRY HILLS SYDNEY
18+ – Tickets available at the door
Saturday 10 September
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT
All Ages – Tickets available at the door
Saturday 17 September
THE EXETER, ADELAIDE
18+ – Tickets available at the door
The Winter Gypsy can be found on the web at: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SOUNDCLOUD and JJJ UNEARTHED
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