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Interview with
GOODTHANKYOU

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Photo – Lachlan Ewbank

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First up, can you please give us a quick intro?
I’m Jason John Leigh, a multi-instrumentalist who’s been holed up in a Sydney storage unit making a record late at night for 18 months. You guys know me better as the frontman for The Stiffys. Amplify’s always been great supporters of that band, thanks.

Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
I’ve been going to gigs since I was in the womb and there were keyboards and a PA laying around the house growing up. I started writing songs at 14 to impress girls, but it really took hold when a rich kid lent me his Four Track Cassette Recorder and I was able to layer stuff. My cheap instruments kept breaking but I found a way to make it sound cool and have been chasing that feeling ever since.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
It’s not perfect and neither am I. I keep in a lot of mistakes. It’s very heart on the sleeve. Most of it should make you want to fight, fuck or cry. So far this record has been compared to The White Stripes, Viagra Boys, Queens Of The Stone Age and Sleaford Mods.

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today? 
System of a Down blew me wide open when I stumbled across them as a kid. Beautiful Armenian harmonies over brutal metal riffs. I think I was listening to NOFX a lot at the time too, and it sent me on a real harmony thing.

Your new single Pray At Your Altar has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution. 
It started as some intellectual drum and bass math rock thing in the storage unit late at night, until the mushrooms kicked in. Then it became this whole realisation about the sacrifices women make for love, ripping their hearts and bodies apart for it and us as a species, and just marvelling at women in general.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I’m in the middle of releasing a trilogy of karaoke music videos with my Director mate Tim Hamilton to promote the album. After that I’ll head back into the storage unit to work on the next one, unless they read about what I’ve been doing in there and kick me out. No shows for a while, I’ve spent a lot lot lot of time on tour and just want to focus write #1 hits for a bit.  

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How has COVID affected you to date? What have you introduced to balance the losses from missed events?
COVID forced a big break from band life and led me to learn how to do the whole thing by myself in isolation. The thing that was really stopping me was a lack of drumming ability, so I spent most of lockdown figuring out drums.

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why? 
I would love to sing with Dolly Parton. Her harmonies could make anyone look good. She’s one of the greatest songwriters to ever do it.

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist? 
My dream is to live a life like Nick Cave. He goes into his office at the same time every single day to work on cool stuff — whether it’s music or books or film. He’s really disciplined about it. Then every now and then he ducks off for a wild rock and roll tour. And he’s able to pay the bills. The guy’s got it figured out.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
Having strangers sing your lyrics back at you is an otherworldly experience. Something you wrote in your bedroom is now a part of their life, it belongs to them now. It’s fucking beautiful.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine.
Artist – Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age.
Movie – 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park 
Place to visit – That alleyway behind Young Henry’s brewery in Newtown. It’s where I take my oldest friends for the first beer.
Venue to play – Old Bar in Fitzroy. It’s no bullshit, for musicians by musicians, and they give you heaps of beer when you fill it. That or The Zoo in Brisbane.
Food – Chips and gravy from Vili’s bakery in Adelaide at 4am. It’s the best — they serve beers too, no matter how disheveled you look.
Drink – A bottle of cold and cheap white wine straight after a gig, shared between bandmates’ sweaty mouths.
Person in History – Hunter S Thompson. He really lived it.
Tattoo – I woke up with a terrible anchor tattoo on my arm after a really hectic gentlemen’s bookclub that descended into beer bongs. Adam from The Stiffys pointed at the first one on Google images and he wouldn’t budge, that was the one we had to have. I love it.

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Listen HERE

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Follow GOODTHANKYOU
Website – Instagram – Facebook – Tik Tok

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Press Release 30th January 2024 (below) HERE

GOODTHANKYOU
shares swaggering new
single + video
PRAY AT YOUR ALTAR
taken from new album
THE KENNARDS SESSIONS
Out Today!

Listen HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB