Smooth velvet and comfort food _{by Madelaine Empson}

Psycho Gab, a five-piece neo-soul band based in Tāmaki Makaurau, have a new EP out on the 12^th of July. I asked Caleb, Rosetta, Finn, Orlando, and Max to characterise Crazy Talk. What if they could choose a colour, a sound, a texture, a flavour, and a feeling that would best define the work?

“The EP is a blend of pastel colours, hints of teal, light pink, and some darker reds even”, the band obliges. “Orlando would describe the flavour as a gourmet cheeseburger with kumara chips and vegan aioli on the side. It’s a reflection of our individual sonic influences of jazz, pop, soul, RnB, alternative, and Latin. Crazy Talk feels like adrenaline and growing pains, but also smooth velvet, a nice fitting pair of jeans, and comfort food.”

Having formed in early 2023 Auckland, Psycho Gab says their name came from a song they wrote whilst stuck inside due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

“The song used a lot of storm analogies, and was originally called Psycho Gab, but eventually this grew on us as a name, meaning crazy talk, but also reflecting the time and place we started making music in.”

With three members hailing from Pōneke, Psycho Gab is beyond excited to connect with their friends and whānau when they play Rogue and Vagabond on Thursday the 25^th of July with Groove Council and Veg Trio; and Meow on Friday the 26^th of July with Crumbly Jack and Doma Cyno.

“We hope everyone’s as excited as we are to see the incredible artists on our lineups – we’ve always been passionate about playing with artists we love, and putting on beautiful shows of RnB, jazz, and soul… and what better place to do that than Pōneke?”