A Healthy Mix of Goshupon on Debut LP, Volume 1 [Album Premiere]
“Usually it’s just me laying out my feelings, but I can go all over the place. These days I try to stay away from sad lyrics because I find it more fun to write about jokes and nonsense,” shared Kian Sorouri of Philadelphia, PA power pop rock group Goshupon. “I try my hardest not to be a downer, and I can definitely control that in my music.”
Wormbrain spoke to the band’s core creator about the collection of cohesive but contrasting tracks on Volume 1, their debut album being shared today ahead of its full digital self-release. Across ten tracks, Sorouri finds himself treading on genres across the alternative rock spectrum, mixing up style and production as much as collaboration and inspiration. This decision is, we are told, part of the vision that leads from this first release on to future volumes.
“The intention is for each record to be a collection of recordings from whenever and wherever,” Sorouri said. “I’ve got tons of 4 track, 8 track, and multitrack home recordings. I also have a lot of friends with amazing studios, so Goshupon is a great excuse to get together and make some music. Thankfully I can put the fruits of that labor on a record. Each volume will ideally encompass many different times and places.”
Goshupon is sharing their debut album Volume 1, today via Wormbrain World:
Thinking of the “whenever and wherever” of Volume 1’s tracklisting, Sorouri divulged, “‘DBoy’ was written in 2018 and went through many different forms before getting to the version on Volume 1. Conversely, I was warming up my vocals with a Mo Troper song — thanks Golden Apples for taking me on tour and introducing me to Mo — and mixer/masterer/drummer Dan Angel threw a mic up and recorded it. That made it onto the record too, so I’d say there’s a healthy mix of new and old material. And every song is special to me, come on! But really, most of the songs were recorded at different times and moods and I’m reminded of their specifics whenever I listen.”
Photo courtesy of the artists.
“I have played in bands where we all write [Ted Nguyent, Loose Tooth, the Flippers, Greg Electric, Bronco, Wellboys] and bands where I rock how I’m asked [Sun Organ, the Dionne Group, the Superweaks, Permanent Body]. The last few bands I played in [Golden Apples and Cave People] presented lovely scenarios of the songwriters bringing the bones of songs and trusting the band to fill the song out. It’s nice getting to be creative while having someone else direct the action.”
At this point, Kian’s rock and roll resume is clearly chockful, but Goshupon does represent a new way of making music for Sorouri. He told us, “My experiences being in bands led me to the Goshupon Concept, which is based around nobody else being in (see: responsible for) the band. The Concept relieves a lot of pressure in most aspects of being in a Band. In the other Band Model, if someone can’t make a show then that’s it; the show is cancelled or a scab is brought in and emotions are compromised.
“In the Goshupon Model there’s no guilt or responsibility put on others, which is something that I struggled with while operating in 3+ active bands, collaborative or otherwise,” they added. “I’ve got a seemingly limitless pool of talented and willing musicians to work with, and it’s been very fun putting people together. In some cases, the players have known each other for 10+ years and had never really interacted musically. That shit warms my heart and makes it feel ‘worth it.’”
Photo courtesy of the artists.
“Honestly my biggest influences are my friends and their music,” gushed the Goshupon guy, after first flagging a “corny warning” to brace us. “I play it a lot, hear it a lot, see it a lot, and talk about it a lot. Not much else in my life is as constant as that. It feels really great when I’m writing music and pull back and think, ‘that’s Russ as hell’ or ‘hell yeah, that’s Timmy.’”
“Beyond that, Terrorhawk by Bear vs Shark is my #1 record. Beyond that, I’m a compilation hound and take it from there. I’m easy, baby! Most recently the B-52s have been changing my shit up,” Sorouri concluded. Now, Wormbrain World readers, please allow Goshupon to change your shit up.
“I try my hardest not to be a downer, and I can definitely control that in my music.”
Photo courtesy of the artists.
Wormbrain World asked Kian Sorouri of Goshupon whether their band name has connection to Bandai Namco’s branded coin-operated gachapon plastic capsule toy machines, and he told us:
KS: I had the band name Goshupon for a long time and the more the concept developed, the more the name made sense. Just like the mystery of what’s inside your capsule, Goshupon shows and songs are a mystery until the capsule pops. Who will be playing? Will it be the mega punk drummer or the ultra laid back groover? 3 or 4 piece? 4 track or clean studio? What cover did this group fuck with at practice? Even I don’t know what's in the capsule, and I filled the damn machine.
I’m a big fan of tiny pieces of plastic crap and I’ve been known to hit a few machines on the way out of any willing establishment.
I recently found some true Bandai branded Gachapons in Philly and spent the extra money for a larger, cooler, less crappy plastic toy (see: Nami from One Piece).
“Freak what you feel, style-wise.”
W.W: What is Wormbrain?
KS: Wormbrain is the face made while sniffing a steaming hot iced tea on a frigid summer morning. The dirtbody wets from the face down and the worms start thinking up.
W.W: Thank you for sharing with Wormbrain.
