Breaking Through | 5 Questions with Bananagun

From what we know about psychedelic, genre-bending guitar music, Australia has been a fertile breeding ground for a number of years now. There's a great sense of levity amongst a hefty portion of bands that come out from 'down under' with tongues firmly in cheeks, adopting a no holds-barred approach to absorbing wide-ranging influences and regurgitating them with a twinkle in the eye. 

Same goes for Bananagun - they're named Bananagun for goodness sake - but aside from the wacky band name, it's almost a given that sonic exploration if part of the band's remit. 

Born out of band-leader Nick Van Bakel's bedroom, upcoming debut album The True Story of Bananagun sees their first composition as an entire band and veers away from the traditional mode of psychedelic rock, rather concocting a sun-kissed, vibrant blend of Afrobeat, Tropicália, and enchanting melodies. 

We caught up with Van Bakel on drawing inspiration from skate vids, James Brown, and beyond.

What first got you into music?

When I was about 12, I watched heaps of skateboarding videos that had good music - I got into a lot of music, from The Stooges to Kool Keith from those, and just loved playing guitar.

How would you describe your creative process in terms of writing/recording? 

I don’t have a process, really. I just feel it out little by little. I've usually got a few ideas on the go and just work on whatever seems hottest.

What is your favourite song to perform? 

'People Talk Too Much' because I've never done an extended solo - I usually chicken out.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be and why?

James Brown in his prime because it'd probably go down great live and you'd wanna have a dance.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

I don’t really know about the business side but it's been pretty invaluable for my generation having access to so much good music, fast-tracking stuff like if you’re having difficult recording you can just click a button and find the answer. You can be so direct with fans too.

To hear more from Bananagun, click here.