Jay Watson

Jay Watson is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a touring member of the psychedelic rock band Tame Impala and as a co-founder of the psychedelic rock/pop band Pond, with whom he's recorded nine albums. Watson also records solo material under the name GUM and, as of 2023, has released six studio albums under this name. In addition, he sometimes collaborates with fellow Pond member James Ireland as the duo GUM & Ginoli, remixing songs originally recorded by a variety of different artists, and occasionally contributes production and mixing to the solo projects of fellow Pond members.

Jay Watson
Watson in 2011
Watson in 2011
Background information
Also known asGUM / Gumby
BornCarnarvon, Western Australia, Australia
OriginNortham, Western Australia, Australia
GenresPsychedelic rock, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia, dream pop, psychedelic pop, space rock
Occupation(s)Musician, producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, drums, bass, synthesizer, piano, organ
Years active2005–present
LabelsSpinning Top Records
Member of

Career

Watson was born in Carnarvon,[1] and grew up in Northam, Western Australia.[2] He was given the nickname Gumby, which referred to the clay animation TV show of the same name.[1] When he began recording his own material, Watson shortened the name to GUM.[2]

Under the GUM moniker, Watson released Delorean Highway digitally in Australia on 30 May 2014. Most of the material had been recorded in 2011, leaving Watson to note that "when it finally came out it felt so good! But it felt so old to me".[3] An LP release of Delorean Highway was restricted to a thousand copies.[3] The album was described as a collection of "paranoid pop songs" that are "mostly about falling in love and all of the things that he [Watson] thinks are going to kill him."[4] In October 2019, Delorean Highway came at no.19 on Happy Mag's list of "The 25 best psychedelic rock albums of the 2010s".[5]

In September 2014, Watson recorded his second album in London with the assistance of Jerome Watson.[3] The thirteen track Glamorous Damage, was announced in September 2015 and was released on 13 November 2015.[6] It was preceded by the single "Anaesthetized Lesson",[6] which was remixed by Kevin Parker and released in March 2016.[7][8] Watson described the title of the album as "about people glamorizing getting fucked up or being weirdos, when there is always a danger you could end up damaged yourself just through putting it on a pedestal".[2] Watson occasionally performs live, using backing tracks. Pitchfork's Stuart Berman described the album as "the 8-bit, Nintendo video game adaptation of a blockbuster film".[9]

On 3 November 2016, a third album titled Flash in the Pan, was teased on YouTube,[10] and released on 11 November 2016.[11] It was preceded by the single "Gemini".[12][13] Described by the NME as "a swirl of looped vocals, Pond-y synth work and dreamy, subtle bass".[14] Watson explained that it was "the first song I recorded for the album, and probably the most immediate".[15] It featured a contribution by Sergio Flores on saxophone.[16][17]

Watson currently resides in Beaconsfield, a suburb nearby to Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia.[18] In December 2019, he and his girlfriend Lucy welcomed a son, Jack.

Discography

Albums
  • Delorean Highway (2014)
  • Glamorous Damage (2015)
  • Flash In the Pan (2016)
  • The Underdog (2018)
  • Out In the World (2020)
  • Saturnia (2023)

Singles
  • Anesthetized Lesson (2015)
  • Elafonissi Blue (2015)
  • Gemini (2016)
  • Deep Razz (2016)
  • The Underdog (2018)
  • The Blue Marble (2018)
  • Out In the World (2020)[19]
  • Airwalkin' (2020)[20]
  • Low to Low (2020)
  • Ancients (2022; from Glamorous Damage remaster)
  • Minor Setback / Old Transistor Radio (2023) with Ambrose Kenny-Smith[21]
  • Race to the Air (2023)
  • Would It Pain You to See? (2023)
  • Music Is Bigger Than Hair (2023)
  • Argentina (2023)

With Pond

With Tame Impala
  • Tame Impala (2008), drums on "Wander", keyboards on "Forty-One Mosquitoes Flying in Formation"
  • Innerspeaker (2010), drums on "Solitude Is Bliss", "The Bold Arrow of Time", "Island Walking".[22]
  • Live at the Corner EP (2010), drums on all tracks
  • Lonerism (2012), piano on "Apocalypse Dreams", keyboards on "Elephant"
  • Live Versions (2014), keyboards on all tracks

References
  1. Bochat, Maggie (16 November 2015). "A chat about bogans, Myspace, Jay Watson and Gum". hhhhappy.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  2. "Tame Impala's Jay Watson Talks His Solo Act, GUM". Myspace. March 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  3. H., Martin (17 September 2014). "Interview: Jay Watson (Gum, Pond, Tame Impala)". Trendsylvania. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  4. Al Newstead (11 December 2013). "Tame Impala, Pond Members Release First Taste of Solo Albums". Tone Deaf. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  5. "The 25 best psychedelic rock albums of the 2010s – Happy". Happy Mag. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  6. Bentley-Hawkins, Will (November 2015). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson is poised to release his second solo album as GUM". PILERATS. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  7. Minsker, Evan (29 March 2016). "Tame Impala's Kevin Parker Remixes His Bandmate Jay Watson's GUM Track "Anesthetized Lesson" | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  8. "Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker remixes track by bandmate's side project GUM". NME. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  9. "GUM: Glamorous Damage". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  10. Hunt, El (4 November 2016). "GUM (Jay Watson of Pond and Tame Impala) announces new album 'Flash in the Pan'". DIY. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  11. Yoo, Noah (4 November 2016). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson Announces New GUM Album Flash in the Pan, Shares New Song "Gemini"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  12. Kaye, Ben (4 November 2016). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson announces new album as GUM, shares lead single "Gemini" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  13. Wilson, Zanda (4 November 2016). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson Announces New GUM Album, Shares Fresh Track 'Gemini' – Music Feeds". Music Feeds. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  14. Bartleet, Larry (4 November 2016). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson Gets Dreamy On New Gum Single 'Gemini'". NME. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  15. Helman, Peter (3 November 2016). "GUM – "Gemini"". Stereogum. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  16. Roberts, Christopher (4 November 2016). "GUM (Jay Watson of Tame Impala and POND) Announces New Album, Shares "Gemini"". undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  17. Olsen, Ben (4 November 2016). "Tame Impala's Jay Watson Teases New GUM Album With Lead Single "Gemini"". Hypebeast. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  18. "Wading through the noise: Jay Watson on refinement, maturity and the future of POND". 14 September 2017.
  19. "Gum (11) - Out In The World". Discogs. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  20. Gum – Airwalkin' (2020, Vinyl), 12 June 2020, retrieved 30 May 2021
  21. "GUM & Ambrose Kenny-Smith – "Minor Setback" & "Old Transistor Radio"". 24 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  22. "Tame Impala – Innerspeaker". discogs. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
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