Gustaf
An indie rock band whose keen intelligence is never compromised by their sense of fun, Gustaf play lean but danceable music powered by minimal rhythmic grooves, spare guitar figures, and dual vocals that play with boundaries of sound and gender. Fans of venerable avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson, one of their singers, Tarra Thiessen, makes use of a trick Anderson called "Audio Drag," running her vocals through an effects pedal that lowers her singing to a male register, adding extra levels of meaning and irony to their songs as Thiessen and Lydia Gammill trade verses. The group generated an impressive buzz for their energetic live shows before they gave out-of-town fans a better chance to hear them with their debut album, 2021's Audio Drag for Ego Slobs.
Hailing from New York City, Gustaf first came together in 2018, when singer and percussionist Tarra Thiessen and bassist Tine Hill were playing in a band called Ex-Girlfriends. Ex-Girlfriends had booked a tour around a performance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Thiessen asked her friend Lydia Gammill, a vocalist, to help with the driving, and she agreed under the condition that she could also play some shows along the way. Gammill didn't have a band at the time, but when the Ex-Girlfriends splintered shortly before the tour was to start, they embraced it as an opportunity to launch a new project. Thiessen, Hill, and the Ex-Girlfriends' drummer joined forces with Gammill and a guitarist she'd collaborated with, Vram Kherlopian, and they hit the road before they settled on a name. After they returned home, they traded out their drummer for new timekeeper Melissa Lucciola, and Gustaf was up and running.
The band hit the New York club scene, playing out often and earning fans with their blend of downtown cool, clever wit, and minimalist, dance-friendly grooves. They were soon sharing stages with acts like Tropical Fuck Storm, Omni, and Dehd, as well as Suicide co-founder Martin Rev and No Wave sax star James Chance. They got an especially impressive endorsement when Beck invited them to open a show for him at a secret, invitation-only loft party. Gustaf's trajectory hit a snag when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music in New York City in March 2020, but during their downtime, the band started working on recording, and they released the song "Mine" in October 2020, with "Design" following two months later, both issued by Royal Mountain Records. Fans had to wait until July 2021 for their next offering, when they shared a new song, "Book." The group repaired to the Honey Jar Studio in Brooklyn with producer Carlos Hernandez to record their first full-length album, and Royal Mountain issued Audio Drag for Ego Slobs in October 2021. Gustaf helped spread the word about the release by setting out on an American tour opening for Idles.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 13 mrt. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Audio Drag for Ego Slobs
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 1 okt. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Book
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 28 jul. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Starting and Staring
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 10 jan. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Package Pt. 2
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 19 apr. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Here Hair / Hard Hair
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 14 feb. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Design (Beck Remix)
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 2 dec. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Design
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 2 dec. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Behavior
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 17 aug. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mine
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 8 okt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gustaf on Audiotree Live
Alternative en Indie - Released by Audiotree Music on 8 feb. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Motions
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 8 sep. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sit ku musta rakennetaan patsaita
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by K-Kollektiivi on 27 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Mine
Alternative en Indie - Released by Royal Mountain Records on 4 dec. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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You're a Liar
Alternative en Indie - Released by 3398824 Records DK on 25 okt. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Me No Need (Instrumental)
Alternative en Indie - Released by 3398824 Records DK on 23 okt. 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -