Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Gum & Ambrose Kenny-Smith
“Gum is my brain, unfiltered,” Jay Watson – Pond co-founder and Tame Impala alumni – declares. So, what happens when that purist project pairs with the funky enthusiasm of Ambrose Kenny-Smith from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard fame? Well, the results are resplendent on their new collaborative album, Ill Times—a record redolent of cutting loose and embracing groove in a time of great uncertainty.
The Australian duo’s release is the first to emerge from King Gizzard’s very own newly-announced p(doom) records. The intention of establishing the label was “to put out our own records and our friends’ too. If you all keep listening to ’em, we’ll keep making ’em.” That’s how Ill Times sounds in the best possible way. It is an album cut from the cloth of great 1970s records where creatives collaborated independently, wrestling art away from structured commercialism in a hive of organic hooks.
And it is hooks that Ill Times prides itself on. It’s a record to cruise to the coast on, it’s a record shake cocktails in a Hawaiian shirt too. “I was excited to explore stuff our other bands hadn’t really touched on before,” Watson says. “Funk, soul… groove-based music.” The result is that Funkadelic goes surfing, as Watson’s instrumentals gather melodic oomph when Ambrose begins decorating them, creating a wallop hitherto unknown in the world of indie.
With each member proudly prolific in their own right, it isn’t easy wrestling time out of their schedule, which is why we spammed them with some quick-fire questions. After all, what better way is there to get to know someone in ten minutes than probing them incessantly on everything from The Beatles to weeping to Labi Siffre and loving Jessica Pratt?
The answers below come from Ambrose Kenny-Smith.
Quick-fire Questions with Gum & Ambrose Kenny-Smith:
1. What song would you want played at your funeral?
“‘Anymore for Anymore’ – Ronnie Lane. This song is my happy place. Whenever I’m feeling down, it always picks me up. Such a beautiful song with amazing imagery straight from the get-go. The whole album is incredible. Everything Ronnie Lane touched turned to gold, from The Small Faces to his solo career.”
2. What song makes you cry?
“‘Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying’ – Labi Siffre. This one really pulls the heartstrings. It sends shivers down my spine every time. Makes me so happy and emotional at the same time. Perfect song for melting back into the couch after a long night.”
3. Have you ever grown bored of playing a certain song live?
“We play different sets every night in Gizz, so we’re never bored. The Murlocs often play ‘Rolling On’ as our last song in the set and I love it. I never seem to get really bored of it. I’m lucky to have the best of both worlds with each band. Sometimes, I like playing the same set on tour for a while with The Murlocs. We don’t get to tour that much, so it’s nice when it gets really tight. I also love the spontaneity of Gizz shows and how much they keep me on my toes.”
4. What has been your favourite album of 2024 so far?
“High in the Pitch – Jessica Pratt. I’ve listened to this record so many times already. When each single came out, I had them on repeat. I’ve had to give it a rest for the last few weeks cause I was playing it so much and didn’t want to get sick of it. I think it will be the album of the year for me for sure.”
5. When are you creatively at your best?
“I think I’m most creative when I’m going through a bit of a crisis. It is the best tool for escapism, and it forces me into somewhat of a survival mode for distraction. You have to be careful, though, that you’re not too honest and keep some things to yourself, but ultimately, this is where I believe I have created my best work.”
6. Where is the best pub in the world?
“This is a hard one cause most of my favourite pubs have changed hands a few times but these days I think I end up most weekends at this bar ‘Franklin’s Bar’ on High St, Northcote. But when it comes to pubs and a nice warm meal, I’d probably head to the Great Northern in Carlton.”
7. Can you tell us a good joke?
“I’m pretty bad with jokes these days; I’ll leave this one to Jay.”
8. What is your favourite comfort movie?
“Ratatouille. Best movie to watch when you’re hungover and feeling sorry for yourself.”
9. What is the weirdest gig you’ve ever played?
“The first one that comes to mind was a gig we played with Gizz and Murlocs at this old psychiatric ward in Sydney way back in the day. I think it was 2012? I remember getting lost trying to find the bathroom, and it was very eery.”
10. Have you ever had a weird celebrity encounter?
“Running into Quentin Tarantino outside Amoeba in Hollywood. That guy is massive! Meeting Bill Clinton on the street in Arcadia, CA. That guy looked like a wax doll in real life.”
11. Who was your first celebrity crush?
“Spice Girls.”
12. What was your last quasi-religious musical experience?
“Playing the Grim Reaper with Gizz in Lyon, France, just recently. It was probably our best performance of the track so far. We had the crowd all jumping in unison it was amazing.”
13. How often do you write a new song?
“When it feels right. I try and write a few lines of lyrics as often as I can. Sometimes it’s every second day sometimes it’s every day, sometimes it’s not for weeks at a time. It depends on what projects I am working on, but I’m trying to get my stream of consciousness going again.”
14. Which track features the greatest vocal performance in history?
“‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ – Etta James (Live at Montreux 1975).”
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
“The Beatles will never be overrated.”