Brighton trio Self Torque combine an irresistible medley of classic rock and roll with a more modern indie rock sensibility, as displayed in their newly released EP, No Rest for the Depressed. It’s a cracking record – if you’ve not checked it out yet, give the stream a whirl at the end of this interview with frontman Gabriel.
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new EP called No Rest for the Depressed. What can you tell us about the record?
It’s a collection of short, fast, energetic songs. Stripped back and to the point. Lyrically, it’s somewhat of a diary of the year or so leading up to the recording. There were a lot changes in my life in a short period of time, so it’s interesting looking back on it now from a very different place.
How has the reception to the EP been so far, and where can it be purchased?
It’s been really good, a lot of positivity. It’s streaming on all platforms.
Do you have any singles planned from No Rest for the Depressed?
We released a single, No Rest, on the 1st of December which incidentally was my 29th birthday. There’s a video online that you can check out.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album anytime soon?
Yes! I’m writing at the moment. Had a session with my band last night in fact and it was real good fun. I’m playing with friends of mine, Luke and Jay. It’s so great to have such fantastic musicians to throw things at, it makes my life very easy and really raises the level of the output.
The record was recorded at Third Circle Recordings. What was the writing and recording process like?
Pretty casual to be honest. I had a bunch of songs and ideas that hadn’t fit into other projects to choose from. I wanted the record to be fast but a lot of the songs I had were kinda slower so I wrote two new ones for the EP, No Rest and Daydream. Recording was fun, just bashed it out nice and quick with Luke Ellis on drums and Mishkin Fitzgerald, a label mate, singing some lovely harmonies.
Your music has a punk rock sound. What/who are you most influenced by when making music? What have you been listening to recently?
So a big influence on the sound of the ep was Tom Petty and A Giant Dog. More recently I’ve been listening to the new album by The Smile and a Brighton band called Regal Cheer.
You’re from the Brighton area. What is the local music scene like?
In a word, vibrant.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?
A few shows in the coming months, a festival later in the year and lots of writing.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Keep eye out on insta for that……
Any last words for the fans?
Have a nice day!