An Interview With The Oakland-Based Trip Rock Group, gP!

The Oakland-based trip rock band gP. recently shared their latest single “Tape You,” featuring Matt Fazzi of Taking Back Sunday and Rare Futures. The provocative, hyper sexual track premiered with PopMatters who say it “adds more than a little of the carnal to your playlist while never losing sight of the almighty groove.”

“Sometimes sex can be unpredictable,” says vocalist Justin Bonifacio. “Sometimes the sex can be boring. Sometimes drugs are involved. Sometimes the girl keeps a knife in the freezer so the blade can be cold when she pulls it out in the heat of the moment. Sometimes the sex is just so wild, you have to pull out a camera and film it so you can watch it together later. This is what ‘Tape You’ is all about.”

gP.’s brand of dirty rock infuses film noir samples, trip hop beats and a driving R&B groove under an aggressive rock n’ roll mask. “Fazzi added a lot of fun piano, synth and vocoder to achieve a more vintage disco funk sound,” says Bonifacio.

“Tape You” is the first single from the band’s upcoming EP sexindustryfolklore, which is a follow-up to their sophomore self-titled EP. The band has accumulated over a million streams on Spotify, with adds on the playlists Totally Alternative, New Noise, The Scene, and more.

Learn more about gP in the following All Access interview:

Since we are now at the back-end of 2018, how has this year treated this band? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year? How close are you to reaching it?

2018 GAVE US MUCH TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOUND WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON WITH. WE REALLY WANTED TO RECORD MORE SONGS AND VIDEOS AND PUT THEM OUT. OUR MUSICAL DIRECTION HAS CHANGED VERY MUCH SINCE THE DESTROY RELEASE, AND WE WANTED PEOPLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

Was it hard to think of a name that you could agree on?

NO, A NAME IS JUST A NAME. ITS THE ACTION AND CONTENT DRIVING THE NAME THAT DEFINES IT.

How do you think your hometowns have influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?

THE BAY AREA HAS ABANDONED THE TRADITIONAL ROCK BAND IN FAVOR OF A LOT MORE ACCESSIBLE MUSIC MODELS. SO PERHAPS WE HAVE ADOPTED MORE MODERN SOUNDS INTO OUR BAND IN ADAPTATION OF THIS SHIFT. I GUESS THATS INFLUENCE.

How has your various musical backgrounds helped shape the sound of this band?

I AM VERY LARGELY INFLUENCED BY NOIR FILMS AND EARLY 90s ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND I THINK IT HAS BLED QUITE EVENLY I TO THIS NEW MUSICAL DIRECTION. DUSTIN IS A WIZARD ON DRUMS SO WE GET RHYTHMICALLY CRAZY ON THIS NEW EP.

What was it like working with Matt Fazzi of Taking Back Sunday?

MATT FAZZI IS THE NICEST MOST MULTI TALENTED GUY YOU’LL EVER MEET WHICH MAKES INCLUDING HIM IN THE SONGWRITING THAT MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE.

What inspired your song “Tape You”?

TONALLY, WE WANTED A SONG THAT EMBODIED THAT CHIC/ NILE RODGERS AESTHETIC, WHILE STILL REMAINING A ROCK N ROLL SONG.

How would you say that “Tape You” prepares listeners for your upcoming EP, “sexindustry/folklore”?
How does this new collection show the growth that this trio has gone through since your sophomore album was released?

THE LAST EP WAS OUR FIRST DIVE INTO THE SAMPLE WORLD; THE SONG STRUCTURES WEIGHED A LOT MORE HEAVILY ON THE AUXILIARY SOUND ARRANGEMENTS.
SEXINDUSTRYFOLKLORE IS AN EP WITH A MORE BALANCED BLEND OF ORGANIC TONE AND ARTIFICIAL SOUNDS.

Did you approach the making of this new album any differently than your past collections?

WE DEFINITELY REHEARSED/PERFORMED THE SONGS A LOT MORE THAN WE DID FOR SONGS ON THE PREVIOUS EP RELEASE.

What was it like making the music video for “Tape You”? How creatively involved with the process were you all?

I JUST HAD AN IDEA FOR A SEXY LYRIC VIDEO AND I SENT A VERY DESCRIPTIVE IDEA TO MY GUY, AND HE MADE IT HAPPEN.

Generally, how do you all go about writing your music? Do you write together or separately?

WE WRITE PLENTY SEPARATELY SINCE WE HAVE ADOPTED PRO TOOLS, BUT BEFORE RECORDING WE MAKE SURE TO WELL REHEARSE EVERY SONG SO AS TO IRON OUT ALL THE KINKS.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

IN THE STUDIO RECORDING IS THE PLANNING. ON STAGE PERFORMING IS THE PARTY. THE PARTY WONT BE COOL IS THE PLANNING ISN’T DONE WELL.

Can you talk about your wildly theatrical live performances? What inspires these shows and the way that you entertain crowds?

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT WILDLY THEATRICAL, BUT I TRY TO GO AS NUTS AS POSSIBLE WHEN IM ONSTAGE. WHERE ELSE COULD I GET AWAY WITH ACTING LIKE THAT?

Do you find that all of social media and keeping up with your fans has gotten so overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?

I HATE SOCIAL MEDIA. I HATE LOOKING AT MY PHONE. I BELIEVE SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GROWIG FACTOR IN WHY PEOPLE ARE SO DEPRESSED. OUR MANAGER CAN CARRY THAT FOR US. THANKS MATT!

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how you all think being musicians and in this band still gives you the most joy in life today?

POLITICS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME OR MY MUSIC. THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS THAT I PRIDE MYSELF IN KEEPING AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER.

Do you find that your music is an escape to all the current events?

NO ITS JUST SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME HAPPY.

What musicians would you love to work with in the future?

RICKY REED/ PAUL MEANY

What artists have really been inspiring this group and your music since day 1?

PHARRELL WILLIAMS/ THE PRODIGY/ MASSIVE ATTACK/ TRENT REZNOR/ METALLICA/ ACDC… THE LIST IS ALMOST ENDLESS

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

THE FUTURE AND CHRIST-LIKE RETURN OF ROCK N ROLL, ONCE PEOPLE ADMIT THAT HIP HOP IS DEAD.