What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
Of all time maybe Piano Fire by Sparklehorse, such a beautiful track. More recently maybe Sharon Van Etten, Jupiter 4?
How would you characterize your own music?
Not sure - try to let it do it’s own thing!
What are your musical aspirations?
Finding the motivation is more from searching for the song ideas and sounds than an end goal. I really enjoy producing the tracks and I find it’s a big part of the writing process, but I would love to work with a producer this year! So maybe that’s one.
What are your main musical inspirations?
It changes all the time! Curve is one of the biggest, and recently has been Medicine, Stone Roses, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Arcs and Hers. Hip hop like Mick Jenkins, Arlo Parks, Young Franco.
What are your main goals in life?
I think more in projects than goals. This year I am keen to get some projects going that have been in the works for a while, some NFT collabs, to make myself finish the T. G. Shand album in the next month or so!
What motivates you to create?
Listening to new tracks, ideas, coffee, nice views…
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Definitely a morning person, though it’s usually only at night I get time to do music stuff.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
I love sound design, working with artists doing installations and doing soundtracks (www.cusp.co.nz/sound).
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
U.N.K.L.E. were a big influence early on. The collaboration James Lavelle curated, the tension built in the tracks, the spaces left that give you chills, the mix of electronic and samples and band sounds. Mainly these really strong feelings that come out of the music, the melodies and super emotive tones but underpinned by badass beats. Burn My Shadow was one of my favourites, I remember being at a DJ set when he played at Big Day Out festival in Auckland ages ago, and I was just standing there with my eyes shut listening to it.
What is the best decade for music?
They’re all good! If you’re making me pick, it’d have to be the 90’s… Curve, Slowdive, Spice Girls.
What do your future plans include?
Album this year! Really excited to put this out. Then writing some more. I’ve been working with an awesome bunch of people so have a T. G. Band now. We just played a festival in NZ which was so much fun, so it would be great to play more.
T. G. Shand will release her debut album in 2022
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T. G. Shand
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