"We're Gonna Miss You" Joe Ghatt + Luke Spook Interview / Premiere
“We’re Gonna Miss You” is a new compilation record release by Third Eye Stimuli Records, Dan Frizza, Zenith Records and various artists around Australia. The compilation is a tribute to psychedelic purveyor Roky Erickson from the 13th Floor Elevators with all proceeds going to Black Dog Institute and Support Act. We caught up with two of the artists on the release, Joe Ghatt and Luke Spook to chat all things including the influence of Roky Erickson on today’s psychedelic revival, how nature helps to soothe the mind and soul and how they both deal with mental health challenges.
Hey Luke and Joe! Let's get into it.
You’ve both covered songs from the 13th Floor Elevators iconic debut album “the Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators” and “Easter Everywhere”. What effect do you think Roky Erikson's music had on the general counter culture movement in the 60s that is still present today?
Joe: I think Roky managed to drop a big old question mark in everyone’s minds at that time. I reckon he sparked a lot of what became that movement from questioning the conventional and going against the grain. I think a lot of that has ripple effected and is still present today.
Luke: Roky and the Elevators showed us and the people before us that you don’t have to make a song palatable to the everyday person; no covering up an idea in the format of a love song or something. Never compromised- they had a true individualist outlook, freaky cutting-edge sounds and very poetic, sometimes cryptic, lyrics. They made songs for people in the ‘know’ and didn’t care to cater to squares and I think that’s an important message to understand even now.
'Mind's Eye' Splatter LP
Luke I really loved your rendition of “I Had To Tell You”, it truly sounds like a campfire sing-along version of the song. How did you record it?
Luke: Thanks for the kind words! Josh from Third Eye roped me into this comp and I thought it’d be nice to highlight one of their lesser-praised songs, ‘I Had To Tell You’ is one of my favourite songs of theirs. I saw Roky play at possibly his last show in Austin in 2019 and this song really brought something up in me thinking about that. I sat down one night and just recorded the whole thing start to finish.I suppose in the spirit of the Elevators I felt it’d be wrong to labour over details but rather capture the feeling while it was there. I wanted a warm, loving, communal feeling so that campfire sing-along description feels spot on!
I thought adding touches of pedal steel would help the country/folk aspects of the song flourish, and I chucked a xylophone through my rotor speaker to make it a bit funky. It just kind of came together naturally.
Joe your version of “Tried To Hide” has your sounds and influence all over it. Is this your favourite Elevators tune?
Joe: I don’t think I could pick a favourite but I do like this one a lot. There is two versions of the song, I’m real keen on the original single version
This release feels important in raising awareness (and funds) surrounding mental health, something that Roky had a lot of troubles with. What are some strategies you both have for dealing with hard mental health days and what do you think needs to change in terms of how society views / deals with mental health?
Luke: I always find just getting out into nature helps me personally. Of course it’s not a cure-all but nothing clears out my head like going for a cold ocean swim or a long silent bush walk. Gardening has been a real saviour for me as well, finding a purpose and realising and appreciating the simple slow beauty of the earth can truly soothe your soul. Something about understanding the tangible cycle of things can put life into perspective.
Also just being aware of how you’re feeling and communicating to loved ones around you may be hard at first but you’ll find that everyone is there to support and love you.
Joe: I think of my mental health as an egg. It’s fragile and easy to scramble. Being mindful of this helps me hit pause. Society really needs to see and treat it with same value and care as physical health.
You’ve already raised $5000 from the record going to Black Dog Institute and Support Act, Amazing! What can you tell us about the organisations that the funds are going to?
Luke: Well Support Act is dedicated to supporting the mental health of artists and people in the industry which is obviously so important and often overlooked, especially at the moment. Black Dog Institute is a non-profit organisation for researching, diagnosing and treating mental health. They have a strong focus on community with things like educational programs and accessible apps and services.
Joe: Both do a bucket load for mental health and offer all kinds of support, the kind of organisations we need to continue to support.
How has this year's events affected your songwriting / creativity and general mental health in general? What advice would you give to someone struggling mentally?
Joe: There have been moments that it has completely de-railed all of the above but also moments that have enhanced it too. My advice is don’t hesitate to reach out big or small.
Luke: I’ve found it’s pretty hard to write songs or be creative when nothing much is happening. It was pretty hard on my mental health feeling like I lost a big part of my life because I couldn’t play shows or do my usual design work which is mostly posters for shows. I had to find purpose and meaning in other ways that satisfied my everyday life like baking bread, pickling lots of things, working on my garden and (like I mentioned earlier) bushwalking and swimming lots.
It’s interesting the influence Roky Erikson had on psychedelic music in general, why do you think his brand of 60s garage was particularly influential when there was a plethora of others doing a similar thing?
Luke: I think it was particularly important because it wasn’t phoney, it wasn’t cashing in on the movement. I think Roky and the Elevators genuinely explored aspects of psychedelia, spirituality and outsider thinking that still resonates today. There are a lot of psych bands from the time that are great fun to listen to but they can often be shallow. The Elevators had integrity and it really shows in the longevity of their influence. Also no one has a guitar tone like Stacy Sutherland!
Joe: When there’s no box or boundary, it’s gonna stick out. There was no box for Roky or his music. For me, it provokes something different that I can’t quite put my finger on.
Anything you're excited about?
Joe: Next year! A bunch of shows coming up and a bag of new music too.
Luke: I’m excited about this comp helping people in need and hopefully spreading the gospel of Roky and the Elevators further!! I’m also excited to unleash some music that I somehow managed to record during lockdown into the world, stay tuned!
Words and interview by Winter McQuinn
Artwork by Jim Grimwade
Check out and buy the record here
Check out Black Dog Institute here and Support Act here
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