Back in 2010 “knucklehead” punk duo Gaytime gathered a small but devoted following on the Auckland scene before guitarist/vocalist Josh Jugum departed for the UK, forcing the bandmates into a long-distance relationship. But before leaving he and drummer/vocalist Kim Martinengo (The Los Hories) recorded their 15-minute debut album In Their Prime, in his flat. We caught up with Josh, who briefly returned to New Zealand last month for the long-awaited album’s release, to get the low-done on the album and band.
Hey how’s things - what have you been up to since you got back to the UK?
I’m great thanks. Well since I’ve been back I’ve been trying to confirm somewhere to live, I’ve been on couches for the past 3 months...it sux!! Apart from that I’ve been busy. My band Mental Hell is in the process of making a music video. It’s gonna rule! It’s got girls killing skaters, motorbikes in cemeteries, guitar solos, headbanging and bringing back the dead.
You came back recently for the release of Gaytime's debut album, what was it like being back in the old hood and playing shows?
It was fun, they didn't really feel like shows, it was more like hanging out with mates and each other’s bands were playing.
Your decision to move across the globe sounds like quite an interesting story, can you tell me about it?
It wasn't that interesting, I headed off to make love to a lot of women in Europe, ended up going for about nine months without having sex but I ate a lot of cheese.
In Their Prime was recorded before you moved, about two-and-a-half years ago, how did it feel hearing all the material again?
It was really exciting to hear it on vinyl. The songs didn’t sound aged or anything. Karl and Aaron did a real good job on the recording and mastering too. Sounds Mean!!
Before hooking up with Kim for Gaytime, you were playing with a bunch of different bands - Black Witch and Vietnam War included if I remember correctly - how is it different playing in a twosome?
In a way it’s much easier to get stuff done if you are on the same track as someone else - it happens really quick and easy, but then in the other bands you kinda feel like your in a gang with mates or something like that? It’s fun playing music in front of people with your friends, being in a two piece can feel quite lonely at times.
Do you ever write a song and get tempted to stray from the guitar plus drums format and add some keys or bass or something?
Not with Gaytime anyway, I tend to keep myself busy with other musical ventures and me and Kim have always wanted to keep Gaytime what it is and basic.
How does the songwriting usually go down between the two of you, I mean how do you think of radical lyrics like, "If you break my heart, I'll break your face"?
Basically me and Kim have been good mates for quite a while, we would be sitting around in his garage making jokes, talking about our friends and life and we would just write the lyrics out of that.
How would you explain Gaytime's sound, and general ethos, to someone who never heard you before?
It’s really basic, noisy, knucklehead garage punk music.
Can you tell me a little bit about 1:12 Records, and your involvement with them?
Basically a friend of ours, David Perry, umm, he wanted to do a project with New Zealand music and start putting it on vinyl. It’s gonna be a cool label. I know he has a few records he wants to put out real soon and it not just all rock ‘n’ roll or anything, it’s what ever he thinks is good. I’m pretty stoked we got to have a record on it. David is da man!
The album is available for "name your price" on Bandcamp, but you also got a few hundred copies pressed in Tennessee, why Tennessee?
Basically they were one of the last few places that do a really good job of vinyl and it was a really good price too. It was also the first one that came up on Google.
Also! You guys handprinted the covers, how fun was that?
It was pretty fun, I didn’t really do much, Kim did all the work while I sat around eating. Anyway we screened them all by hand so each cover is different. There was no way we were gonna get them printed or anything by someone else. We wanted everything done by us and mates.
Did you Gaytime get to record more material while you were in the country?
No, we wanted to record when we were in Melbourne with Aaron Cobra who recorded this album but I ended up getting pretty sick and being too lazy.
I hear you have plans to tour Gaytime in the UK….
Yeah basically, we are going to hire a smartcar and hit the road, I've made quite a few friends in cool bands in Europe and hopefully we will get to jump on some shows with them and tour.
Hey that's about it thanks! What are your plans for the rest of the day/night/whatever time it is where you are…
I'm gonna go eat some cheese and fix a little texting conundrum I've created with my new flatmates.
