CAREERWOLF are a promising new electronic duo from Auckland who recently picked up some radio airplay with their single ‘Drive’. They’ll be playing a few shows in the near future and have just released a video for the single. We recently caught up with one half of the duo Lawree Goodwin (formerly of Tied On Teeth) over email for a bit of background...
What’s your background in music?
I played bass in Tied On Teeth along with various side-projects like Career Girls and Madi tended to just make beats in her room using analog synths for the most part, but played bass and guitar throughout school.
So what got you guys to start making music together?
We met at a gig at the old Upper Queen flat one night and Madi introduced herself to me after I played a set as Career Girls. From that point onward, we always wanted to make beats together but couldn’t until I moved up to Auckland.
What’s going to be the live setup?
I will have my laptop running Ableton and my MPD 32, as well as playing live guitar on certain tracks, and Madi will be doing vocals and using a Kaoss pad.
Is there a release of some variety on the way?
We are nearly finished our EP, which we will be releasing in the next month which will be hopefully a 5 track.
Self-released or through a label, do you think?
Self-released - and we will be getting the help of friends for the album art as well as having the honour of having our tracks mixed/mastered by Nick Roughan.
Do you do still do your individual solo things? Or has it ‘merged’ for good?
We still very much do our own things separately but then again our main focus right now is on CAREERWOLF.
We interviewed Totems a few weeks back, who mentioned the Kerosene Comic Book collective – what do you do in KCB?
We are a part of KCB, which is awesome, and basically we are just an act within a bunch of others under the KCB title. Hopefully as a collective we are soon to have a zine and such, but KCB is not entirely music-based - some of the ever-growing members are also amazing artists such as Cole Cochran and Fraser Chatham.
Do you organise a lot of your own gigs?
Last year I started organising and promoting gigs under the name ‘Poor/Lonely’ in Auckland and Hamilton, working with Fraser Chatham who has done all the art/photography for the shows. It’s died down a bit recently but he intends to continue and maybe it will eventually grow into something a lot bigger.
What do you think first turned you onto this kind of music?
When I first moved to Auckland, every time we would hang out we’d just always end up having a music-wank and show eachother the different bands we were into at the time, which happened to be mostly electronic bands which had a certain sound we were obsessed with, like Phantogram and Purity ring – that, and the idea of combining our individual projects and different sound to create something new.
You can hear a bit of shoegaze in there – what other kinds of music do you try to put into it?
There is always a mixture of a lot of things and you can hear it from song to song. Some are more R&B inspired and others have a touch of Rave or even the guitar style we use sounds something like a mashup of The XX and Kings Of Leon.
Do you see yourself heading in this more electronic-based direction now that Tied On Teeth have broken up?
Yes and no. I’d love to continue playing guitars and drums in bands. There’s a huge difference between an electronic show and a guitar band, but we are interested and would like to incorporate the energy created by a live band into our shows.
What’s some other good stuff to listen to for those who are into CAREERWOLF?
Purity Ring, Phantogram, Grimes, XX, Frank Ocean, Toro Y Moi, Ghost Mutt, Com Truise, Slayer, Shlohmo, Lil B (thank you, Based God), Balam Acab, Gold Panda, Jesus and Mary Chain, Attic Sky’s, Waka Flocka Flame, Joy Division, Foals, Forest Spirits, King Krule, Grass Cannons, The Horrors, Dj Sizzurp Wid-dah-twin Cup Lean, Lone, Race Banyon, SPRING BREAK, Totems, Lontalius, Girls Generation, Girls, McC.can.suck.my.nuts, $noregazZzm, Loma Prieta, Woman, Atlas Sound, Deerhunter, Les Sins, OFWGKTA, Basketball Nightmare, Cool Cult, Animal Collective, Billy Bragg, CHLL PLL, Beyoncé, Queens Of The Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimi Hendirx, Soulja boy, Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, The Cure, Missy Elliot, Das Racist, Notorious BIG, A Cat Called Zeitgeist, LIL UGLY MANE, Deerpark, Kings Of Leon, Clams Casino, Die! Die! Die!, Fauxhound, Girls Pissing On Girls Pissing, Youth Lagoon, Washed Out, oOoOoo, James Blake, Hella and Michael Jackson.
Anything local you think deserves particular attention?
St Eden, Lontalius, Grass Cannons, Girls Pissing on Girls Pissing, Totems, Attic Sky’s, Fauxhound, Glasgow, Skyming, SPRING BREAK and Sherpa.
What do you think of the scene you’re a part of in Auckland?
It’s pretty sweet! Everyone is extremely supportive and always keen to organize shows or do collaborations, which is awesome. Electronic bands do need more appreciation/exposure though!
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Here's the new vid...
