The Growlers call the strange mix of garage, psychedelic, and surf rock that they make "Beach Goth." The term started from a combination of the surf sound on the Growler's 2010 Hot Tropics EP and the dark themes (like poverty, death and addiction) that singer Brooks tends to sing about. But soon for the band, the Beach Goth label grew to become a blanket term for what the band is about: budget recording--the band recorded in a minimal home studio--budget surfing--surfing on a crummy board--and beach living--even thought the band never lived on the beach. Beach Goth eventually became an annual Orange County music festival that the Growlers put on and headline.
I hung out with Brooks and his dog Jonesey at the end of an era for The Growlers. The band used to live together in a camp (which included their recording studio), but tragically the camp had burned down. Sitting in the alley behind Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre, I got Brooks to open up about bringing girlfriends on the road, the fire that destroyed the band's home, if writing songs for your girlfriend works to keep her happy, how to keep peace in the tour van, the difference between drinking beer vs drinking whiskey onstage, and much more. Listen.
Tracks played on the show...
1) The Growlers, Chinese Fountain (2014) "Going Gets Tuff"
2) The Growlers, Chinese Fountain (2014) "Good Advice"
3) The Growlers, Hung at Heart (2013) "Someday"
4) The Growlers, Gay Thoughts/Feelin' Good single (2011) "Gay Thoughts"
5) The Growlers, Hung at Heart (2013) "Beach Rats"
NO songs CANCON
