World Video Premiere: Gooseberry “Kikiyon,” Announces New LP, All My Friends Are Cattle, Due September 6
Check out the official video for Kikiyon HERE
Brooklyn-based trio Gooseberry, formed in 2019, melds alternative rock, indie, and blues to craft their distinctive sound. Comprising Asa Daniels (guitar, vocals), Evin Rossington (drums), and Will Hammond (bass), the band has racked up hundreds of thousands of streams and has garnered praise from editorial stalwarts Under the Radar, Ones to Watch, and more. They’ve become integral to NYC’s music scene, performing at venues like Baby’s All Right and the Knitting Factory, alongside notable acts such as BabyJake and Maybird.
In August 2023, Gooseberry released their sophomore effort, Validate Me, a testament to their unique alternative rock sound that is entirely theirs. The record exemplifies their signature sound, with Daniels’s dynamic songwriting, Rossington’s powerful drumming, and Hammond’s melodic bass lines. Following the release, they embarked on The Validation Tour, including a packed-out headline show at NYC’s iconic Bowery Ballroom. With Validate Me now boasting over 500K streams on Spotify and growing monthly listenership, Gooseberry continues to surge in popularity.
Today, Gooseberry is back to announce their most ambitious project yet: their debut full-length album, All My Friends Are Cattle. They’re delivering the first taste of the LP in the form of gritty alt-rock single “Kikiyon“. Stylistically powered by heavy 90s alternative influences, “Kikiyon” serves as a poignant rejection of judgmental attitudes and the imposition of personal beliefs onto others. Daniels delves into his personal connection with Jewish culture, and the song underscores the importance of autonomy in choosing one’s own name and identity. Against the backdrop of escalating tensions surrounding Jewish identity and politics, exacerbated by the tragedies in Gaza and the surge of antisemitism, Gooseberry boldly channels their indignation into “Kikiyon,” confronting unjust powers within an unjust world.
Says Asa Daniels, “My faith—or something approximating it—may come and go, but in the end, we’re just dirt and worms, so maybe we should spend less time debating the contents of magical bird spit and more time finding community with one another.”
The single is shared alongside its music video; a ridiculous lo-fi number directed by Charlie Hull, it is the complete opposite of the heavy material that is lyrically present. “The minute we take ourselves too seriously, we die.”, says Daniels. “Kikiyon” packs a punch musically, lyrically, and thematically. It’s angry. It’s heavy. We knew we had to match all that weight with a video that brought equal and opposite force. What better way than with a lo-fi thrasher comedy about magical bird-zombie transformation?”
The album, All My Friends Are Cattle, was tracked over the course of three months, predominantly at Precision Sound Studios in New York City. Drums were recorded by Grammy-winner James ‘Jimmy T’ Meslin (Dream Theater, John Petrucci, Rush). Grammy-nominated engineer Colin Bryson (Zach Bryan, J Balvin, Willow Avalon) served as producer and recording engineer (reprising his role from the Validate Me EP). Grammy-winner Phil Joly (The Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk) mixed the record, and Jennica Best (Colatura) mastered it. Honorary fourth member Dan Janis (Baked Goods) provided saxophone and flute for a handful of tunes.
This debut full-length record represents Gooseberry’s most ambitious project yet, showcasing the expansive distance they cover, from punch-you-in-the-mouth punk rock to lyrically-driven singer-songwriter to atmospheric prog rock. Though powered by heavy 90s alternative influences, this LP showcases what Gooseberry can be: an exciting amalgamation of many genres and sounds, taking the listener on a journey that never once leaves the ear tired and consistently keeps the mind guessing where they will head next.
Armed with their best record yet and a cross-country tour coming this summer, 2024 looks to be a banner year for the NYC trio. Their debut LP, All My Friends Are Cattle, is due out September 6, 2024.
FEATURED INTERVIEW:
One can easily hear the heavy 90s alternative influence on “Kikiyon.” Do you have any specific musical inspirations that influenced the sound of the track, or the record as a whole?
The 90s are having a moment again aren’t they? We wear our 90s influences unabashedly on our sleeves. We spent a lot of time talking with our producer Colin (Bryson) and mixer Phil (Joly) about the sounds from some of those seminal grunge records like Nevermind and Superunknown so there’s definitely a big debt owed to the Seattle giants of lore (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Melvins, etc.). I think the record has 90s influence all over it, but from a wider vantage point, incorporating not just grunge but also some of the sludge of Queens of the Stone Age to the jazzier elements of groups like Dave Matthews Band and Radiohead. The name of the game for us was honoring the old while giving it something new. How can we approach this music that feels steeped in nostalgia but keep it fresh and modern? I think listeners will hear that in the musical decisions we made from track to track.
The music video for “Kikiyon” contrasts the heavy material of the song with a rather comedic approach to the story of Kikiyon. What was the inspiration behind this juxtaposition?
The minute we take ourselves too seriously, we die. Kikiyon the song concerns itself with religion, judgment, self-worth, and geopolitical issues. It’s angry. It’s heavy. We knew we had to match all that weight with a video that brought equal and opposite force. What better way than with a lo-fi thrasher comedy about magical bird-zombie transformation? I think our director, Charlie Hull (Mary Shelley), nailed the absurdity of it all perfectly.
How does “Kikiyon” reflect what we can expect from the full All My Friends Are Cattle LP?
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately?!) not every song on the LP is a Yiddish-folklore based critique on identity. Just most (I kid, I kid, or do I?). Thematically, All My Friends Are Cattle is about the distortion of value. This theme can be extrapolated to many of the songs on the record, whether that’s lashing out at perceived advantages and ill-gotten gains (Bitter) to a questioning of faith and how the seemingly pious wield it upon others (Kikiyon) to a story told from the POV of the “good” white moderate who doesn’t even realize the dogwhistles he signals (One of the Good Ones). In all of these songs, we find characters viewing the world through their own distorted lenses, starting with one kernel of an idea only to find in the end that their drive and beliefs have twisted and changed it, for better or for worse. There’s also an element of describing the guilt felt upon realizing how selfish the pursuit of art, or really greatness in any field, can seem. Artists spend so much of their time promoting that it can feel like all we do is badger our friends and family to listen to our work and support us by buying tickets over and over. It’s mentally draining because you realize that, even if you don’t intend to, you’re suddenly distorting relationships by “using” the people closest to you to further your own ambition, even if they don’t see it that way.
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