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Gus Baldwin’s debut album with The Sketch is out now. Hear Gus & Trey’s My KUTX.
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For newcomers of The Sketch– how would you describe yourself and the music you guys put out?
This is always the hardest question to answer, no one likes trying to put themself in a box. We never found anything better than just calling it Rock n’ Roll, although Lucas has been enjoying calling us “Pocket Rock” haha. Some people throw us in the punk bag, some in the garage, some in the psych bag. We just wanna try to rip off The Kinks and sound like Crazy Horse haha.
What drew you first to the music world, and how did you know it was the path for you?
Hearing my Dad play “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones when I was about 4. That’s the first song I can vividly remember hearing, and wanting to hear over and over again. The Ramones have great juvenile energy. That definitely was the match that sparked my interest in the music world, but I don’t know if I ever had any real crazy moment when I knew I had to be a musician. I think one day I just realized that out of every interest I ever had, it was the only one that always stuck around. At this point I’m not qualified for much else, so I’m gonna do my best to keep up with it while I can.
You started out in Denton’s DIY scene during college at UNT, a community that’s been instrumental in shaping Texas’ independent music industry. How did that DIY experience influence your approach to music, and what role do you think DIY still plays for emerging artists entering the music scene?
I think it played the same role for me as it plays for everyone. It lets you know that one: you can do it yourself. And, two: to enjoy it. There’s really no point I see in doing this if you don’t get real joy from it. It can be a pretty demoralizing and miserable existence trying to be a young group on the road. But I learned from the DIY scene up north that my friends and I took it seriously, and a lot of other people just wanted a good party. There’s validity in both sides of the DIY coin, but through it you’re forced into deciding who you wanna be.
You’ve been involved in the Austin music scene for a number of years now. In your eyes, what makes it special? How has it shaped your approach as an artist?
This town is really incredible. I feel lucky to get to be a part of a community of really incredible bands and songwriters that all support the hell out of each other. That was something I never really saw as much up in DFW. I actually feel like a part of something here, and that encourages me to write in a more hopeful tone than I used to a few years ago. We got a really good crew here right now, and we’re lucky to be around for it. These kinda “scenes” only pop up every once and a while around the country, so it’s exciting.
You’re a fixture in the Austin music scene—not just as the frontman of The Sketch, but also as DJ Hollywood Jones, the face behind GetWithIt! Records, a graphic designer, and a member of bands like Bubba Lucky, etc. With so many creative projects on your plate, how do you juggle it all and still manage to survive in modern Austin?
One day at a time haha. Every day it’s a new bag, and that kind of helps me keep going. I was never too good at focusing on one thing for long anyway, so I figured if I kept myself busy I’d always have a gig. In this modern world we live in too, you gotta be able to wear a bunch of different hats just to survive more than anything. I’m lucky I got to expand my web into other disciplines I really do enjoy; whether it be visual art, DJing, or whatever else I happen to have on my plate that day.
What can your new & hardcore fans look forward to in the coming months from you & The Sketch? Anything you wanna plug?
Well the biggest thing to plug just happened haha. We put out the new record about a month back, and that’s really the thing I would hope people go and check out the most. We’re all really proud of it, and that’s something I haven’t been able to say about all the records I’ve made before. We’ll be playing shows around town during SXSW time, then hitting the road in April around the east coast. We’re a pretty simple band haha, we just wanna play shows and make records! I’m just finishing up my next solo release right now, so I’m looking forward to starting recording whatever the next project ends up being.
What are your go-to 45 picks for vinyl DJing? Any holy grail items? Guilty pleasures?
“Maybe So, Maybe No” by the New Holidays. It’s a funky northern soul ballad on the Soulhawk label that I managed to track down at People’s Records in Detroit on a Black Angels tour. It’s one of those magical songs that you can drop in at any point in the set, or for any mood. It’s also the most expensive record I’ve ever bought haha.
What’s your favorite Austin Music Experience?
Convincing my dad to drive me down to Levitation 2015 when I was 16. He’s a real one for that.
