Gus Baldwin & The Sketch | Interview | New Album, ‘The Sketch’
Gus Baldwin is set to drop ‘The Sketch,’ his highly anticipated full-length debut with his band, on January 31, 2025.
Since leaving Acid Carousel in 2021, Gus quickly made his mark on the Austin live scene, performing as a singer/songwriter, one-man garage band, and with his band The Sketch. Through his own GetWithIt! Records, he’s released a steady stream of music, establishing himself as a dynamic force in Texas rock. ‘The Sketch’ was recorded in just one day at Studio 22 with engineer Joey Oaxaca (White Reaper, Starcrawler), capturing the raw energy of the band. With its release right around the corner, ‘The Sketch’ is sure to be a thrilling ride. Pre-order it now on LP, cassette, and digital formats.
“We wanted to make a recording that was a document of the sound of the live band”
Your transition from Acid Carousel to Gus Baldwin & The Sketch has been described as a natural evolution. What aspects of your musical identity have remained constant, and what have you consciously left behind?
Gus Baldwin: It was pretty natural in the sense that I came out of the group with tons of material that had never gotten around to being played with the band, so it didn’t necessarily feel like starting over because of how many songs already existed. Especially considering that all the members of the Sketch were also members of that band, we already had great camaraderie both as friends and musicians. It’s hard to say what’s been left behind because it’s felt like a very natural transition of growing as both a human and a writer. When I look back, I see the difference in sound and approach, but I never purposely changed anything. The songs are all just documents of different parts of my life, so it’s natural that they would change as I’ve grown older.
Recording ‘The Sketch’ in a single day at Studio 22 is quite a feat. How did that intense, fast-paced process influence the final sound of the album?
It was such a fun record to make, and to my ears, you can hear that on the recording. Just having my three best friends in a room with me while we were in the middle of a tour and letting the tape roll. We wanted to make a recording that was a document of the sound of the live band, so we figured the best way to do that was just to have us play the songs as we would on stage. I love working under limitations, so recording it like this was such a thrill to see what would happen, not necessarily if we could pull it off. Aside from that, we literally just had the one day off on tour, and that’s all we could afford to rent the studio for, so it worked out, haha.
How does the rich musical heritage of Austin influence your songwriting and live performances?
I feel lucky to live in a town like Austin that really champions great songwriting and has a long lineage of amazing songwriters. In both songwriting and performing, I really feed off of the other bands and performers I get the privilege to share this great city with. We’re lucky to be a part of a music scene that really encourages each other. I feel like that breeds a very healthy environment to make music in.
Can you share a specific moment or artist that inspired this fusion of genres in your music?
It’s hard to think of anything specific. I think it’s just a product of all the different kinds of music we love as fans. We listen to so much different stuff, so I’m sure all of that funnels itself into the process of making tunes.
You’ve been referred to as an “ex-hippie, part-time punk.” How do these contrasting identities reflect in your music?
It’s all kind of tongue-in-cheek, being silly. But they are real descriptions of the kind of music and scenes I’ve been involved in and interested in over the years. There are no rules on what music you’re “allowed” to like; you can like whatever gets you excited.
You seem to have a unique chemistry, especially given the speed of recording your debut album. Why is that?
I wish I knew, haha. We’ve all played together in various amalgamations over the years, so we’ve been very comfortable playing together from the get-go. That’s probably got something to do with it. We just share a similar philosophy on playing and recording, so it’s really easy to tap into that groove. Plus, I get to play with really amazing musicians who all do something very cool and unique.
What has been the most surprising or unexpected aspect of working with ‘The Sketch’ compared to your previous projects?
I love playing with those guys because it’s more of a group of musicians playing together for fun, rather than a real rigorous “band,” per se. It’s a real relaxed attitude towards playing that I haven’t experienced with other groups I’ve been in. That being said, we all take the music and performing very seriously, which makes it really easy to tap into the fun of playing.
Looking ahead, how do you see Gus Baldwin & The Sketch evolving?
I’ve never really had any grand plan or agenda with the group. We’re just dudes who love making records and playing shows. I bet we’re going to keep doing that, and hopefully one day we can maybe stop sleeping on floors on tour, haha.
Touring the Western U.S. and planning for the Midwest and East shows in 2025, how do different regions influence the energy and reception of your performances?
I’ve never really seen much difference between the people we meet or get to play for at shows depending on geographical boundaries. No matter where you are, there are always people who are into the same music we’re into. The biggest difference I’ve seen is the reaction in the smaller towns. It seems like people who live in smaller cities and towns don’t get to see tons of bands all the time, so when you show up to play in their town, they get way more excited. We experienced that the most in Yakima, Washington, on the last tour. The kids out there were so stoked to have a band coming to play in their town!!
Klemen Breznikar
Gus Baldwin & The Sketch Linktr / Instagram / Bandcamp
Permanent Teeth Records Bandcamp
