Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
We focus on the Teesside songwriter and his band who have recently released their new single, Intercept.
Who are you?
G.F. Bruce / The G.F. Bruce Band – an artist/songwriter from Boro. The G.F. Bruce Band are the band that bring the songs to life.
What is it you do?
Write and record music using analogue reel to reel tape.
How long have you been doing it for?
Since the age of 15. During the early to mid-part of the 2010s, I was the singer/songwriter/guitarist for the Teesside based Brucey Ripper Band. When the band took a hiatus I began writing and recording songs under the name G.F. Bruce. The other band members had taken some time off to travel, have families but I wanted to continue writing and recording. In 2016 I met Paddy (guitar/backing vocals) at a gig he was doing in another band, and he really pushed me to bring the songs out into the open. We tried a few different line-ups and members came and went but finally, we’ve settled on a line-up that works.
What inspires you?
Life, philosophy… I’m a counsellor by day so that inspires me. Films inspire me, like Withnail and I. Gritty realism that depicts the human condition. Real life as it is. I enjoy the horror of existence.
Tell us about your music
My biggest musical influence is Dylan, I also take a lot of influence from Ryan Sambol, formerly of The Strange Boys – the best artist in the world currently active. The band often gets compared to Dylan, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads. I record all the parts to our songs, I don’t like fingers in my food! I know how I want a song to sound. I actually enjoy recording the other band member’s parts more, the bass especially. The lads are fine with that and it works. I’d like to say there is a theme or a mood behind it or a lot of thought that goes into it but in reality, it’s all written in the moment, the second I start to think about it, and dwell on it – writing about a subject like love, loss, or whatever, it unravels.
Tell us what you have got coming up in the future.
Well, the new single – Intercept – is out 20 April across all streaming platforms on the Goosed Records label. Obviously we can’t practice as a band but everything is recorded from my home studio so I’ve got days and weeks of free time and a studio in my house, so the plan is to write and record. The next goal is the album, which I’m looking to do by recording way more than I need and picking the best stuff. There’s no release date yet, probably should set one really – give myself a goal. As a band, when we come out of lockdown we’ll have a whole host of songs to learn and gig, so I guess just looking to make the best of a difficult situation.
Where can people find out about you?
Paddy deals with all that. He does some promo work for Goosed Records so he likes to get into that side of things – I don’t actually check our social media accounts but I’m reliably informed we have a Facebook account; we’re @gfbruceband on Twitter and @the_gf_bruce_band on Instagram.
