Hailing from Auckland, NZ, Goodspace is an eclectic 3-piece indie-rock band inspired by a more lo-fi, brit rock sound. Comprised of Jeff Chen (vocals, guitar, keys), Lloyd Thomason (vocals, bass), and Nick Annear (drums), the band aims to create music that allows the listener to feel present!
Goodspace’s self-titled EP has an eclectic, rhythm packed intro track titled “This Song’s About You”. The track boasts retrospective lyricism, pummeling guitars, catchy melodic riffs, and rhythmic percussion. Goodspace exudes authentic chemistry that only comes from fine calibration and undeniable talent. The lead vocalist has a unique voice that is showcased brilliantly throughout the almost spoken-word verses.
Using music as an outlet for their emotive lyricism, Goodspace establishes a solid foundation for their fans to relate to their songs early on in the project. Followed by, “Don’t Want No One to Know”, the rhythmic attitude and chill rock vibe take the listener on a journey through the hypnotizing and mellow indie sound arrangements. “Don’t Want No One to Know” has slight undertones of alternative rock through rhythmic guitars and harmonic layers. I think “Don’t Want No One to Know” can be interpreted differently depending on the listener's situation. The echoing vocals, surf-rock vibes, and overall chemistry on this track is a brilliant indication of what’s to come on the rest of their EP.
“Before” introduces them as a band with a clear love for rock throughout the ages. Goodspace presents an indie-rock and slightly pop-inspired soundscape. “Before” features cascading guitar riffs, a raw drum line, and a vocal that’s as smooth as it is gritty as it moves through the story-line. Then you get the lyrics that are consistently developing the melody. “Underneath” pours through with an air of classic familiarity, but this is a completely new story, new details and clever little lyrics reach out and appeal in an instant. A fantastic song, thoughtfully arranged, lyrically fascinating and refreshingly original and honest. It also confidently brings back that authentic rock sound with the riffs and the energy and the freely expressive set-up. Absolutely worth a few listens!
“Time Chasing” brings the EP to a sweet yet mellow finish. The silence that follows after the playlist is finished will absolutely encourage another listen. That vocal tone and the style of these songs offer a distinct thread throughout, mood-wise though there’s plenty of eclecticism at work, and for these reasons, the album makes for a wonderful playlist to escape within. A great way to go out, superb guitar work yet again and an overall enjoyable, entertaining piece of music and performance. This EP is a strong release start to finish. We can’t wait to hear more!
Listen to the full EP here
Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you briefly introduce yourselves to our readers? How did you go about choosing your stage name?
Hello! We are Goodspace, a 3-piece band from Auckland, New Zealand, and we make music to make you feel present. Our name directly reflects our way of making music; we write from a place of presence and we try to make our listeners feel present. And that's always a good space to be in, for both artist and audience.
How was the production of your latest EP? Did your initial vision for the album end up executing as you thought it would?
Our latest/debut EP as Goodspace was mostly recorded and mixed by Jeff in his home studio and mastered by Mike Collier; and in short, yes the album is what we envisioned. As for the execution of process, however, mixing the album ourselves was probably the most unfamiliar territory, but we eventually got it sounding how we wanted -with a little help from our friends (thanks y'all know who you are).
"Before" was that type of track that pulsates with energy! What kind of vibe were you going for when curating the track?
"Before" is the track that involved the most collaboration. It was constantly being taken apart than put together before we were happy with it, which is maybe why it has an energy of its own.
From the beginning, there was definitely a brit rock vibe to "Before" that we were digging so that gave us some initial direction. But we'd say it was less a 'curated vibe' we were going for, and more just letting the collaboration take the song where it wanted to go.
The whole EP is extremely versatile and impressive! What would you say is the track that holds the most emotion? What’s the story or inspiration behind this song?
Thanks! 'Time Chasing' is probably the most personal and heartfelt song on the EP. It's a self-reminder song to make the best use of your time and not just wait around hoping for something to appear. On one hand, it's this direct song urging you to hustle and chase your dreams and on the other, it's cradled in this super mellow groove. It's weird how urgency is sometimes best conveyed through calm...well, for us at least.