Whether it’s conscious or not, Golden Vessel’s Brisbane upbringing has seeped into his sound: think shedding Jacaranda trees and a 25°C average temperature. He produces beats to warm up to.
Earlier this year, Golden Vessel released his debut album SLOWSHINE, dotted with features by Cult Shφtta, Duckwrth, and Oscar Key Sung. As a listener, it sounds like a graduation from the beats he began releasing as an 18 year old in 2015. Still, there’s a singular thread connecting his releases: his music can carry you through from 10pm at a house party to 3am at the club.
Catching up over email, we chatted about his love for film photography, his need for creative control, and the kind of movie his music would soundtrack.
Hello! First off, congratulations on the release of your debut album! It’s been out for a minute, but I wanted to ask about the album’s process—was there a particular moment where the project really came into focus? Where did the name SLOWSHINE come from?
Thanks so much! Yeah, I think there was that moment. I was just making a lot of sounds and ideas and then Elkkle came up from Melbourne to Brisbane for a weekend in September 2017. That weekend we made ‘MOONSTONE’ (along with Akurei) and we started ‘BIGBRIGHT’. Felt so excited after that weekend for where things could head! They ended up being the first two singles.
You seem to collaborate a lot—how do they come about? Generally, who approaches who?
It always comes so naturally! I just love making music with my friends and I always wanted Golden Vessel to be really collaborative and a platform for other people to contribute and have fun. Sometimes I reach out to people but it’s generally mutual friends or we already have mutual respect etc. instead of cold calling.
You’re a Brisbane boy—what’s your favourite venue to play when you’re home? Why?
I really love The Foundry! I think it opened around the time when I turned 18 and it feels really nice and sounds great and always has cool bands playing. I’ve had some great shows there too.
I know that you really love to shoot film! When did you get your first camera and what kind was it? What makes you excited to take a photo?
Yeah I really love to shoot, it’s such a fun process and I like that you have to wait for the pay off of seeing the photos. I think I first got into it when I started hanging out with my friend Sean Pyke who is a film photographer. I just picked up a cheap camera and started. I think the magic with film is that because every photo costs money and you can’t shoot excessively you think a bit harder about things like angle and lighting! It’s more thoughtful.
Your video for ‘TONIGHT’ with Cult Shφtta comes out today. I know that you shot the entire thing yourself, along with your friend Matt Howard in Japan. What’s your favourite part about being creatively in control? Where did the idea for the video spring from?
Yeah, it’s really fun to work with Matt because he’s one of my best friends and we have a really good back and forth. I think I just like being creatively in control because I have a lot of ideas and I’d go a bit crazy if I couldn’t make them happen. It was the third video that we did on our trip to Tokyo and we kind of played this one by ear. We decided to film it around the neighbourhood we were staying in because it was so interesting.
I know your music is a genuine expression of what you love creatively. What was the last thing that really ignited some inspiration for you? A movie, an album, a photograph…
I just watched 500 Days Of Summer by myself and got an idea for a music video from it! And I’ve been listening to so much Big Thief (Adrianna Lenker) lately and her songwriting and control is so inspiring.
You’re heading on a North American tour soon! Is this your first time over there? Where are you looking forward to going or revisiting?
Yeah in like two or three weeks! We did a tour in February supporting Baynk and did SXSW but these are my first headline shows which is so wild! Excited to do the first US headline show in NYC too, I think that’ll be special. Just keen to drive across that very interesting country again!
If you could soundtrack any movie with your music, what movie would it be?
I think all my favourite movies have really amazing soundtracks so maybe it’d be kind of fun to soundtrack a movie with a bad IMDB rating and try to give people a reason to like it!
Check out Golden Vessel’s new album above and for more follow him here.