01Profile
A YOWL Photo
YOWL
Musicians — London
03Interview
Photograph by Rowan Allen
Name, where are you from?
Gabriel, currently living in Catford, London.
Describe your style in three words?
Slightly too large.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It’s moments like these I wish I kept my ticket stubs so I could have a look through… off the top of my head, seeing Slowdive last year was beautiful - probably because it was so unexpected too.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
The Fall and The Pogues would be solid, mainly so I could be there to watch the inevitable fight when the rider runs out.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Goths and bronies.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Someone like Copernicus or Galileo so I could blow their minds with my visionary knowledge of the cosmos and Neil deGrasse Tyson Youtube videos. Anyone I could freak out with stuff from the future really.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Maybe not my favourite ever to play, but the Montague Arms will always hold a heavy nostalgic value for me and the others in the band. It had a disproportionately high stage for the size of the room which always lent gigs there a weird gravity, even to smaller shows... sadly it’s the latest in the current unhappy stretch of music venue casualties.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Not necessarily unsung but often under-looked. Gary Burger / The Monks: punk before punk, rhythmically and stylistically avant-garde, cool as fuck.. they were a group of American soldiers stationed in West Germany in the 60's, but as far as I know their music wasn’t sold in the US for a while because it was seen as too out there, politically and musically. There are some live videos online that are really worth checking out.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Night Fever' by Bee Gees.
This was the first album my parents gave me, and it was the only CD I had for a while that was actually ‘mine’.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Identity' by X-Ray Spex.
One record you would keep forever?
'Licensed to Ill' by Beastie Boys.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
"I'm the only who laughs,
At your jokes when they are so bad,
And your jokes are always bad."
'Here' by Pavement.
Don’t know what it is about this one, but it’s a good reminder that keeping things as simple as possible can provoke the warmest responses.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Young Hearts Run Free' by Candi Staton.
A song you wished you had written?
'Do What You Gotta Do' by Johnny Rivers.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Sweat Loaf' by Butthole Surfers.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Pour Some Sugar on Me' by Def Leppard.
Best song to end an all-nighter on?
'It Is So Nice To Get Stoned' by Ted Lucas.
Any new bands you are listening to right now?
'Stammering Bill' by LICE.
'Twinkle' by Sorry.
'Abstract Thoughts' by Heavy Lungs.
03Interview
Photograph by Rowan Allen
Name, where are you from?
Gabriel, currently living in Catford, London.
Describe your style in three words?
Slightly too large.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
It’s moments like these I wish I kept my ticket stubs so I could have a look through… off the top of my head, seeing Slowdive last year was beautiful - probably because it was so unexpected too.
If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
The Fall and The Pogues would be solid, mainly so I could be there to watch the inevitable fight when the rider runs out.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Goths and bronies.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Someone like Copernicus or Galileo so I could blow their minds with my visionary knowledge of the cosmos and Neil deGrasse Tyson Youtube videos. Anyone I could freak out with stuff from the future really.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Maybe not my favourite ever to play, but the Montague Arms will always hold a heavy nostalgic value for me and the others in the band. It had a disproportionately high stage for the size of the room which always lent gigs there a weird gravity, even to smaller shows... sadly it’s the latest in the current unhappy stretch of music venue casualties.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Not necessarily unsung but often under-looked. Gary Burger / The Monks: punk before punk, rhythmically and stylistically avant-garde, cool as fuck.. they were a group of American soldiers stationed in West Germany in the 60's, but as far as I know their music wasn’t sold in the US for a while because it was seen as too out there, politically and musically. There are some live videos online that are really worth checking out.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Night Fever' by Bee Gees.
This was the first album my parents gave me, and it was the only CD I had for a while that was actually ‘mine’.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Identity' by X-Ray Spex.
One record you would keep forever?
'Licensed to Ill' by Beastie Boys.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
"I'm the only who laughs,
At your jokes when they are so bad,
And your jokes are always bad."
'Here' by Pavement.
Don’t know what it is about this one, but it’s a good reminder that keeping things as simple as possible can provoke the warmest responses.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Young Hearts Run Free' by Candi Staton.
A song you wished you had written?
'Do What You Gotta Do' by Johnny Rivers.
Best song to turn up loud?
'Sweat Loaf' by Butthole Surfers.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Pour Some Sugar on Me' by Def Leppard.
Best song to end an all-nighter on?
'It Is So Nice To Get Stoned' by Ted Lucas.
Any new bands you are listening to right now?
'Stammering Bill' by LICE.
'Twinkle' by Sorry.
'Abstract Thoughts' by Heavy Lungs.
YOWL | Warm (in the Soft White Fire of Modern Living) [Live Session] (2018)
YOWL | Darkroom (2017)