The Good’s Gone take their name from the Who’s single of the same name released in 1966 and as featured in their debut album “My Generation” 1965. Apart from the clear nod to that song the band don’t necessarily fit the Mod mould when it comes to their look, however they definitely make up for it when it comes to their sound, with heavy rock and bluesy tones coupled up with raw energy, superb songwriting and musicianship. I’ve followed them since their beginnings and it’s been a pleasure to watch them grow and continue to develop their sound with various single releases. Continue reading to find out more about them.
Introduce yourselves and give us a bit of history of the band’s formation?
Jake: I was introduced to Ryan by a mutual friend called Scott Perry in December, 2018. At the time I was primarily a guitarist and keyboard player.
Ryan: The Good’s Gone formed in early 2019. Jake and I and our mutual friend Scott Perry formed a sort of makeshift band in order to take part in a folk competition (I’m not sure why I was invited, I guess my hat looks a bit folky).
We made it into the final of the competition and also acquired a lead guitarist and a drummer along the way, but ultimately we weren’t “folky” enough to win the competition which we all took as a massive compliment.
Jake: Prior to this band I had never played bass before although I did own a bass guitar, but I have really enjoyed the challenge of learning and developing my own bass playing style.
Ryan: We played our first proper gig on the 1st of June which was a sold-out gig at the Ramsgate Music Hall supporting our good friends Rudy Warman & The Heavy Weather.
Jake: This was a great gig, although it was a bit of a last minute challenge for Ryan, as our drummer at the time dropped out last minute, with a perforated eardrum, Ryan did a great job making up for this, by using a kick drum and Hi hat whilst playing guitar and singing.
What’s been the highs and lows so far?
Ryan: The biggest highs for me so far have been in the recording studio. Creating something that will last forever, that you can access at any time is pretty special.
Jake: The biggest high for me was recording a track at The Albion Rooms Margate. This was a really creative session for us and went on until around 3.30am. During this session we used several instruments that we had never used on recordings before. The track which we recorded there is called “I’m Gonna Miss You (When You’re Gone.” It will be out sometime in the near future.
Ryan: I think the lowest point was probably the same for most bands – Covid.
Jake: Yep, gotta be the Covid crap.
What’s the inspiration and story behind your new single “Colombian Gold”?
Jake: I’m always thinking up different bass grooves to play, and usually find it easier to create them on a keyboard, a lot of my influence comes from The Doors’ keyboardist Ray Manzarek’s bass lines, when Ryan mentioned the working title “Colombian Gold” I automatically thought of my favourite usual coffee brand of the same name, which led to the intro being a recording of my Italian stove coffee pot bubbling away.
Ryan: When Jake first sent me a recording he had done on keys of the bass line for what would become ‘Colombian Gold’ it instantly made me think of The Verve who are one of biggest influences – specifically it made me think of tracks like “Life’s An Ocean” and ‘The Longest Day’ and so that kind of instructed the way I approached the vocal melody. When we first jammed around the bass line as a full band (back when he had a full line-up) I stood at the mic and just started singing and I wrote the whole song lyric-wise on the spot then and there. I wouldn’t say they’re my most impressive lyrics by any means but they were the words that felt right.
As for the song title I think I was watching a documentary about drug trafficking on YouTube and ‘Colombian Gold’ was mentioned – I believe it’s a strain of Marijuana. I liked the sound of the words and so I named the audio file Jake had sent me ‘Colombian Gold’ as a working title and it just sort of stuck.
Tell us about your other release?
Tell Me Lies
Ryan: it’s just an angry song I wrote about people who are full of shit. It’s got a bit of The Kinks crossed with The Who kind of energy – especially the outro which I think sounds as close to Moon and Entwistle as anything you’re likely to hear these days.
A guy named Callum Shaw shot the video for it at Jake’s place which is also where we rehearse. It’s the first proper music video that either myself or Jake have done and we’re really proud of it. Shout-out to Callum!
The bands name is taken from The Who’s 1966 Single “The Good’s Gone” why did you choose that track as the bands name?
Ryan: When I first heard the song “The Good’s Gone” it just seemed to be like a calling. The way the song kept repeating the title reminded me of a crowd chanting a band name before the band takes the stage. It just felt like the song was speaking to me and telling me that “The Good’s Gone” was the name of our band. It looks and sounds like a proper band name to me.
Ryan you are the main songwriter of the band as well as the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and the drummer on studio recordings as well. This is no easy task how do you manage to piece everything together?
Ryan: Songwriting is like a religion for me, it’s something I’ve been obsessed with since I was 9 years old. I don’t really chase songs anymore, they come find me!
In terms of the recording process it all starts with the groove – Jake on bass, myself on drums. We like to record the rhythm section for the whole song from start to finish without a guide track or a click track. if one of us makes a mistake then we just start again! Once we’ve recorded the foundation we then build upon it. If we had a full line-up we’d probably cut the whole track live.
Is their plans to release an album or anything else to look forward too?
Ryan: Completing an album is definitely a long-term goal of ours and something that we have already started to work on. I think we’ll probably stick with Magpie Studios which is where ‘Colombian Gold’ was recorded as we’re really happy with the sound we got there. Realistically (financially) we probably won’t have an album ready until late 2023 at the earliest. In the meantime there’s going to be three or four more singles coming out this year so plenty to look forward to!
What would you like to accomplish moving forward?
Ryan: I think we’re just going to keep growing our audience by staying true to what we believe in which is quality over quantity. We don’t churn stuff out every other week but when we do release something you know it’s going to be good. We’ve been blown away by the support people and are extremely grateful for each and every one of you!
Is there plans to bring in a permanent drummer for live shows?
Ryan: We’ve been trying to find a permanent drummer ever since we started but it’s just not happening. We’ve had at least five drummers come and go so far and it’s always the same kind of issues – the main recurring theme being that they’ve got too many other commitments. It’s getting to the point where it might be easier to just find a guitarist and I’ll play drums and sing live.
You performed an acoustic session on hospital Radio, Medway. Tell us about that?
Ryan: I met Alan (Hare, who runs Medway Hospital Radio) at an open mic at The Ship in Gillingham a few years ago. We’ve been on the show twice now and it’s always a good time. He has a great knowledge of music.
Jake: It’s been a great pleasure the 2 times we’ve been on Alan’s show, he and his team are great guys, and I love Alan’s passion for music.
