Exclusive: Gone Cosmic's Soulful Debut Will Send Your Head Straight to the Clouds

Calgary, Alberta is teeming with great heavy music. With venues like Palomino Smokehouse consistently putting on great shows, festivals like Sled Island and Vantopia happening every year, and a tight-knit crew of hardworking musicians making the scene thrive, it’s a place where the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well in Western Canada. Gone Cosmic -- who are releasing their debut album, Sideways In Time, tomorrow -- are one of the newest and most hair-raising bands to hit the scene in Calgary.

The four-piece act are as heavy as they are psychedelic: Abbie Thurgood’s vocals run the gamut from deeply soulful to gritty and biting, like Janis Joplin dropping the fringe and opting for a spiked leather jacket instead. Combine this with guitarist Darty Purdy’s head-spinning guitar solos, Brett Whittingham’s punchy bass lines, and Marcello Castronuovo’s tight time-keeping, and you get a wildly fun, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll experience that is likely to turn quite a few greasy, longhaired heads in the coming years.

The album comes out tomorrow, but Kerrang! Is proud to present the whole thing in full a day early right here:

Abbie met Darty and Brett (who also play in the Calgary band Chron Goblin) and Marcello by chance: “My encounter with the dudes was random, like the universe pointed and said, ‘You four: GO!’ she remembers. “I was active in a soul-bluesy infused project at the time, and heard from a friend of a friend of a friend about this guy named Darty looking for a vocalist. I passed along my contact info, and two weeks later I got an email with seven solid demo tracks. The guys had been actively writing for the then-untitled project for about a year before we met. It’s safe and cheesy -- but I’m gonna roll with it -- to say it was love at first listen.”

“Sideways in Time was written for the music lovers and music thrivers,” she continues. “It is written to stimulate the senses and push them through a sonic movement.”

Photo by Trevor Hatter

As far as the lyrics go, she says she put on various personas throughout the record: “Each track on this record places and savors a different mask. I delved deep into human habitual tendencies, trying to map out, not only my current state of mind but the cause and reactions that we encounter as a civilization. There are references throughout, drifting between lovers/partners, families/friends, communities, media, government/war. I tried my best to wander into unknown territory of my own mind, getting into those moments, memories and thoughts that aren’t comfortable, that aren’t talked about or processed. This was a stepping stone not only for me as a lyricist and musician but also as a 24 year old woman trying to figure my shit out.”

“Gone Cosmic exudes raw emotion and pure musical expression, as every song we write is a controlled tornado of creative ideas flowing seamlessly from one to another,” Marcello adds. “We are music lovers first, and that love and mutual appreciation for the art of songwriting is evident when you put the needle down on our record.”

Sideways In Time comes out tomorrow, but preorders are available now.

Tour Dates:

April:

12 - Calgary, AB @ The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club

13 - Edmonton, AB @ Bohemia Yeg

14 - Red Deer, AB @ Bo's Bar and Stage

19 - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina

20 - Regina, SK @ The German Club

May:

3 - Victoria, BC @ Wheelies Motorcycles

4 - Vancouver, BC @ SBC Restaurant

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Header photo: Mario Montes