GECKØS is the collective spirit of acclaimed songwriter M. Ward, Giant Sand visionary Howe Gelb, and Irish multi-instrumentalist Mark McCausland (aka McKowski). Born out of an impromptu recording session that was sparked by an encounter at the wedding of a mutual friend, the project blends the rich flavors of the Southwest with indie folk, Spanish influences, and a touch of Irish mysticism. With Gelb based in Tucson, Ward in Portland, Oregon, and McCausland in Omagh, Ireland, the prospect of putting together a full LP meant some musical globetrotting was in order — flying back and forth from their home bases as well as to locales like London and Bristol. But they saw a spark that flashed when they got in one place that bonded them. “When you collaborate,” Gelb said, “others take it somewhere where you couldn’t have imagined at all. A new identity gets stamped on.” Ward, whose She & Him project with Zooey Deschanel has proved one of the most enduring collaborations in modern music, said that collaboration is “just an excitement of two heads are better than one.” Or, in this case, three.
On the band’s anthem, “Dance of the Gecko,” each member shines in their own way. As with most of the GECKØS tracks, McCausland brought in the bones of the music, and then Gelb and Ward built around it. Ward’s eerie refrains trade back and forth with Gelb’s campfire vocals. For tracks on which Ward takes the vocal lead, like “Lo Hice” and “El Techno,” he sings in Spanish for the first time in his career — a first that’s hard to believe considering how well it suits him. Ward, whose grandparents were from Mexico, grew up with Spanish in the house, and calls his version a sort of Spanglish. But no place is more important to the group than the Boneyard – “a semi-fictional world that half exists,” explains McCausland. In his small town of Omagh, McCausland has a record shop and a studio called the Boneyard, but also writes a newspaper column with musings from the realm’s hallucinatory happenings. Gelb and Ward both speak fondly of their time in Omagh — of the mystical quality of being in a place where you can go to a pub and people will just break out into song. “I’m very interested in Irish music and in older English music,” says Ward, “and the ways that they tell stories, not just in music, but in all kinds of ways of expression. And I think that Mark’s songs do have a lot of Ireland in them.”
“A detailed quilt of Southwestern indie folk, Spanish influences, and Irish mysticism.” – Stereogum
“Their new single, ‘El Techno,’ serves as a compelling introduction to the trio’s distinctive sonic world, characterized by a loping groove and atmospheric textures…It’s a bold artistic choice that immediately sets GECKØS apart, showcasing a collaborative spirit that pushes its esteemed members into new territory.” – KLOF Magazine
Recommended: Track 2, “Dance of the Gecko,” Track 5, “El Techno”
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Label: ORG Music
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