On ‘Empathology’ the band further expand their sonic palette as they bask at the altar of 90’s flannel soaked distortion, with a track that sounds like ‘Cannonball’ by the Breeders…if the Breeders were cooler, moodier, goth kids fighting Veruca Salt and Jack Off Jill. From the outset the track tests the absolute limit of your speakers, a potentially earthquake inducing rumble from Rab’s bass is punctuated by the 90’s watery chorus lead of Robby’s guitar and driven forward by Darren’s drums as his snare strains under every hit. Chelsea’s guitar adds depth while her inimitable vocals carry a subtle sense of menace, but drip with sincerity, authenticity and truth.

When asked about the track she says, ‘’Empathology’ is half about wanting to feel the pain of everyone around you so they don’t have to, and half wanting to share it with them, grow closer and connect on a deeper level. I’ve created my own subject, Empathology: the study of empathy.” The juxtaposition of the dark and brooding ‘Empathology’ against the feel good hit of the summer ‘Your World’, shows the band have depths to their songwriting and aren’t afraid to explore the extremes of their sound.

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‘Your World’ finds the band embracing their garage rock and pop influences alongside their usual desert grunge. As though The Stooges tied The Kinks to their jeep while Brody Dalle’s Spinnerette drove through the desert with The Hives soundtracking the whole sordid scene. The song writing here is sharp and concise with a focus on dynamics and melody. Chelsea’s vocals have never sounded more confident alongside some blistering guitar hooks from Robbie.

When it came time to record the band returned to Jonny Woods (1980 Something Studios/Wynona Bleach). Having already established a musical vocabulary on previous single ‘Like That’ this allowed the band to further refine their sound and make the bold step into more pop focused territory. Pre-production sessions with Jonny allowed the band to hone the song into what we hear today. The result is a thunderous stomp; Rab’s gnarly fuzzed out bass provides a melodic heart beat while Darren’s insistent drums push the song forward, twin guitars from Robbie and Chelsea know exactly when to pull back and when to lean into speaker shredding distortion, giving Chelsea’s vocals space in the verse before pummelling us in the chorus.

Chelsea’s vocals drip with effortless cool attitude, layers of harmonies and larynx splitting background vocals help add depth to the song. Slacker cool verses explode into a flannel soaked sneer in the chorus as Chelsea intones “Let me be your lap dog, let me be your girl, let me be your pain, I wanna be your whole world’. Lyrics that deal with unrequited obsession and how this fixation can drive you to crazy, unhinged places, this is reflected in the hysterical laughing that bookend the choruses.

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The release finds them refining and expanding upon the sound they established on their EP. The song writing is sharper and more focused which is reflected in the production. Jonny Woods (1980 Something Studios/Wynona Bleach) is at the controls this time, with a focus on capturing the live sound of the band. The result is a gargantuan thunderous stomp; bass and drums are foundation shakingly massive, while watery chorus guitar melodies add sparkle before the speaker shredding fuzz kicks in for the chorus. Taking influence from the likes of QOTSA and Spinnerette then mashing them together with their grungier Seattle based influences gives Gush their now signature sound.

Chelsea’s cherubic delivery explodes into a sneering venomous exorcism in the chorus that gives way to a desperate cry of ‘What to do?’ in the middle section of the track. Lyrically the song deals with battling your own internal monologue, gaslighting yourself into believing the more convenient answer rather addressing the issue. The band say “’Like That’ mirrors the chaos of a turbulent mind. Like a storm, it builds with intense energy, crashing between moments of calm and fury. The aggressive reflect the emotional conflict within, making it an anthemic ride through inner turmoil. The tempest persists.”

When it came time to create the visual language for the single, the band turned to longtime collaborator Ebony Alexander. Having built up a shorthand from working together on previous releases it allowed the band to reach their goal quickly. Ebony is responsible for the artwork, photos and video.

The video, fittingly shot at an abandoned, supposedly haunted house in Carnfunnock, is based around the narrative of a lonely astral soul that lurks around an old, abandoned house, waiting for someone to come along to befriend. As the band approach and discover the girl, they flee in terror. She follows, only curious and intending to befriend them.

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