4.49°C By Ben Howard, Keep Colchester Cool
It was an unexpected but nice surprise when I bumped into Tyler Baker at the Noodle Bar in Colchester. I’ve been following his career for some time, having booked his band Gasoline Green for one of the Colchester Sound nights at Colchester Arts Centre back in February last year.
As we caught up, Tyler handed me a copy of his new album, GD. It’s been great to watch his story unfold – from winning Young Drummer of the Year to now releasing this latest album.
We arranged to discuss GD, his creative process, and what lies ahead for Gasoline Green. Below is our conversation, where Tyler shares insights into his music, influences, and the experiences that have shaped his path.
What drew you to the approach of recording GD mostly in your bedroom and transferring it from digital to cassette and back again? How do you think this method influenced the sound of the album?
I like to record at home on my own because that’s where I feel I have the most natural creative flow and freedom. It means that whenever I have an idea, I can get it down almost immediately without filtering it—capturing it in its purest sense. I’m a bit of a control freak too, so the idea of collaborative recording is a little scary for me. To me, it just means compromise more than anything.
The tape thing came from being into loads of music recorded on tape and on the lo-fi side of things. I like the character it gives to the music and the little imperfections – it gives it more life in a way.
Your first single, there’s a moth in my room!!!, started with a guitar riff and developed with an unusual chord change. Can you talk about how that song came together?
Absolutely. I had this little guitar riff based around C and G, which ended up being the main ‘chorus’ of moth. I’d been playing it for about a year, but nothing I tried adding to it really stuck. I liked the riff, though, so I started jamming it with the band at practice just to see what would happen.
After one of those jams, Ollie (my keyboard player) suggested I put an Abmaj7 chord after the riff, and suddenly, it opened up a whole new harmonic world for the song. The next day, I tried it with that chord change, and all of the song’s chords just unravelled beautifully.
This was in the summer, so I had my windows open a lot, and moths kept coming in, chewing little holes in my curtains. I thought about existence from the perspective of a moth, merged that with the thematic direction I’d been developing for the album, and there’s a moth in my room!!! was born.
Were there any unexpected challenges or surprises during the recording process?
For me, the main challenge – and the thing that took the longest – was the whole mixing/production side of things. I was very determined not to take it to the studio to be mixed this time. I wanted full control so I could fully realise my vision.
However, this meant spending a lot of time on Logic, tinkering and changing things, getting rid of things, putting them back, and listening to it through every possible medium until I was happy with how it sounded.
Are there any other tracks on GD that have an interesting backstory or were created in a similar way to there’s a moth in my room!!!?
I tend to write music in spells, so lots of the songs came into being pretty close together. The concept of the letters ‘GD’ originated from a bracelet I got from Roots And Grooves Cafe after a gig. I blindly grabbed it out of a basket, and it just had ‘GD’ written on it.
At the same time, I was just getting into David Lynch, so the idea of a mysterious bracelet with letters on it became a thought-provoking object that I could create some kind of lore around. The flower drawing I mention in the song GD was something I found at college one day, and I thought, “How can I link these two things together?”
I tend to write lyrics almost subconsciously, so these two things mushed together with themes of dreams, their meanings, and ideas lifted from David Lynch’s work, as well as other music and media I was into at the time.
How does GD compare to the music you’ve made before?
Compared to my last two albums, GD feels like me stepping into the more avant-garde direction I’ve wanted to explore but had been hesitant to before. It’s also a lot more eclectic in its sound.
The previous album felt like a lot of the same thing all the way through, so I made a conscious effort to make this one more varied and diverse. It’s also not as ‘clean’ as the previous two. Most of the music I’m into is either quite lo-fi or quite avant-garde, so I wanted to reflect that in my own music – being bolder and more daring than I have been in the past.
What’s your favourite moment on the album, either musically or lyrically?
There are lots of moments I’m fond of. My favourite song is probably Dying, white horse – I like how chaotic it is and how it completely deconstructs itself halfway through before rebuilding for the finale. I feel like that song is the album’s centrepiece.
I also really like Blue rose. I love how it builds and then switches up right at the end. Lyrically, I was trying to blur the idea of time into a kind of dream logic across the album, and I think Blue rose definitely captures that.
You’ve been making music from a young age, winning Young Drummer of the Year and performing in different settings. How has that experience shaped where you are now?
I think I’m just very lucky to have been brought up in a way where music has always been essential in my life. I’ve also been able to experience it from multiple perspectives – as a drummer, a songwriter, a musician, and just as someone who loves music.
All of this has meant that I’ve never been restricted to viewing music in a one-dimensional way. To me, it’s a universal language. When I create music, I don’t approach it as a ‘songwriter’ or a ‘drummer’ – just as someone who loves music and creating in all its forms.
How did transitioning from being primarily a drummer to a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter change your creative process?
I’ve always been interested in all kinds of music and art, so I pretty much always knew I wouldn’t just be a drummer. But at the same time, I don’t really consider myself a ‘songwriter’ or ‘multi-instrumentalist’ either – it feels too restrictive.
I’m reading Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovich, which talks about creativity and improvisation. It’s helped me realise how magical and unknowable the creative process is. For me, I just fall in love with ideas – whether they revolve around an instrument, a medium, or another musician’s work – and pursue them.
You’ve played some great venues already. Has there been a standout gig for you so far?
This isn’t just flattery towards you, but playing the Arts Centre with the band was pretty magical. Both gigs I’ve played there – Gasoline Green and drumming for Vix And The Bleeding Hearts – were amazing. It’s such a great venue with an incredible atmosphere and history.
Looking back at everything you’ve done so far, what have you enjoyed the most?
It’s impossible to pick one thing. What I enjoy most is the variety – making music, playing in different bands, exploring different styles, learning about music, and just living a musical life. The fact that I get to do all of these things I love is what I feel most lucky about.
How can people get their hands on a copy of GD, and where can we see Gasoline Green play next?
Right now, the GD CD is only available at our gigs, but when it’s released on streaming on February 24th, it will also be available to order from Bandcamp.
Our next show is at the Queen Street Brewhouse on 22nd February, and we’ll also be playing at the Minories Commons Cafe on 22nd March.
Catch Tyler and Gasoline Green on their socials for updates – and if you get the chance to see them live, don’t miss it.
Photo credit: Will Penny https://www.facebook.com/thesupersharpshooter
