Gusto of Troy – Interview – Thanks for Asking
Written by Staff on March 12, 2024
Gusto of Troy – Interview – Thanks for Asking – by Liam Sweeny.
RRX: Who are you? Not, like, philosophically, but you know, who are the members of the band, who plays what? Describe yourself in one sentence (it can be a long sentence.)
JR: Josh Robin, vocals and guitar, Joseph Nickels, Bass, Stephen Struss, Drums.
RRX: Do you have anything out right now that people can enjoy, and if so, what’s the best way for them to get it?
JR: We are on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/2b2c0TFkTJWU3Ct8W4eBmZ
It’s all old stuff, if you come to one of our shows you’ll notice we play everything faster and louder.
RRX: With the exception of singing, everyone has an instrument, an inanimate object that has the distinction of being a lifelong friend. Smooth or temperamental, these objects have a character. So pick someone to answer, can you tell us something special about what you play, your technique, your instrument?
JR: The guitar I play shows with is my first guitar so it’s something like 25 years old. My technique is pretty shameful considering I’ve got over 2 decades of playing but it doesn’t take a genius to string a few chords together and I’m fairly stupid so we rely heavily on charm.
RRX: Playing out is tricky because you never know what’s going to happen when you get there. Sometimes everything goes wrong. What was your worst show like?
JR: We played a festival called Gettysburg Rocks a number of years back. The act before us was soo bad the venue started to clear out. We stood outside and tried to convince people to stay by offering free merch and paying for peoples drinks. When we finally did get to play to a near empty room, the blew the electrical for half the bar… it was magical.
RRX: Our style comes from the extension of our influences. It’s like an evolution. We’re influenced, and it inspires us to influence. What can you say about your influences, and what you feel you’ve done with their influence as a musician or band? Have you extended their work?
JR: I think we’re all pretty eclectically influenced. You can hear in our music a 90’s inspired mix of grunge, punk, pop, and metal. We’re not trying to sound like anybody or copy anything. We make the sound that we wanna hear and play, if you like it too, that’s cool with us – we like playing shows.
RRX: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Or so they say. Whether you’re off the wagon, on it, or never been, there’s something you got a thirst for. What are some of your basically harmless vices?
JR: I hate this question. What do I thirst for? Maximum fun. For our set, I get to be the loudest in the room and play music that I like with my friends. I don’t take for granted that everyone in that room could be somewhere else but they’ve chosen to be there so I want to honor that and share my joy with them. It’s the handshake between the band and the room that we’re all going to vibe. Who cares what things look like or if things aren’t perfect? We’re not uptight about being perfect. For that set, I’m giving you everything I got, you can either take advantage of that or not.
RRX: How can people keep up with you? What’s coming up, soon or eventually?
JR: Our upcoming schedule is:
3/14 @NoFun, Troy NY w Laces Out, G.O.L.E.M. & Flatwounds
3/24 @Sonia, Cambridge MA, Dean Jackson Memorial Show
5/13 @ Desperate Annies, Saratoga NY, w Errorists & Lemon Law
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