A “Must Listen” To For Indie Rock Artists and Producers
We talk to the artist about his influences,
writing style, and home studio recording process from Bristol, England, home of Trip-Hop, Massive Attack, and Banksy among others
At Switchbitch Noise we listen to a lot of new releases, and “God of the Gaps” by Stanley Duke and the Kindred Spirits immediately got our attention. Maybe I have a bias toward indie music that comes out of the UK, yes maybe, but I urge anyone interested in production and songwriting to have a listen and let me know if I’m crazy.
Upon the first few measures of “God of the Gaps” you can hear a very rare attention to detail in the production and instrumentation. Is that bassline following the drums?? And the buzz of the guitars, have I time-traveled and found myself at a Fillmore East show, in 1969? Stanley Duke, a tour de force of songwriting prodigy, engineering, and production is our latest ‘find’ in a crowded rock scene. We got the opportunity to ask Stanley Duke about this latest release in our exclusive interview.
Here is our interview:
SNB: Standley Duke, your music gives us some psychedelic classic rock vibes, with a nod to bands from the 60s like Cream and Hendrix. Were these artists that you ever listened to? Or are you tuned into King Gizzard the Lizard Wizard… What are your influences, we’d love to know!
SD: Definitely, when I first got into music it was all Hendrix, Cream, Zeppelin, the old classics. That definitely shaped my music taste moving forward. I read somewhere that the music you get into at 13-14 is what you’re into for the rest of your life. Something about brain development I think. My influences come from all over the place, though. I love metal, disco, electro, funk, pop, everything really. Every genre has something good in it.
SBN: What do you enjoy more, writing, recording, or performing music, and why?
SD: I love all of it for different reasons. My process has evolved over the years and these days, largely thanks to technology, I tend to write and record at the same time from home. It’s a symbiotic process. I love to just become completely enveloped in the process and often go 10 hours straight without realising. The thing I love about performance is almost the antithesis of why I love recording. I’m very precise and perfectionist when I record, but when I play live I like to let out some raw energy and revel in the chaos.
SBN: The production of God of the Gaps is particularly outstanding. The buzz of the guitars was perfect, but what got our equal attention was the drum and bass. Tell us about the recording process and the producer of the track?
SD: As I said before, I tend to write and record from home at the same time. I produced the track myself, 90% of what you hear was recorded in one afternoon. It was one of those songs that just has to come out. I’m glad you like the rhythm section, I always love recording bass. I have a lovely gold Fender Jazz Bass which is a dream to play and write with. The drums are actually all meticulously programmed. I spent quite a chunk of time finding the right sounds and giving it a feeling of being alive. The mixing process I always spend a lot more time with. I probably spend more time than I should trying to get the kick drum EQ right or getting the fizzle of the fuzz guitar just how I want it. It has to be perfectly imperfect. I think to an extent that’s why I’ve been reluctant to record live drums so far, because I have less control. I’ve become somewhat of a control freak over the years hahah. Having said that, I will be taking the plunge into chaos and recording with my band later in the year.
SBN: Are you part of an indie rock scene in Bristol? Are there plenty of venues to play live shows? Tell us what is happening in the UK indie rock scene in 2024, we get some vibes from some of our favorite early naughts bands like Super Grass when listening to your music. Are we entering another great decade of music out of the UK?
SD: There are loads of great bands in Bristol. I don’t get to as many shows as I would like but it really has a great buzz. I don’t think there’s ever been a bad decade of music for the UK, so I can’t see why it would stop now. Sometimes the good stuff just isn’t in the charts.
SBN: If you could live and work on your music anywhere in the world, no passport required, where would you live and why?
SD: I’d like to move around a bit more for some extended periods but the UK will always be my base. There’s just something about it. The weather can be beautiful but in general it’s grey. There’s a certain hardness which informs everything in our culture. Laughing in the face of adversity.
SBN: We love the story told with the lyrics of the song. Are you the man “searching for meaning, disillusioned by the workings of the modern world?” What aspects of our contemporary world do you find most problematic?
SD: The lyrics were quite automatic and I didn’t really think as I wrote them, but I think sometimes that’s when you say the most about yourself. I wasn’t intentionally writing about myself but I certainly have an affinity with the character. In my head he’s a cowboy for some reason. It’s hard to know where to start with the way the world is. There are certain economic forces which have been entrenched so deeply into our system and our culture that it’s hard to see a way out. I do try to stay optimistic in the face of it though. Part of me sees us moving forward into a technologically advanced society living in harmony with nature, the other part sees the rise of fascism and the end of everything. I think struggling with that contradiction is quite a common condition in the modern world.
SBN: Who would you want to tour with and where?
SD: The Flaming Lips, the moon.
SBN: Give us the names of four songs or bands that you would want everyone to know about. They can be old or recent releases. What is on your personal playlist?
SD: Four of the tunes I’m loving at the moment are;
Nick Lowe – I Love the Sound of Broken Glass
Post Animal – Ralphie
Wooze – I’ll Have What She’s Having
The Rah Band – Clouds Across the Moon
SD: Thanks for having me!
SBN: We recommend listening to two other songs of by Stanley Duke and the Kindred Spirits. Follow them for more on Instagram and Spotify:
