THE GNOMES - Introducing... The Gnomes - CD [NOV 7]

CD

Although they emerged from Melbourne’s bayside outer suburbs onto the local live scene with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, The Kinks and early Beatles only a year or so ago, Gnome actually started out as a bedroom solo project for teenaged singer/songwriter/guitarist Jay Millar a few years back.

Jay, playing everything himself, began recording and releasing a steady stream of material - quite a few albums’ worth - on his own Goblin Records label via Bandcamp. Realising he needed a band to start playing out, Jay approached some like-minded players from Frankston's rehearsal hub Singing Bird, and with Jay on lead vocals and lead guitar, Ned Capp on guitar, Olly Katsianis on bass, and Ethan Robins on drums, Gnome became a band. Early in 2025, the last solo Jay recordings released under the Gnome name caused something of an international underground sensation when the Bandcamp-only I Like It EP - four songs of kranked-up Kinks-style mono riffage -was posted by a Spanish garage-punk YouTube page and quickly clocked up over 50,000 views.

At the same time, the band began gaining attention on the thriving Frankston scene and around Melbourne. They started breaking out, sharing bills with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips, fellow Frankstoners/Singing Bird alumni The Belair Lip Bombs, and, on a quick trip to Sydney, Cammy Cautious & The Wrestlers.

And now, finally, we have Gnome’s debut album — twelve killer tracks that combine the best of the '60s with the best of today. Twelve killer tracks that show off assertive and accomplished songwriting, singing and playing, and an explosive, authentic, swinging group sound. Twelve killer slices of raw rock'n'roll, running the gamut from the savage Rhythm & Blues of Play With You and Better With You to the vibrant beat pop of I'll Be There and I'm Not The One, with forays into the heavy reverb psych of Stung, the Cavern/Star Club stylings of Flippin’ Stomp, and the first flyte jangle of Time Will Tell along the way.

There’s more, of course -including a new version of that Kinks-style kranker I Like It for good measure. Frankston’s Fab Four are taking their sound to the world. Join them for the ride!

Tracklist: 

1. Better With You
2. I’m Not The One
3. I’ll Be There
4. You Won't Fool Me
5. Open Your Eyes
6. Won't Quit You
7. Flippin' Stomp
8. I Like It
9. Stung
10. Time Will Tell
11. I’ll Wait
12. Play With You