July 5, 2024 |
Working under the moniker Still Woozy, artist and producer Sven Gamsky, returns with an enticing sophomore album, Loveseat, and it’s filled to the brim with modern psychedelic music that’s sure to transport you straight back to the Summer of Love. Ah the ’60s…
Based in Portland, Oregon, but hailing from the Bay Area, Gamsky began his innovative pop career with a slew of hit singles – most popularly ‘Goodie Bag’ (2017) – before dropping his highly anticipated debut album, If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is, in the summer of 2021. A record filled with a lavish, homespun mix of acoustic and electronic alternative music with just the right amount of funk, the now 32-year-old artist redefined the limits of modern pop by introducing elements of soul, folk and psychedelics into his wildly infectious tunes.
Still Woozy began teasing his second album in March, with the slow release of four singles pulled straight off the 13-track record ahead of its release last Friday. Three years of waiting since his album debut, we are just now quenching our Still Woozy thirst. But who are we kidding, give us a week and we will be eagerly awaiting more already.
No stranger to a good festival, Still Woozy has cut his performing teeth at the likes of Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Governors Ball. Now, with brand new tunes to show off, he is set to embark on a North American and European tour kicking off in Vancouver, Canada, this July. Locations range from his Portland stomping grounds to Antwerp and Bristol – but you’ll likely have to get your tickets quick because he’s already accumulating a sold-out status at many of the stops along the way of the 48-show tour.
With his distinctive blend of dreamy melodies and innovative soundscapes, Still Woozy continues to captivate audiences, solidifying his place as a unique and influential force in the contemporary music landscape.
Ahead of his Loveseat release, we pulled up a chair to have a little chinwag with Still Woozy about who he is, his favourite song right now and the “magical realism” of Loveseat.
1. Let’s get acquainted, who is Still Woozy?
Still Woozy is me, who is someone who loves to write and record music so much he probably would forget to eat if someone didn’t remind him.
2. What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to your new album, Loveseat?
I would love them to feel excited to dive into the world of the album and feel some of the emotion I felt while recording.
3. Loveseat is described as being “dosed in magical realism”. Can you tell us a little about this?
I love it when life starts to feel surreal, like there’s more going on than you can see just out of view. This is an everyday feeling that’s really an inherently psychedelic thing that inspired more than a few of the album songs.
4. Which song from the album is the most personal to you? Why and what’s it about?
There’s actually a few contenders for this title, but I’d say either ‘Big Fish’ or ‘Rid of Me’. Ones about my dad the others about having to leave my family.
5. What’s your favourite thing about California?
I love the green spaces in Portland. They’re everywhere. The evergreen and deciduous trees, the flowers, the meadows, the multiple volcanoes, the rivers, the beaches, the forests, everything. These spaces help me stay present enough to enjoy life.
6. What hobbies do you enjoy outside of your music that fans may not know about?
It’s kinda hard to have hobbies when you have a baby and a career but I try to play pickup basketball at Portland parks multiple times a week. I also love chess and doing all the New York Times games.
7. If you had to swap bodies with anybody, dead or alive, and live their life, who would it be?
Brad Pitt because it would be crazy to be that handsome.
8. If you got to perform at any festival this summer, which one would you choose?
We played right on the beach for hangout fest a couple years ago and that was pretty insane, would love to do that again.
9. What’s your favourite song at the moment?
Favourite song at the moment is ‘Lady in her Darkest Hour’ by Kate Bollinger.
10. What’s next for you?
Touring the world and releasing an album… or two!
Photography by Alex M. Kennedy.
