Interview: GIMMY’s Gemma Owens on Refusing to Be Molded by the Music Industry and Their Latest ‘Labour of Love’

Australian indie surf/garage band GIMMY make eccentric, emotional music with no boundaries, pairing unapologetically honest, witty songwriting with a sound built to be played loud. In conversation with Atwood Magazine, frontwoman Gemma Owens dives into the emotional chaos behind her band’s raucous sophomore EP ‘Labour of Love’ while reflecting on creative burnout and rediscovering the enthusiasm to build a career on her own terms.

Stream: ‘Labour of Love’ – GIMMY

“Falling in love with the chaos” isn’t only a lyric on GIMMY’s latest release; it captures the spirit of a project that embraces emotional extremes, restless energy, and the freedom to make music without boundaries.

GIMMY is the project of Australian singer/songwriter Gemma Owens, alongside Samson Radici on guitar, Kyle Aubrey on bass, and Barclay Israel on drums. Their sound moves through swells of surf-garage and indie post-punk with a pinch of folk, balancing cheeky, unruly energy with a more introspective and deeply emotive core. Owens is a force of nature, delivering striking vibrato vocals and heavily lyrical songwriting filled with humour and emotion – nowhere more so than on the band’s sophomore EP, Labour of Love, independently released earlier this year.

At 22 minutes, Labour of Love is pure chaos, love, loss, and social anxiety, with driving basslines running throughout. “Running” opens the EP at a high tempo, its witty lyrics including the wonderfully concise “introverted on a Saturday” as Owens recoils from the prospect of talking to people. “Chomping at the Bit” continues to propel the record forward, while “Can’t Be High All the Time” demonstrates the full range of Owens’ voice in a performance that sends goosebumps down the spine.

The EP’s emotional curve slows with the piano-filled poignancy of “Carry On” before the punchy, punkier “Darling where have u been” drags the energy back up. “Hard Working Man” brings another poignant moment, and closer “Brumby” takes its name from both a wild horse and the iconic Subaru Brumby.

Atwood Magazine recently caught up with Owens to discuss the emotional chaos behind Labour of Love, rediscovering her enthusiasm after creative burnout, and her determination to mold the music industry around the life she wants rather than let it mold her. Additionally, she reflected on the music she inherited from her Northern Irish parents, the collaborative process that brings her songs to life, and the cathartic intensity of giving everything she has onstage.

Our conversation also touched on the current Australian music scene and the artists occupying our shared listening Venn diagram, including Floodlights, Radio Free Alice, and Radium Dolls. With GIMMY’s touring plans temporarily on hold and Owens newly inspired to write again, we meet an artist between chapters: Recovering from the demands of the last four years, reconsidering what a sustainable career can look like, and finding her way back to the chaos – this time, on her own terms.

— —

:: stream/purchase Labour of Love here ::

:: connect with GIMMY here ::

— —

Stream: ‘Labour of Love’ – GIMMY

A CONVERSATION WITH GIMMY

Atwood Magazine: Let’s talk about more about you, Gemma. You’re ten years in the music industry at this stage, having started out in a band called the Oogars. How is your enthusiasm holding up?

Gemma: Well, good question. Do you want the real answer? I’m feeling like there was a moment that I got really burnt out, and I’ve just recently been on a break at the moment because a few of our team members are going to live in Europe for a bit. We were meant to have a tour over there, but it got cancelled because we unfortunately couldn’t get the money together. So, after that, I thought I needed a break because it’s been an especially big four years, never mind the ten.

Now I feel like I’m rediscovering enthusiasm in a different way of just playing shows back-to-back, getting burnt out and going having to do the normal life of working and all the other things that consist of surviving. So now I feel like we’re recreating what it looks like, and I feel really excited about that. I’ve just had some new inspiration to write again, which is really nice instead of being so burnt out. So that’s where I’m sitting right now with enthusiasm, and I’m excited to write again.

Oh, we’re pumped to hear that. By the way, your parents are Irish?

Gemma: Yes, they’re from Northern Ireland, from Belfast. That’s my mom and Dad on the front cover of the record at their engagement party.

Nice and I believe your dad was a musician too.

Gemma: He still is! He just never did anything professional, but he’s always singing, whistling, or playing guitar. He’s very passionate about it, which is nice.

You must have grown up with lots of music around you, lots of influences from the Northern Hemisphere?

Gemma: Lots! I think some of the best music was made in that era that he exposed me to with The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths, David Bowie. I just feel like I was so blessed to be exposed to all of that mixture because I reckon it’s the best music ever made!

Well, some of those post-punk bass lines and raw, passionate elements come through in your music. Both your debut album Things Look Different Now, and this EP was produced by Sam Joseph from King Gizzard. How did you find working with him?

Gemma: He’s the loveliest guy ever. He lives in the same town as me, just up in the hills a little bit, and he obviously tours full time with “Giz” doing sound, but he has a beautiful little cabin property with his lovely partner, Kelly. He’s just the most humble, kind human, and he’s obviously amazing at what he does. So that’s kind of what I’m going for, going to a relaxed space, working with someone that has a good heart, isn’t too ego driven, just there to make music for the love of making music. It’s been a pleasure.

What was he like, was he hands on? Did he push you or step back?

