Warrnambool's Liam Gubbins releases debut EP and shifts away from his family's famous footsteps

With his mother Marcia Howard and uncles Shane and Damian Howard part of the iconic Australian rock band Goanna, Gubbins has had a great base showing him the tricks of the trade.

However, under the pseudonym Gub, the 25-year-old has forged his own path in the industry by exploring the alternative and electronica genres.

"I learnt a lot from my family in terms of how to be a professional musician in the world and my mum has been a huge influence in getting in to music," Gubbins said.

"But my style isn't the same style as the rest the family. I get a lot of influence from electronic music, I enjoy listening to it and I think I picked up a few influences along the way.

"As I create more music I'm starting to figure my sound out more.

"My family has always been there for me and it's so nice to have people to draw from."

Growing up in Warrnambool, the Emmanuel College alumni moved to Melbourne five years ago for university. On the side of his studies, Gubbins began exploring the city's music scene and DJ-ed for a time.

The six-track EP has been perfected by the coronavirus pandemic. Two tracks were recorded in 2019 on holiday in Lummi Island in the Pacific north-west of the United States while the other four tracks were born during the first lockdown beginning in March.

"My sister was living in Lummi Island and I took all my instruments and did some recording," he said.

"During the first lockdown I was working three days at home and I've pretty much been strictly at home since. On the other days for my job, I've been writing and recording.

"I play all the instruments except for the drums and I do the mixing. It's been a great journey and great company for me over the past six months."

Changes is the epitome of smooth. Filled with layers of electronic sounds and instruments, Gub's voice flows over the top. The song is groovy with funk tones scattered throughout and makes for easy and relaxing atmospheric music.

Gubbins first began working on Changes in March and over the course of five months has created about 30 versions of it.

"Changes for me almost seems like the underlying theme of the whole EP," Gubbins said.

"Unintentionally it's about the changes from a break up I'd gone through and the lifestyle of having a regular life to lockdown; it references a complete change of circumstances in my life.

"It's been a song I've really had to work on, the most labour intensive to try and get to a place where it sits now. After all this time, I feel like it's gotten to a place where it feels right."

"Throughout this whole process I've met some great people and people I love to work with.

"My friend Harry Dott shot the film clip for it around my house in Abbotsford on Super 8 film and that was a really fun experience. We shot it over the course of a day.

"It's been a really positive outcome."

Gubbins began exploring the mixing and mastering side of music about five years ago and has quickly found a love for it.

"I'm self-taught doing this type of thing," he said. "More and more I find myself in the production world and it's becoming more of my life doing audio and sound.

"It's increasingly become interesting to me. It takes a lot more work when it's just you to get what you want but I like the idea of having complete create control over the whole process."

Changes will released on September 10 followed by the EP on October 15 via gubmusic.com

Head to facebook.com/gubmusic1 to follow his releases.

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