The Growlers call the strange mix of garage, psychedelic, and surf rock that they make "Beach Goth."  The term started from a combination of the surf sound on the Growler's 2010 Hot Tropics EP and the dark themes (like poverty, death and addiction) that singer Brooks tends to sing about. But soon for the band, the Beach Goth label grew to become a blanket term for what the band is about:  budget recording--the band recorded in a minimal home studio--budget surfing--surfing on a crummy board--and beach living--even thought the band never lived on the beach. Beach Goth eventually became an annual Orange County music festival that the Growlers put on and headline.

I hung out with Brooks and his dog Jonesey at the end of an era for The Growlers. The band used to live together in a camp (which included their recording studio), but tragically the camp had burned down. Sitting in the alley behind Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre, I got Brooks to open up about bringing girlfriends on the road, the fire that destroyed the band's home, if writing songs for your girlfriend works to keep her happy, how to keep peace in the tour van, the difference between drinking beer vs drinking whiskey onstage, and much more. Listen.

Tracks played on the show...

1) The Growlers, Chinese Fountain (2014) "Going Gets Tuff" 
2) The Growlers, Chinese Fountain (2014) "Good Advice"  
3) The Growlers, Hung at Heart (2013) "Someday" 
4) The Growlers, Gay Thoughts/Feelin' Good single (2011) "Gay Thoughts"  
5) The Growlers, Hung at Heart (2013) "Beach Rats"  

NO songs CANCON 


The Interview Show with The Growlers #208

CJSF 90.1 FM is Simon Fraser University's arts, public affairs and indie music radio station!

CJSF strives to provide points of view that are rarely expressed in mainstream media. We take pride in being an alternative to mainstream media, offering the public a forum for expressing perspectives that otherwise may not be heard.

CJSF 90.1 FM broadcasts from the Burnaby Mountain campus of Simon Fraser University to most of Greater Vancouver, from Langley to Point Grey and from the North Shore to the US Border. 

As a non-commercial station, CJSF takes pride in being an alternative to mainstream media and offers the public a forum for artists and social issues that otherwise may not receive media attention. This includes music by independent artists from a diverse range of genres and public affairs programming that addresses issues faced by marginalized or disadvantages communities. 

CJSF and all campus/community radio enables the public to create the media they want to hear. They have over 150 volunteers from the SFU and Metro Vancouver community and are always looking for new recruits to come in and make radio. 

The Interview Show producer and host Scott Wood climbs into the tour van to hang out with your favorite indie bands. This podcast covers all kinds of music--anything from electronic to hip hop to indie to punk to metal. Listen!

The Interview Show with The Growlers #208

interviewshow