Gemma: I felt like I had pretty a clear vision of how I wanted the songs, but there were moments throughout I would ask him what he thought, and he would tell me his honest opinion. Or if it was something that needed to be injected, say there’s too many drum fills in this; it sounds messy. He would kind of help nurture the song in that way, so it doesn’t sound overdone. But he wouldn’t ever interfere in the creative process either because I think I went in with really clear vision; we all practice the songs back to front. Then he was adding extra flavour with synth sounds and different tones.

You appear to be someone who enjoys, apart from the burnout, the creative process and making music, as you’re so full of energy. Your enthusiasm comes across in the music and your visual arts, whether it’s in your painting or making music videos, also with that sassy, cheeky sense of humour.

Gemma: That’s very accurate. There’s definitely two sides of me as an artist and person, which is cheeky and humorous and then very introspective, soft and emotive. I feel like they play into all of it. But, yes, songwriting has been something I’ve done since I was 12, so it’s never going anywhere. It’s more like molding the industry to how it fits with me, not getting molded by the industry, if that makes sense?

Totally, right on. For the debut album, having 12 tracks was a lot. You wrote those over a period of three years and then brought them to the band?

Gemma: Yes, I wrote a lot of them, and there were a few collaborative songs thrown in there as well including “Bathrooms” and “Sweat”. But a lot of the songs I write privately and then bring the foundation to the band. Sometimes I’ve got a guitar, the lead guitar kind of pretty much there, and then they’ll make it a little bit juicier, or I’ll just say, I’m stuck here, so you create the lead. So, it’s super dependent on each song, to be honest. But 90% of the time, I have a foundation of a song structure, an idea, a vision that I bring and say, can you add this style of guitar? This is what I’m thinking. It helps kind of direct the song coming together if it’s not already made.

Is that you working on your own on the guitar melody and you’ve then you bring it to the band and it just sort of evolves as you get some basslines and drums for that?

Gemma: Yes! Actually, I’ve recently started playing the songs with the bass because I’ve just started playing my partner’s band, which is an all-girl punk band called The Royal Rat Bags, and I play the bass in that project. You should check them out; it’s pretty fun! So, my partner is the lead singer, and I think from leaning into playing bass with them, it’s exciting for me to actually start creating songs from the bass instead of the guitar, that’s been a fun exploration recently.

Bass led songs are great because it’s not often given that front and center prominence; it’s great. How about playing these songs live and performing on stage?

Gemma: The performing is super cathartic and important for me, I feel as an artist. But I do get into a bit of a zone, a bit of a trance, and just kind of give it 150%. So that’s definitely a part I enjoy (and the writing.)

Those on-stage performances, do they take a physical toll on you?

Gemma: Oh, yeah! I have a big crash, and a sore neck, but that’s just part of it.

How long does it take you to recover from a full-on gig?

Gemma: It depends on how many beers I’ve had, I think. How many Guinness I’ve put down! I suppose now I’m getting older, if it’s not every week and I can recover quickly, but it’s more if it’s a backed-up burnout, then it takes longer, naturally. Our European UK shows got cancelled, so we’re not playing music over there this year, sadly. But I’m fine about it because Ireland wasn’t on the tour, and that was the top of my list. So, I’m hoping that when we come back in 2028, we’re aiming to come over and tour. I’m hoping Ireland and Scotland will be on there this time.

There’s been so many pockets of different genres, different music from different cities around the world and so many Australian bands coming through. For some reason, many of these bands appear to garner more attention and get popular outside of Oz before they get noticed in their own backyard.

Gemma: I said that to my partner recently, the dream would be to do really well in Europe and then come home and know nobody, like a normal civilian.

The other thing I meant to ask you is writing some of these songs, in your part of the world where you get 283 sunshine filled days out of the year. It must be difficult to write gloomy music in that kind of sunshine?

Gemma: That’s so true, that’s a good point. I think obviously it’s lovely when the sun’s out, but because the sun’s out so much, it’s normal. In Ireland, England, Scotland, it’s very gray a lot of the time and then if it’s a sunny day, it’s like let’s go, there’s that endorphin rush because it’s not as common. But I would actually love to come live in Ireland for a little while, to be honest.

Just to experience the four seasons?

Gemma: I just love the people, and there’s obviously that’s where my roots are from. So yeah, it’s something I would love to do

You’re a keen surfer as well?

Gemma: Yes, I am, but I would struggle getting in the cold water.

That’s what I was just about to ask you; it’s a different experience in the cold Atlantic. But we started the conversation with Australian bands, to close out, are there acts on your listening radar that you would like to share?

Gemma: Ok, ‘Infinite Baby’ by Baby Cool and ‘I Get into Trouble’ from Maple Glider. Let me just see… “White Tiles”, from Girl and Girl, Radium Dolls too. I also recommend Miniskirt and their recent album ‘All That We Know’. I’m also going to say my partner’s band Royal Rat Bags because they are girl punk, full force and I’m in it!

Awesome. Well, listen. Thanks a million for your time, and it was lovely to finally meet you. The only criticism I had of ‘Labour of Love’ is that it is too short, and we want more. So, if you could have ‘Labour of Love’ part two, we would be really appreciative!

Gemma: I’m also open to criticism if you’ve got more!

— —

:: stream/purchase Labour of Love here ::

:: connect with GIMMY here ::

— —

— — — —

Connect to GIMMY on
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram

Discover new music on Atwood Magazine

 © courtesy of the artist